Developing a Competitive and Sustainable Model for the Future of a Destination: Iran’s Tourism Competitiveness

Figures & data

Table 1. First phase sample size profiles.

Respondents	Degree
R1, R2, R3, R4, R5	PhD in Tourism planning
R6, R7, R8	PhD in Regional development planning
R9, R10	PhD in Sustainable urban development management
R11	PhD in Public management
R12	PhD in Business management
R13	MSc in Tourism management
R14	MSc in Strategic management

Table 2. Main concepts and extracted codes.

Theme	Code	Reference
Economic	Emphasis on influential marketing plan Allocate adequate budgets for national tourism plans Increase entrepreneurship in tourism Focus on developing privatization in the tourism industry Develop appropriate frameworks for tourism investment drivers	P5, P11, P12, P14
Structural & organizational	Facilitate legal licensing procedures Strength inter-departmental/organizational coordination and integration Modify and adjust current laws in tourism-related sectors Increase adaptive scientific education and research policies in the tourism sector Increase specialized management in the tourism sector	P1, P2, P4, P9, P14
Product & service	Emphasis on secondary cultural and historical attractions Emphasis on secondary natural attractions Adapt diversification strategies for incoming tours	P2, P3, P7, P9
Spatial & infrastructure	Increase the quality of aesthetic attributes of public and human-made spaces Renovate communication infrastructure Focus on structure and infrastructure properties Improve healthcare network	P8, P9, P6, P10
Political	Increase international relations with other nations Create positive imagery of Iran on an international scale Increase safety and security in Iran Facilitate visas for international tourists	P6, P10, P11, P12, P13
Sociocultural	Improve community participation in the country Organize traditional festivals, holidays, and international events Participation of stakeholders in tourism development Enhance the carrying capacity of the local communities Create a sense of trust in international tourists Lack of public awareness in the field of tourism	P1, P4, P6, P10, P11, P12, P13
Information & technology	Adapt new technologies in the tourism industry Increase in digital advertising Improve the e-Commerce culture in the tourism and hotel industry Prepare a comprehensive tourism database for Iran Increase control and monitoring with new technologies	P4, P5, P8

Figure 1. Conceptual model of Iran’s tourism development.

Table 3. Demographic profile of the respondents (N = 218).

	N	(%)
Gender
Male	125	(57.3)
Female	93	(42.7)
Age
20–30	30	(13.8)
31–40	77	(35.3)
41–50	75	(34.4)
Over 50	36	(16.5)
Education status
Vocational training	13	(6.0)
University	82	(28.5)
Master	86	(39.4)
Doctorate/PhD	57	(26.1)
Position
Academic	118	(54.1)
Professional	69	(31.7)
Both	31	(14.2)

Table 4. Results of items’ outer loading analysis.

