Analyzing the Environmental Quality of Urban Tourism Attractions and Modeling its Effects on Tourists' Satisfaction (Case Study: Zanjan City)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D in human geography and Spatial planning Department, Faculty of Earth Sciences. Shahid Beheshti university, Tehran. Iran

2 Ph.D in Geography and Urban Planning, Research Institute of Humanities and Social Studies, Tehran Branch, and teaching instructor of the Department of Geography, Zanjan University, Iran.

3 M.A Student of Geography and Tourism Planning, Spatial Planning and Spatial Complexes, Faculty of Social Sciences, Zanjan University, Zanjan, Iran.

Abstract

The aim of the current research is to model the environmental quality of tourist attractions on the satisfaction of tourists in Zanjan city. The research method is a descriptive-analytical type that was carried out by a survey method. The statistical population of the research is the tourists of Zanjan city in 2021. In order to determine the number of research samples, due to the unknown number of statistical population, the required number of samples was 350 questionnaires. In order to analyze the data, the statistical test of factor analysis, single-sample T-test was used in EXCEL software, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used in Amos Graphics software environment. by using the factor analysis test in order to evaluate the environmental quality of tourist attractions in Zanjan city; Seven factors of environmental quality were identified Also, selected indicators on tourist satisfaction were extracted from the model of Akama and Kiti 2003 (a model based on the Seroqual model). The results of the level of satisfaction with the environmental quality of tourist attractions, with the value (2.64) are in an unfavorable situation and below the average level. The correlation coefficient between the latent variables and manifest variables of the measurement model through the second-order structural equations of the environmental quality of tourist attractions shows that the latent factors and variables identified in the research have been able to account for 68% of the variance of the effects of the environmental quality components of tourist attractions on Explain the satisfaction of tourists and the factor of economic and social dynamics has the highest factor load with a relative importance and an influence coefficient of 0.80. The final results of the structural equation model show that the environmental quality of the tourist attractions in the study area has low impact to the extent of 0.31 on the satisfaction of tourists and among the hidden factors of environmental quality; The factor of certain tourism services with an impact factor of 0.83 and the factor of urban public services with 0.80 had the highest role and relative importance which indicates the predominance of physical programs and 5-year economic-social development programs of the country regarding the environmental quality of tourist attractions. Achieving the desired situation requires the development of specific criteria in the area of Zanjan tourist attractions, the scope of intervention and the design of nearby buildings according to specific criteria with the coordination and participation of all relevant ministries and institutions with sufficient legal and executive requirements.

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Main Subjects


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