Designing a Model for Nomadic Tourism Development Manegement using a Structural-Interpretive Modeling Approach

Abstract
Nomadic regions of Iran with their unique cultural and natural attractions are considered as one of the most important options for the development of ecotourism in the country. However, the framework and factors of nomadic tourism development have been less considered in previous studies. Accordingly, the present study aims to provide a model for the development of nomadic tourism by using the structural modeling-interpretation approach. For this purpose, the required data were collected and analyzed from the Shahsavan nomadic areas in northwestern Iran with a qualitative-quantitative research approach. For this purpose, using snowball sampling and through semi-structured interviews with 19 tourism experts consisting of university professors, tourism experts and nomadic community, the dimensions and factors affecting the development of nomadic tourism were identified and categorized. In the next step, using interpretive structural modeling (ISM), the relationships between the dimensions were determined and analyzed in an integrated way, then using MICMAC analysis, independent, dependent, effective and two key aspects in the development of nomadic tourism were identified. The results showed that empowerment of nomadic community as the key two-way variable is one of the most important drivers of nomadic tourism development and its strengthening and development should be a priority in policy and planning for nomadic tourism development. On the other hand, social capital, government activism, structural-institutional factors were identified as strategic variables affecting the development of nomadic tourism.
Introduction
Nomadic life is a kind of adaptation to the environment and as one of the first forms of social life with migration. Coexistence and interaction with the environment and continuous efforts to getused to and adapt this lifestyle to the nature and climatic conditions and geography of each region, has caused that among the nomadic groups, livelihood, migration system and the establishment and use of environmental resources (Rezaee, 2019). There are different theories about the formation of tribes and nomads, but it is certain that migrating tribes are among the oldest. There are human societies whose livelihood is based on the exploitation of natural resources. For this reason, the nomadic community in temperate regions with rich pastures and food resources have been constantly moving (Rezaee, 2019(
Nomadic tourism
The local community of a destination is an important part of the destination and their role in the development of a destination cannot be ignored. Various activities such as customs, ceremonies and cultural festivals can be used as a tourism product to promote tourism. Local cultures, heritage and cultural festivals are a unique and new product from the point of view of tourism, because different destinations have different types of cultures, heritage and cultural festivals. Locals know their tourism products much better than foreign products and can play an important role in promoting a destination (Dogra & Gupta, 2012). Nomadic community can deal with some of its problems by taking advantage of some factors and resources that exist in the upper or parallel levels of nomadic livelihood, one of which is to pay attention to the potential of this community for tourism development (Ziaee et al, 2017(.
Iran, with its diverse climate and cultural, natural and climatic attractions, as well as the development of local customs, has the ability to identify and evaluate the position of tourism and identify the strengths and weaknesses of nomadic tourism development, opportunities from the heart Provide and develop sustainable nomadic tourism and benefit current and future generations of sustainable livelihoods and existing potentials in the economic, climatic and social structure of nomadic areas (Papoli Yazdi, 2008(.
Materials and Methods
This study is a qualitative-quantitative research method and is integrated in the framework of methodology and seeks to provide a model for the development of nomadic tourism. For this purpose, the factors affecting the development of nomadic tourism in the eyes of experts were first extracted using judgmental sampling and through semi-structured interviews. The number of experts at this stage was 19 university professors and experts in tourism and the nomadic community. After coding the interviews using Atlas ti software, the factors affecting the development of nomadic tourism in 12 cases were categorized and a specialized questionnaire evaluated the effectiveness of the factors by experts. For this purpose, structural-interpretive modeling (ISM) and MICMAC analysis were used. After identifying the final factors in the development of nomadic tourism, these factors were included in the structural self-interaction matrix (SSIM) to examine the effect of each factor on each other.
Discussion
The results show that in the group of independent variables are environmental empowerment factors(X3), cultural barriers(X8), social barriers(X9), biological barriers(X10), factors that have weak influence and dependence. In the group of dependent variables, there are factors of cultural capital(X4), economic capability(X5) and infrastructure(X6), factors that have high influence, power and dependence, and in fact, any action on these variables causes other variables change and they themselves are less able to change other variables.
In the group of two-dimensional and key variables, the empowerment factor(X7) is located, a factor that has a high power of influence and dependence. In the group of influential variables are social capital(X1), government activism(X2), structural-institutional barriers(X11) and cognitive-knowledge barriers (X12), factors that have high influence and low dependence.
Conclusion
The results showed that the factors of nomadic tourism development can be classified into five levels. Environmental empowerment, social barriers and biological barriers are at the lowest level and act as the cornerstone, so that the development of nomadic tourism should start from this level or factors. Because these factors have the greatest impact on other factors and at the highest level, economic empowerment factors and infrastructure were placed. These factors have less provocative power and more dependence. In fact, these factors are less effective but more effective.
Also, the results of factor classification showed that environmental empowerment factors, cultural barriers, social barriers, biological barriers have weak influence and dependence. In contrast, cultural capital and infrastructure factors are more influenced by other factors and are systemically influential and dependent elements. Empowerment factor is a factor that has high power of influence (stimulus) and dependence.