Constructs	Mean	SD	Loading
Economic	3.446	1.013
(1) Allocating specific budgets for implementing tourism plans, distributing and allocating financial facilities, and providing assistance			0.926
(2) Extending the privatization process to the macro level			0.971
(3) Attracting domestic and international investment			0.981
Product & Service	4.131	0.678
(4) Providing cultural and historical tourism-related products and services			0.786
(5) Developing medical tourism development plans using modern and traditional treatment			0.898
(6) Developing event-based tourism that includes traditional Iranian festivals and holidays, international exhibitions, conferences, and seminars			0.909
Structural & Organization	3.789	0.741
(7) Improving inter-departmental/organizational coordination and integration on a national scale			0.838
(8) Developing a tourism development masterplan			0.950
(9) Developing tourism specialized management skills			0.965
Spatial & Infrastructure	4.294	0.506
(10) Improving governance infrastructure properties (law and order machinery, customs, and immigration)			0.807
(11) Improving service infrastructure elements (banking facilities, insurance agency, travel agency, tour guides)			0.784
(12) Improving physical infrastructure elements (transportation, accommodation, etc.)			0.866
Political	3.919	0.654
(13) Enhancing international relations with different target countries by considering security-centric, culture-centric, and profit-centric approaches			0.876
(14) Improving domestic physical and psychological security structures			0.882
(15) Adopting situational policies to facilitate visas for international tourists			0.877
Sociocultural	3.197	0.843
(16) Improving community participation			0.857
(17) Increasing carrying capacity of communities to accept tourists			0.820
(18) Developing guidelines to create a sense of trust in tourists			0.844
Information & Technology	3.976	0.558
(19) Improving the general level of knowledge (general public)			0.892
(20) Developing new technologies and advertising media			0.910
(21) Establishing a comprehensive tourism database in Iran			0.871
Competitive Identity	3.915	0.406
(22) Competitive identity provides more innovation and encouragement for Iran’s tourism destinations			0.715
(23) Improving Iran’s competitive identity leads to increased foreign investment			0.808
(24) Improving the competitive identity of Iran as a tourist destination increases international tourists’ trust and confidence in traveling to Iran			0.837
(25) Strengthening Iran’s competitive identity could help validate the country’s overall image on a global scale			0.835
(26) Competitive identity aids the development of strong cultural relations with other countries			0.829
Tourism Market Development	3.897	0.430
(27) For the development of Iran’s tourism market, macroeconomic and microeconomic criteria must be considered			0.785
(28) The development of Iran’s tourism market requires addressing sociocultural development			0.804
(29) It is necessary to change the organizational structure of Iran’s tourism sectors to expand the country’s international tourism market			0.864
(30) Improving the quality of processing activities (services) is critical if international tourists are to be attracted			0.869
(31) On a national and international scale, infrastructure and spatial improvements are essential for Iran’s tourism market			0.847
(32) Improvements in international cooperation may make it easier for tourists to visit Iran			0.734

Table 5. Results of construct reliability and validity.

Variables	Cronbach’s Alpha	CR	AVE
(1) Competitive Identity	0.865	0.903	0.650
(2) Economic	0.957	0.972	0.921
(3) Information Technology	0.871	0.920	0.794
(4) Political	0.852	0.910	0.771
(5) Structure & Organization	0.910	0.942	0.845
(6) Sociocultural	0.817	0.878	0.706
(7) Spatial & Infrastructure	0.764	0.860	0.672
(8) Product & Service	0.836	0.900	0.750
(9) Tourism Market Development	0.901	0.924	0.670

Table 6. Results of discriminant validity based on Fornell–Larcker criterion.

Variables	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
(1) Competitive Identity	0.806
(2) Economic	0.248	0.960
(3) Information Technology	0.413	−0.032	0.891
(4) Political	0.474	0.542	0.267	0.878
(5) Structure & Organization	0.322	0.321	0.132	0.375	0.919
(6) Sociocultural	0.309	0.646	0.143	0.518	0.326	0.840
(7) Spatial & Infrastructure	0.344	0.147	0.303	0.384	0.296	0.167	0.820
(8) Product & Service	0.271	0.335	0.155	0.407	0.188	0.346	0.503	0.866
(9) Tourism Market Development	0.687	0.269	0.557	0.403	0.288	0.315	0.349	0.188	0.819

Note: Values on the diagonal are square roots of the AVE for each construct.

Figure 2. Predictive relevance of the model.

Table 7. Results of hypothetical paths.

Hypothesis no.	Paths	Path Coefficient (β)	T-Values	P-values	Results
H1	Economic → Competitive Identity	0.123	1.659	0.049	Supported
H2	Product & Service → Competitive Identity	0.142	1.882	0.038	Supported
H3	Structure & Organization → Competitive Identity	0.129	1.664	0.048	Supported
H4	Spatial & Infrastructure → Competitive Identity	0.154	1.945	0.031	Supported
H5	Political → Competitive Identity	0.269	2.101	0.017	Supported
H6	Sociocultural → Competitive Identity	0.121	1.644	0.050	Supported
H7	Information technology → Competitive Identity	0.284	3.968	0.000	Supported
H8	Competitive Identity → Tourism Market Development	0.687	11.698	0.000	Supported

Figure 3. Model construction.