Evaluation and zoning of the geotourism capabilities of Tarom county

Abstract

The present research has been written to assess the capabilities and zoning of the geo-tourism capabilities of Tarom. The research method in the current research is mixed (quantitative-qualitative) with a practical purpose and analytical-exploratory nature; in order to analyze the information, Comanescu’s capability measurement method, Fuzzy Network Analysis Model (ANP-FUZZY), and also GIS software. The research results showed that the geo-sites of Tarom County have high geo-tourism values. Meanwhile, the geo-site of the Valider Sheit River has the highest value, the geo-site of the Ghezel Ozan River ranks second, and the Nokian River ranks third. Also, the investigation of the geo-tourism criteria of Tarom shows that 46.49% of the studied area is suitable for the development of geo-tourism. On the other hand, the geo-sites with high value in the Comanescu Model are consistent with the potential geo-tourism zones resulting from zoning in the county and have an acceptable level.IntroductionGeo-tourism is a sustainable method of tourism that promotes environmental and cultural understanding and conservation of landscapes through the experience of various geological and geomorphological features of this geosphere, and its development can strengthen economic viability, community improvement, and geographic protection of landscape features. In general, geo-tourism can be created in a natural landscape where people are free to enjoy the spectacular views of the geosphere. Also, the attraction point of each landscape for the initial scope of geo-tourism depends on four types of tourism values: scientific, aesthetic, cultural, and economic. In the meantime, geo-morpho-sites are intrinsic and essential geological and geomorphological features of the earth's surface, which have significant scientific, aesthetic, and economic importance and have been discovered by human society. Also, different landscapes of the geosphere have witnessed the development of geo-tourism based on geo-morpho-sites. In a holistic approach toward the development of sustainable tourism, geo-morpho-sites are an essential basis for the development of geo-tourism.On the other hand, geo-tourism plays a significant role in the protection of geo-morpho-sites. In the meantime, from the geo-cultural point of view, geo-tourism is considered a new way to develop less developed societies due to its economic efficiency. Therefore, in the approach of sustainable development of tourism, geo-tourism plays an essential role, and the development of geo-tourism on geo-morpho-sites can be done in the best way after evaluating geo-morpho-sites in a tourist environment. Considering the importance of geo-tourism as one of the essential species in achieving sustainable tourism, the purpose of this research is to evaluate and zoning the geo-tourism capabilities of Tarom County.Research Question(s)At what level are the geo-morpho-sites of Tarom County in terms of management and use, economic, cultural, aesthetic, and scientific values?In terms of the desirability of geo-tourist capacity criteria, what is the state of Tarom County? Literature ReviewThe concept and approach of geo-tourism developed in the late 1980s after the recognition of geologists' schools, universities, and museums in the UK (Hose, 1995; Hose et al., 2011). The term "geo-tourism" was first coined in 1995 by Thomas A. Hughes, a professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol in England (Antic & Tomic, 2017; Grover & Mahanta, 2018). According to Thomas A. Hose (2005), geo-tourism is: "Ensuring the value and social preservation of geological and geomorphological sites and their resources and providing interpretive facilities and services for the use of students, tourists, and other casual recreationists." This definition clearly shows that the main focus of geo-tourism is interpretation, promotion, and conservation, which are all essential elements for the development of geo-tourism. Newsome and Dowling (2010) have stated that geo-tourism is an arrangement of tourism in natural areas that focuses specifically on landscape and geology and their interpretation, promotion, and protection with the help of education (Jonic, 2018).MethodologyThe research method in the current research is mixed (quantitative-qualitative), with a practical purpose and analytical-exploratory nature. In this regard, first, the geo-sites of Tarom County were identified using interviews and field observations. In the second stage, the values of geo-sites were evaluated using the Comanescu capability measurement method. Finally, the geo-tourism capabilities of this county were evaluated using the Fuzzy Network Analysis Model (FUZZY-ANP) and questioning managers and officials, as well as benefiting from They were zoned based on criteria such as height, slope, land use, distance from communication road, distance from county or village, distance from geo-site, distance from river, distance from cultural sites. The statistical population of the research included the managers and officials of Tarom County, and 15 people were determined as the sample size by using a non-random sampling method.ResultsThe research results showed that the geo-sites of Tarom County have high geo-tourism values. Meanwhile, the geo-site of the Valider-Shit River has the highest value, the geo-site of the Ghezel Ozan River ranks second, and the Nowkian River ranks third. Also, the investigation of the geo-tourism criteria of Tarom shows that 46.49% of the studied area is suitable for the development of geo-tourism. On the other hand, the geo-sites with high value in the Comanescu model are consistent with the potential geo-tourism zones resulting from zoning in Tarom County and have an acceptable level. In general, the results of this research can be used as a document in planning and environmental management for the sustainable development of tourism in the studied area by officials and planners.

Keywords

• geotourism
• geomorphosite
• capability assessment
• tarom county