Evaluation of the ecology and management of desert areas in order to assess their ecotourist capabilities: A case study of Potas tourism complex in Khor-o-Biabanak

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 MSc graduate of Ecotourism, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran S

2 Assistant Professor of Geography & Ecotourism, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran

3 Assistant Professor of Geography & Ecotourism University, of Kashan, Kashan, Iran

Abstract

In line with the persistent development of tourism by means of field studies and questionnaires, the present study is an attempt to analyze the capabilities of ecotourism in Potas tourist complex in the desert area of Khor-o-Biabanak. The assessment method was based on ecological and management standards. According to the results, the average ecologic values of Salt Village, Tashtab, Kamal Abad Village and Beheshti Farm were 5.85, 4.51, 5, and 1.64 respectively. In addition, the average scores of their management were 6.06, 5.66, 4.85, and 5.59 respectively, which indicates the higher ecologic and management potential of Salt Village than the other attractions. The highest percentage for Salt Village (64.42) belonged to the productivity index. Also, the complementary standard of the beauty index was found to have the complete score of 100%, which demonstrates the unique perspective of the region. The maximum scores of Tashtab, 63.33% and 95%, belonged to protection criterion, facility index and support services respectively. The maximum scores of Kamal Abad Village, 64% and 95%, were gained by complementary criterion and rare attraction indices. The highest scores of Beheshti Farm, 59.15% and 100%, were for productivity criterion, facility index, and support services. Consequently, Salt Village, with the score of 58.08%, emerged to have the highest value, but the lowest value belonged to Thastab with the score of 36.68%. This shows the desirable development of tourism due to better accessibility and more investment in Salt Village than in the other regions.

