Muṭāli̒āt-i Mudīriyyat-i Gardishgarī (Mar 2023)
Identifying recreational activities and investigating location indicators for nature tourism development in Hara Protected Area
Abstract
Improper recreational activity development can have destructive ecological and economic impacts. Identification and proportionality measurement for the principled and practical implementation of these activities is a suitable solution to reduce their negative impacts on tourism destinations and natural ecosystems. Accordingly, in the present study, the recreational activities demanded by tourists in the Hara protected area were identified, and then these activities were investigated according to a list of locational indicators. Spatial distribution of recreational activities in the Hara area demonstrated that due to the land and coastal-marine nature of the requested activities, as well as the topographical and climatic conditions of the area, most of these activities can be implemented in the coastal areas and waters. According to the results, 12 recreational activities from 43 identified activities were selected by tourists, and among these activities, "Visit the forest with a balloon" received the highest score, while the lowest score is assigned to "sunbathing on the coast". In addition, among the 14 spatial indicators, "precipitation intensity" and "suitable time for tourism" have been investigated and analyzed in most recreational activities, while other indicators such as "maximum height above sea level" affect a limited number of activities. On the other hand, the most important indicator in the implementation of these activities is the climate suitable for tourism and favorable weather conditions in this area. In general, the identification and investigation of recreational activities and spatial indicators in tourism destinations, especially in protected areas that have legal prohibitions and biological restrictions for human activities development, is essential and can help in the planning and proper management of these areas.IntroductionToday, tourism activities can play an important role along with economic, social, cultural, and political development to sustain human life. Recreational activities can be an important economic activity, but in case of unsuitable development, it also has destructive ecological and economic impacts. Correct planning for basic and practical implementation of these activities can be effective in reducing their negative impacts. In this regard, one of the most important topics discussed in the management and planning of tourism in natural areas is how to select recreational activities that can be developed and demanded by tourists in these areas. To achieve sustainable development, proportionality measurement and assessment of the environment and recreational activities are necessary and essential before any planning.Materials and Methods To identify recreational activities that can be developed in the Hara protected area based on experts' viewpoints and available documents, a list of recreational activities was prepared. Then 43 recreational activities were identified and presented to tourists in the form of a visual questionnaire to determine their selected activities and prioritize them in the numerical range of 1 to 10. According to Cochran's relationship, the sample size for tourists was determined to be 96. In this regard, by randomly distributing 100 questionnaires among tourists, their demand related to the recreational activities available in this area was identified and surveyed. In the next step, the requested activities were screened and selected. The basic selection of activities in this study is based on more than 10% of the total priorities, which among leisure activities with an average of more than 100 and based on the frequency of the first 3 selections (priorities 1 to 3) have the highest demand among tourists. It should be mentioned that the final score of the activities is also standardized and reviewed according to the highest sum of the priority coefficients. After examining the results of questioning by tourists and summarizing the types of recreational activities in demand in the area, to examine recreational activities, a series of location indicators were presented according to the nature of land and coastal-sea activities. Accordingly, according to the relevant study documents, 14 indicators include; slope, maximum height above sea level, coast type, wind intensity, precipitation intensity, water flow speed, maximum wave height, minimum water depth, maximum water depth, suitable time (comfortable climate), viewing angle, viewing direction, maximum viewing distance, and landscape composition was used for spatial proportionality of leisure activities.Discussion and Results As the results revealed, 12 recreational activities from 43 identified activities were selected by tourists, and among these activities, "visit the forest with a balloon" received the highest score, while the lowest score is assigned to "sunbathing on the coast". In addition, among the 14 spatial indicators, "precipitation intensity" and "suitable time for tourism" have been investigated and analyzed in most recreational activities, while other indicators such as "maximum height above sea level" affect a limited number of activities. On the other hand, the most important indicator in the implementation of these activities is the climate suitable for tourism and favorable weather conditions in this area. Considering the land and coastal-sea nature of the selected activities, as well as the topographical and climatic conditions of the area, the spatial distribution of most recreational activities is usable in the coastal profile and in the coastal areas and waters.Conclusions The results indicated that sustainable tourism development depends on the necessity of studying the ability of recreational activities in demand in the tourist destination. Each recreational activity is affected by a range of spatial indicators and also affects the environment. In general, the identification and investigation of recreational activities and spatial indicators in tourism destinations, especially in protected areas that have legal prohibitions and biological restrictions for human activities development, is essential and can help in the planning and proper management of these areas.
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