Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Professor, Department of Geography and Rural Planning, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Rural Planning, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
3 PhD student in Geography and Rural Planning, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to analyze the level of responsibility of tourism entrepreneurs in 6 tourist villages of Binalood city of Khorasan Razavi province. The present research is applied and the method of doing it is descriptive-analytical. The statistical population of the study is the tourist destination villages of Binalood city that have the highest volume of tourists and entrepreneurial activities. The sample size is based on statistics obtained from the city's Department of Industry and Mines, Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization of Khorasan Razavi Province and in consultation with village managers, owners of 196 entrepreneurial businesses in the field of restaurants, teahouses and resorts. The data extracted from the researcher-made questionnaire were analyzed using statistical analysis methods in SPSS software. The results of Friedman test showed that the humanitarian index has the highest and the economic index has the lowest average rank from the respondents' point of view. On the other hand, high chi-square coefficient shows a significant difference between the indicators. The results of Kruskal-Wallis test show the highest level of social responsibility of tourism entrepreneurs in Abreh and Jagharq and the lowest level in Zashk. In terms of moral index, there is no significant difference between villages, but in other indicators (legal, humanitarian, economic, environmental) the level of responsibility of tourism entrepreneurs in the studied villages is different.
Introduction
In recent years, the tourism-oriented villages of Mashhad-Torqabeh Shandiz, due to its pristine and beautiful nature and many natural tourist attractions, has become a space for creating and developing entrepreneurial activities in rural tourism, and is increasingly witnessing activities related to We are. Therefore, due to the great importance of the responsibility of tourism entrepreneurs in reducing the negative effects and increasing the positive effects of rural tourism, it is necessary to examine their level of responsibility. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the level of social responsibility of tourism entrepreneurs. Accordingly, the present study seeks to answer the following questions: 1- What is the status of social responsibility of tourism entrepreneurs? 2- Is there a difference between the dimensions of social responsibility of tourism entrepreneurs or not?
Materials and Methods
The present study is descriptive-analytical. Indicators have been studied in three areas of entrepreneurship social responsibility towards the environment, tourists (guests) and local community (host). The analysis unit in this study is tourism entrepreneurs who have engaged in economic activities in the study villages. To examine the responsibility of tourism entrepreneurs, villages were selected that offer more amenities and services such as restaurants, teahouses and resorts. For this reason, the villages of Jagharq, Abreh Olya, Hesar Sorkh, Kong, Zashk and Naghandar were selected as the study population. The sample size was 196 owners of restaurants, teahouses and resorts. The validity of the questionnaire was assessed by 8 university professors and its reliability was assessed based on Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Alpha coefficients, in all dimensions higher than 0.5, indicate the validity and internal consistency of the research structures. In order to analyze the collected data according to the objectives of the research, SPSS software was used. In the data analysis section, due to the non-normality of the data, non-parametric Friedman and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used.
Discussion and Results
According to the results, the responsibility of entrepreneurs varies both in scale and in the destination villages. Tourism entrepreneurs in the humanitarian and legal dimensions have the highest level of social responsibility and the lowest level of responsibility related to the economic and then environmental dimension. The most important issue is that tourism entrepreneurs have not been able to create many job opportunities for Indigenous people, and due to gender orientation, fewer women have been used in the business environment. In the environmental dimension, entrepreneurs have less commitment to the use of recyclable items, as a result of their activities have caused pollution in the environment. The level of responsibility of tourism entrepreneurs towards the local community, tourists, environment showed that the highest level of responsibility of tourism entrepreneurs towards tourists. Because the goal of all tourism entrepreneurs and business owners is to make more profit. The results also showed the lowest level of responsibility of tourism entrepreneurs towards the environment. According to the results, the social responsibility of tourism entrepreneurs in Abardeh and then Jagharq villages is higher than other villages, and in Zashk village, the level of responsibility of tourism entrepreneurs is lower than other villages. The conclusion indicates that more entrepreneurship and tourism businesses have been created in the villages of Abreh and Jaghargh along these villages, and also from a better geographical location than other villages of Abreh and Jagherq with more tourists and entrepreneurship, and as a result the responsibility of tourism entrepreneurs. And business owners to attract tourists and their satisfaction is more, but the village of Zashk at the end of the Mashhad-Torqabeh Shandiz tourism axis has fewer tourists and more has the second houses of urban dwellers.
Conclusions
Accountability studies have shown that entrepreneurs can be successful in their business if they take responsibility for everyone (environment, community and customers). Accordingly, it is necessary for tourism entrepreneurs to act more responsibly to improve the performance of their business and to include social responsibility in their business, and the good performance of tourism entrepreneurs is a reflection of their observance of this principle. Tourism entrepreneurship is sustainable when it satisfies the local community and tourists and does the least damage to the environment.
Keywords
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