Keywords


1- Alexandra Law, Terry De Lacy, Geoffrey Lipman, Min Jiang (2016). Transitioning to a green economy: the case of tourism in Bali, Indonesia, Journal of Cleaner Production, 111, Part B, 295-305.
2- Arie Reichel, Natan Uriely & Amir Shani (2008): Ecotourism and Simulated Attractions: Tourists’ Attitudes Towards Integrated Sites in a Desert Area, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 16(1), 23-41.
3- Azman, N., Abdul Halim. Sh., Liu, O., Saidin, S., and Komoo, I. (2010). Public Education in Heritage Conservation for Geopark Community. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences. 7, 504–511.
4- Amirian, R., Ghodousi, & J., Mohammadi, A. (2016). Analysis of effective criteria in identifying potential areas for natural tourism development in desert areas (Case study: Varamin city, Tehran province), Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, Eighteenth Period, Special Issue No. 3, 189-202 (in Farsi).
5- Boley, B., Nickerson, N., and Bosak, K. (2011). Measuring geotourism: Developing and testing the geitraveler tendency scale (GTS). Journal of Travel Research, 5, 15-22.
6- Briedenhann, J., Wickens, E. (2018). Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods in Evaluation Related Rural Tourism Development Research, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College. 2018, 1-12.
7- Coratza, P., Chinoi. A., Piacentini, D., and Valdati, J. (2008). Management of Geomorphosites in hight tourist vocation area: an example of geohiking maps in the Alpe di fanes (natural park of fanes-senes-braies, Italian dolomites), Geo Journal of Tourism and Geosites, 2(2), 106- 117.
8- Dowling, R. (2011). Geotourism’s global growth. Geoheritage, 3(1), 1–13.
9- Eldermi, A., & Mirsanjari, M.M. (2011). Investigation of Environmental Potentials of Alisadar Cave Geopark for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development of the Region, Journal of Environment and Development, 2 (3), 116-122 (in Farsi).
10- Ebrahim Bay Salami, G.H., & Gholami, M. (2011). Sustainable Desert Ecotourism Policy in Iran and United Arab Emirates (A Comparative Study), Tourism Development Quarterly, 1(1), 31-58 (in Farsi).
11- Fassoulas, Ch., Mouriki, D., Dimitriou Nikolakis, P., George, I. (2011). Quantitative Assessment of Geotopes as an Effective Tool for Geoheritage Management; Geoheritage, 21, 245 - 266.
12- Faraji Rad, A., & Ehsani, A. (2011). Investigating the Impact of Local Settlements (Clustering on Ecology) on Improving the Living Level of the Local Community (with Emphasis on Garmah Village and Long Slope), Geographical Land Journal, Scientific-Research, Year Eighth, No. 30, 77-63. (in Farsi).
13- Ghanbari, A., Karimi, F., & Yazdani, O. (2017). Geomorphic Feasibility of Sarvoabad City Using Perira and Reynard Methods, Geographic Space, 17 (57), 195-211 (in Farsi).
14- Hejazi, M.A., & Setareh Farmani, M. (2017). Geotourism Assessment of Geomorphosites of Varkana Village by Perryra Method, Geography and Planning, 21(59), 41-63.
15- Hengky, SH. (2017). Probing coastal eco-tourism in Pasir Putih Beach, Indonesia. Bus Manag Horiz, 5(1):1–11.
16- Higgins-Desbiolles, F. (2006). More than an industry: The forgotten power of tourism as a social force. Tourism Management, No. 27,1192–1208.
17- Hashemi, M., Ramesht, M.H. (2014). Potential Finding of Yazd Desert in Ecotourism Industry Using Formal Analysis Models, Geographical Exploration of Desert Areas, Second Year, No. 3, 187-204 (in Farsi).
18- Ilies. D., Josan, N. (2009): Geosites-Geomorphosites and relief, Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites, PP. 78-85.
19- Jinyang Deng, Brian King, Thomas Bauer (2002). Evaluaing Natural Attraction for Tourism, Annals of Tourism Research, 29(2), 422–438.
20- Karazi, E. (2006). Geotourism, New Approach to Tourism Planning in Zanjan Province, Selected Proceedings of Zanjan Tourism Development Capabilities, Rangelands and Strategies. (in Farsi).
21- Khoshtaria, T.K. Chachava, N.T. (2017): Prospects of ecotourism development in recreation areas of South Georgia, Annals of Agrarian Scienc, pp 1-6.
22- Mousavi, S.H., Kiani Salmi, S., Sadeghi, A., & Akbari Feyzabadi, H. (2017). Evaluation of Ecotourism Development Capacity Based on Ecological and Management Assessment in Abbasab Wildlife Refuge, Journal of Desert Ecosystems Engineering, Journal Sixth Year, No. 15, 119-134. (in Farsi).
23- Movahed, A., & Dabaghzadeh, N. (2010). Ecological Evaluation of Dez River Range between Regulatory Dam and Ghir Dam for Ecotourism, Journal of Environment, Thirty-Sixth Year, No. 55, 13-24. (in Farsi).
24- Maghsoudi, M., Alizadeh, M., Rahimi Harabadi, S., & Hodai Arani, M. (2012). Geomorphic Ability of Kavir National Park, Tourism Management Studies, 7(19),  49-68 (in Farsi).
25- Mokhtari, D., & Hemmati, F. (2016). Identification of Geomorphic Locations of Deireh Watershed and Evaluation of their Geotouristic Capabilities by Priera, Geography and Planning Method, 20(57), 255-276 (in Farsi).
26- Mirktooli, J., Zangi Abadi, Z., Aflaki, Z., Musazadeh, H. (2016). Evaluation of Geological Heritage in Cheshmeh Badab-e-Sour Geopark by Perira and Reynard Methods (Erost Village- Sari County), Regional Planning, 6(1), 205-220 (in Farsi).
27- Moghimi, E., Rahimi Harabadi, S., Hodai Arani, M., Alizadeh, M., & Orouji, H. (2012). Geomorphotourism and Feasibility Study of Road Geomorphocytes Using Periera Method, Case Study, Free Road 28-Kashan, Applied Research in Geographical Sciences, 12(27), 163-184 (in Farsi).
29- Navidi, H., Mortazavi, S. A., & Amirnejad, H. (2014). Deserts and Sustainable Development in Iran: Study of Ecotourism Value in the Egyptian Desert of Isfahan Province, Quarterly Journal of Economic Growth and Development Research , No. 18, 82-65 (in Farsi).
30- Nuzula NI, Armono HD, Rosyid DM (2017). Management of Baluran National Park resources for coastal ecotourism based on suitability and carrying capacity. Appl Mech Mater, 862: 161–167.
31- Organization of Forests, Rangelands and Watersheds of Iran (2014), Guide to Ecotourism and Ecotourism in Watersheds, pp. 7-22. (in Farsi).
32- Pourkhosravani, M., & Moghani Rahimi, B. (2015). An Analysis of Geomorphotourism Attractions in Regional Tourism Development (Case Study of Sirjan Desert), Urban and Regional Studies and Research, Year Seven, No. 27, 119-136 (in Farsi).
33- Pereira, P., Pereira, D. Caetano, M. Braga, A. (2007): Geomorphosite assessment in Montesinho Natur al Park (Portugal), Geographica Helvetica Jg. 62: PP. 159-168.
34- Shayan, S., & Ismail, P. (2007). Feasibility Study of Ecotourism Prospects in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad, Journal of Humanities Teacher, 11(53), 153-181 (in Farsi).
35- Sheikh al-Islami, A., Tavakoli, R.A., Aghalijani, M., & Moghimi, E. (2013). Strategic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Development in Jiroft City Using SWOT Model, Zagros Geography and Urban Planning Quarterly, Fifth Year, No. 15, 66-81 (in Farsi).
36- Shu-Yuan Pan, MengyaoGao, HyunookKim, Kinjal J. Shah, Si-Lu Pei, Pen-ChiChiang (2018): Advances and challenges in sustainable tourism toward a green economy, Science of The Total Environment, 635, 452-469.
37- Vasiljevic, D. Markovic, SB. Hose, TA. Smalley, I. Basarin, B. Lazic, L. and G. Jovic, (2011): The introduction to geoconservation of loesspalaeoso sequences in the Vojvodina region. Significant Geoheritage of Serbia, 240, 108–116
38- Wójtowicza, B. Strachowkab, R. and M. Strzyz. (2011): the perspectives of the development of tourism in the areas of geoparks in Poland, Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 19, 150–157.
39- Yufeng, Zh., and Lei, J. (2019): Resources development and tourism environmental carrying capacity of ecotourism industry in Pingdingshan City, China, Ecological Processes, 8:7, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-019-0161-0.