Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Yasin Qadermarzi ¹
• Mohamad rasol Almasifard ²
• Mohsen Yarahmadi ²

¹ Master of Entrepreneurship Management, Faculty of Economics and Accounting, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

² Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Economics and Accounting, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract

The world registration of the Oramanat region as the 26th World Heritage of Iran in the UNESCO organization has doubled the importance of this region from the west of the country. Considering the many capacities of the Oramanat region to attract tourists and the proper use of the world registration point to make this region known as a tourism hub at the international level, this research aims to find the influential factors in branding the Oramanat tourism destination in the form of a model, and it is a Model. Regarding the objective type, this study is applied research conducted using a mixed exploratory method during two qualitative and quantitative stages. In the qualitative section, interviews were conducted with 15 experts in the field of tourism, including university professors, officials, and activists in this field, first in a targeted manner and then in a snowball. In the quantitative section, paired comparisons were given to the same sample people in the qualitative section of the questionnaire. Finally, a hierarchical analysis was performed to analyze the data. Based on the research findings, nine main factors were identified for the international tourism branding of Oramanat, which obtained the most points in the order of the importance of infrastructure and facilities, attraction factor, and marketing and advertising factor. Administrative, political, and legal factors, tourists and agencies, brand building, stabilization, sociocultural, and economic factors were also placed as the following priorities. Finally, according to the results of the interviews, the factor of infrastructure and facilities is the region’s weakness. The attraction factor is its strength, so it is necessary to create facilities for accommodation, healthcare, communication, and transportation in the region and should be strengthened. Oramanat’s destination brand should be created around the attractions of the region that have the necessary capacity by using various marketing and advertising methods. Holding various conferences and forming a specialized committee to develop the branding program of the region are also essential and practical suggestions for facilitating matters.
Introduction
One of the tourist areas in Iran is the Oramanat region. Due to its historical, cultural, and natural attractions, this region can be a suitable destination for attracting tourists throughout the year, effectively empowering the people and organizing the region’s economy.
Since there are few essential sources of income and economy in Oramanat, tourism can be an important source of income for the people of this area.
However, the expected benefits from this industry have yet to be realized for the people of Oramanat, which may be the main reason for the improper management and planning, lack of necessary facilities, and minor and limited advertising. The combination of these factors has made the majority of tourists in the region from neighboring regions and provinces, and we have yet to see much success in attracting international tourists to this region.
Due to the weakness in marketing and advertising, this region has many obstacles to introducing its tourist attractions.
One of the subsets of marketing is branding. If we intend to attract international tourists, destination branding will be inevitable because there is fierce competition between different destinations to attract tourists. Our destination must create, maintain, or increase its market share in this competition. Therefore, considering the increasing importance of the tourism industry and the significant impact of this industry on necessary social, economic, and cultural fields, the importance of branding to attract tourists and the potential of Oramanat region in the field of attracting international tourists and also the global registration of the region, we decided to Let us look for the answer to this question, what branding model can lead to the development of international tourism in Oramanat region?
Literature Review
According to the definition of the World Organization (WTO), international tourism includes the activities of visitors who temporarily leave international borders and stay in destinations other than their place of work and residence for more than 24 hours. Although international tourism is an economic activity, it creates interaction between many people. International tourism increases the demand for services and facilities. Therefore, it creates challenges and opportunities for the host country and plays a vital role in the economic development process of many countries. The host country spends more to attract this type of tourists and earns more income through visitor expenses. One of the reasons for paying more attention to international tourism than domestic tourism is the positive impact of this tourism on economic growth through the creation of foreign exchange income and job creation.
A brand is a set of communications that combines the name, sign, and symbol associated with a product. Brands convey attributes and meanings designed to enhance the value of a product beyond its functional value. The brand makes the product quickly recognized and repurchased by the customer.
Branding of tourist destinations has also gained considerable popularity. The battle of customers in the destination market will not be about prices but hearts and minds. Destination branding is a way to communicate that destination’s specific and unique identity by differentiating its personality from competitor destinations. The overall objective of destination branding is to contribute to the positive image of the destination by continuously reinforcing brand elements. The brand is used as a common goal for the activities of many different actors in the tourism industry.
The tourism brand should specify the attractions and capabilities of the destination for tourists. In addition to creating an emotional connection between tourists and the destination, the brand will reduce the cost of tourists' research. Suppose the brand leads to presenting a positive image of the destination to the tourists. In that case, the tourists will provide the necessary grounds to attract other tourists with positive word-of-mouth advertising, and this will be effective in reducing marketing and advertising costs.
