Abstract: (7 Views)
Background: Today, many countries have included the tourism industry in their strategic development plans in order to achieve sustainable and stable growth. Among them, agricultural tourism is one of the various forms of tourism that can play an effective role in reducing farmers' risks as a complement to agricultural activities. The attractiveness of agricultural activities for tourists, in addition to the economic, social, and cultural development of agricultural areas, leads to the creation of job opportunities and income diversification in the agricultural sector, which will ultimately lead to strengthening the resilience of farmers against natural shocks and market fluctuations. Kerman Province is considered one of the main tourism hubs of Iran due to its unique historical, cultural and natural features. Covering more than 11% of Iran’s area, this province is the largest province in the country and has a special capacity in tourism with 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 41 tourist areas and more than 91 natural and historical monuments. Kerman is considered an important agricultural hub in the country due to its diverse climate and the production of about 70 types of agricultural products and having more than 15% of the country's gardens. Despite the severe limitations of water resources, this province has been able to play a key role in the national economy by relying on strategic and export-oriented agriculture. Given the multidimensional nature of agriculture, evaluating this sector based on traditional indicators such as production and employment is not sufficient, but dimensions such as environmental protection, cultural-spiritual values, and recreational potential should also be considered. Given these capacities, agricultural tourism can be a new platform for sustainable development in this province, so the aim of the present study is to identify and rank the factors affecting the development of agricultural tourism in Kerman province, using nonparametric fuzzy analytic hierarchy process.
Methods: The present study is applied in terms of purpose and has a mixed approach in terms of nature. To achieve the research goal, 28 experts in the fields of tourism and agriculture in Kerman province, including experts and activists in these fields and university professors, were selected through a purposeful method in 2025. The research process was carried out in two stages; in the first stage, through reviewing previous studies and conducting interviews with experts, the factors affecting the development of agricultural tourism were identified and localized. In the second stage, the identified factors were ranked using a questionnaire tool and using the paired comparison matrix and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process. Excel, Spss and Expert Choice statistical software were used to analyze the data.
Results: The results of the study showed that the main dimensions of agricultural tourism development in Kerman province, from the first to the fourth priority, included the dimensions; physical-institutional, environmental, economic and social. After prioritizing the main dimensions, the criteria and sub-criteria were ranked. In the physical-institutional dimension; "agricultural tourism development infrastructure criterion" with a focus on infrastructure services, water consumption management and tourist reception capacity, took the first rank. In the environmental dimension; "regional attractions criterion" with an emphasis on the distance of agricultural areas from urban areas, "environmental quality criterion" with an emphasis on environmental health and "agricultural landscape criterion" with a focus on drought and erosion, were ranked first to third respectively. In the economic dimension; "accommodation and food services criterion" with an emphasis on the existence of these services near farms and "regional economic structure criterion" with a focus on agricultural tourism demand were ranked top. Finally, in the social dimension; "Security services and cultural services" took the first and second ranks.
Conclusion: Despite the various benefits of agricultural tourism for farmers and tourists, agricultural tourism has not developed much in Kerman province. The results of ranking the sub-criteria, criteria, and various dimensions of agricultural tourism show that the existence of infrastructure and communication services, including the existence of suitable roads and Internet and telephone networks in target areas, are among the most important factors affecting the development of agricultural tourism. Accordingly, it is suggested that policymakers in the fields of tourism and agriculture focus on improving these infrastructures to provide the necessary framework for facilitating access to tourist areas and increasing tourist attraction. The high priority of the criterion of security of agricultural areas for residents and tourists indicates the importance of this criterion for both groups of stakeholders. Accordingly, in addition to providing security by relevant institutions, the participation of local people in improving the security of agricultural areas can be considered an effective step in the development of agricultural tourism. Planning and creating a platform to attract private sector investors in agricultural tourism activities, especially in agricultural areas close to urban centers, is a strategic opportunity for entrepreneurship, increasing income, and reducing migration. Given the determining role of regional attractions in attracting tourists, diversifying these attractions through holding special cultural and sports events requires targeted planning. Also, improving welfare services, including accommodation and food, and teaching farmers and tourists about the concepts of agricultural tourism are requirements for development in this field.
Methods: The present study is applied in terms of purpose and has a mixed approach in terms of nature. To achieve the research goal, 28 experts in the fields of tourism and agriculture in Kerman province, including experts and activists in these fields and university professors, were selected through a purposeful method in 2025. The research process was carried out in two stages; in the first stage, through reviewing previous studies and conducting interviews with experts, the factors affecting the development of agricultural tourism were identified and localized. In the second stage, the identified factors were ranked using a questionnaire tool and using the paired comparison matrix and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process. Excel, Spss and Expert Choice statistical software were used to analyze the data.
Results: The results of the study showed that the main dimensions of agricultural tourism development in Kerman province, from the first to the fourth priority, included the dimensions; physical-institutional, environmental, economic and social. After prioritizing the main dimensions, the criteria and sub-criteria were ranked. In the physical-institutional dimension; "agricultural tourism development infrastructure criterion" with a focus on infrastructure services, water consumption management and tourist reception capacity, took the first rank. In the environmental dimension; "regional attractions criterion" with an emphasis on the distance of agricultural areas from urban areas, "environmental quality criterion" with an emphasis on environmental health and "agricultural landscape criterion" with a focus on drought and erosion, were ranked first to third respectively. In the economic dimension; "accommodation and food services criterion" with an emphasis on the existence of these services near farms and "regional economic structure criterion" with a focus on agricultural tourism demand were ranked top. Finally, in the social dimension; "Security services and cultural services" took the first and second ranks.
Conclusion: Despite the various benefits of agricultural tourism for farmers and tourists, agricultural tourism has not developed much in Kerman province. The results of ranking the sub-criteria, criteria, and various dimensions of agricultural tourism show that the existence of infrastructure and communication services, including the existence of suitable roads and Internet and telephone networks in target areas, are among the most important factors affecting the development of agricultural tourism. Accordingly, it is suggested that policymakers in the fields of tourism and agriculture focus on improving these infrastructures to provide the necessary framework for facilitating access to tourist areas and increasing tourist attraction. The high priority of the criterion of security of agricultural areas for residents and tourists indicates the importance of this criterion for both groups of stakeholders. Accordingly, in addition to providing security by relevant institutions, the participation of local people in improving the security of agricultural areas can be considered an effective step in the development of agricultural tourism. Planning and creating a platform to attract private sector investors in agricultural tourism activities, especially in agricultural areas close to urban centers, is a strategic opportunity for entrepreneurship, increasing income, and reducing migration. Given the determining role of regional attractions in attracting tourists, diversifying these attractions through holding special cultural and sports events requires targeted planning. Also, improving welfare services, including accommodation and food, and teaching farmers and tourists about the concepts of agricultural tourism are requirements for development in this field.
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