Methodology
The current research is practical in terms of its purpose. In terms of the working method, it is exploratory mixed research that was carried out in two consecutive stages, qualitative and quantitative.
In the beginning and the qualitative stage, the necessary data were collected using in-depth and semi-structured interviews to identify the factors influencing the branding of the Oramanat tourist destination. Then, these data were analyzed using the qualitative content analysis method, and the more conceptually related factors were placed in the same category.
In the second and quantitative stage of the research, a pairwise comparison questionnaire was prepared and provided to the experts to prioritize the mentioned factors.  The studied community in both qualitative and quantitative sections consist of experts, specialists, officials, and professors in the fields of management, entrepreneurship, and tourism in Kurdistan and Kermanshah provinces, which include faculty members of the management and entrepreneurship department of Razi University, managers and experts Organization of cultural heritage and tourism of Kurdistan and Kermanshah provinces, as well as some tourism activists in these provinces.
Sampling in this research was done in a targeted manner and then by snowball. Therefore, interviews were conducted with several experts in the field of tourism until we reached theoretical saturation. Theoretical saturation was achieved with 12 interviews, which continued until 15 people to ensure more interviews.
In the quantitative part, pairwise comparisons were presented to the qualitative part of the questionnaire sample to give weight and points to the identified factors. The Expert Choice software determined each factor’s final weight and score in the final step. In this research, the reliability of the research was controlled by developing a framework for the interviews, confirming the interviews, and analyzing the results. Also, interviews were conducted with people in different positions to witness pluralism among the participants. The compatibility rate index, which should be less than 0.1, was used to measure the reliability of the paired comparisons questionnaire.
Discussion
Reviewing the texts and interviews shows that one of the most frequent factors related to the topic of discussion is the infrastructure and facilities of the tourist destination. A destination with many tourist attractions may need proper facilities and infrastructure to attract tourists. There may need to be more than infrastructure and facilities to build a tourism brand, but their absence effectively dose not attract tourists. Naturally, when a destination does not have the most basic facilities, it will not attract tourists, so it can eventually become a tourism brand. According to the participants’ statements in the interview, the Oramanat region lacks the necessary facilities and quality infrastructure, and this issue can be a strong reason for emphasizing this factor.
The second most important factor in international tourism branding is destination attractions. Indeed, this factor, like infrastructure and facilities, is not a reason for creating a tourism brand. Every destination must have attractions to attract tourists: otherwise, it will not be a tourist destination. However, using these attractions as a prominent factor in brand building is effective. Especially if these attractions are specific to that destination, the destination brand can be formed by emphasizing that unique attraction. The destination brand is formed around its special attractions. One of the positive points of the Oramanat region is the existence of various historical, natural, and cultural attractions. The attractions alone are enough to use it in the destination brand, while Oramanat is a region rich in diverse and different tourist attractions.
The first two factors, which were very important, are not directly involved in the branding process, but the marketing category is tied to branding and cannot be separated. The branding process is hidden in the marketing and advertising factor by looking at the concepts of this factor. Naturally, the destination should be evaluated at the beginning of the matter, and its potential capacities should be identified. By using a variety of marketing and advertising methods, its position should be established in the eyes of tourists as customers of the destination's tourism services. It is essential to use the unique features and attractions of the destination in advertising.
One of the things that the experts mentioned about this factor and that was also available in the texts is the discussion of advertising and the use of different advertising methods due to the extensive advancement of technology. Using the multiple capacities of mass communication media and taking advantage of advanced technologies will be critical in building and introducing the destination brand. Regarding the Oramanat area, only a few advertising activities have been done. If something has been done, it has been scattered and limited, which has yet to impact significantly. Other factors also speed up the branding process according to the weight they have gained, and it is necessary to pay attention to these factors and not ignore their influence.
Conclusion
In general, among the above-known factors in the Oramanat region, the lack of quality infrastructure and facilities to provide services to tourists is considered a weakness, and it is necessary to plan and take adequate measures in this regard. Let the authorities do it. Various attractions in this region are also considered to have potential and strength, and it is better to evaluate these attractions and identify the attractions that can form the region’s leading brand. Then, the marketing specialists in the tourism industry design the marketing and advertising processes based on it and create the destination brand of Oramanat. It is evident that managerial, political, legal, sociocultural, and economic factors and tourists and agencies have played a significant role in forming the region’s brand, and these factors should be mobilized to play their role in branding Oramanat.

Keywords

• Tourism
• international tourism
• development
• branding model
• Uramanat

Main Subjects

• Destination branding