Volume & Issue: Volume 8, Issue 22, Spring 2013, Pages 1-206 

Prioritization of the Influential Factors on European Tourists’ Evaluation of the World Heritage Site of Naghsh-e-Jahan in Isfahan

Pages 7-30

Akbar Pourfaraj, Mohammad reza Salehipour

Abstract Today, world heritage sites have found special importance in the world, and tourists value these sites highly. This study tries to determine and prioritize the factors that matter for European tourists visiting these sites.
Using convenience sampling, a number of 207 questionnaires were distributed among European tourists visiting Naghsh-e-Jahanin Isfahan during Farvard in
ordibehesht of 1391. Results of SEM analysis recognized all the four factors of “service experience”, “service quality”, “monetary costs” and “nonmonetary costs” to have positive significant influence on their overall evaluation index. Also, the factor of “service experience” was shown to have the first priority in the opinions of visitors.

A Fuzzy Blannced Scorecard Approach for Evaluating the Performance of Services Offered by the Selected Group of Hotels in Yazd Province

Pages 31-72

Hamid Zargham, mehdi ebrahimi, Faeze S. Mirfakhraddini

Abstract The aim of this research is to evaluate the performance of hotel services with Fuzzy BSC approach. Identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the hotel services from the financial, costumer, internal procedures, and growth and learning aspects are among the key aims of this research. The other aim of this study is to use the research findings in order to compile and formulate strategies for the survival of hotels in the future.
As data gathering tool, this research has made use of questionnaires which were filled by university professors and the hotel managers and senior employees working in Yazd
Province’s 3 and above stared hotels. Mixed BSC / FANP / FTOPSIS approach was used in order to evaluate the service provided in the hotels. Additionally, the critical indices of hotel performance were identified via the ratio of importance-performance and Pareto rule. Results manifest that the service provided in the selected hotels are desirable in the costumer and internal procedures aspects; while the hotels have weak performance in both financial, and growth and learning aspects. Also, eight components of hotel service performance assessment (including: uniqueness of the hotels’ services, capital return, room occupancy rate, employeeproductivity, effective usage of marketing information by the staff, bilateral relationship with costumers, ratio of net interest to total income and new servicing procedure) were identified as the critical indices of success. The costumer and internal procedure aspects were proved to be in the first and fourth place of importance respectively.

The Role of Innovation and Reputation Variables on Customer Loyalty

Pages 58-79

Shamsodin Nazem, Fahimeh Sadat Saadatyar

Abstract The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of reputation and innovation, and perceived value and customer satisfaction, on loyalty to there staurantand its dimensions. The study sample comprised 202 customers of Padide Shandizrestaurant. Data were gathered through questionnaires. The surveyquestionnairewasdesignedingeneral and specializedquestionsinvolving studied variables. The reliability and validity of the instrument was verified through Cronbach's alpha coefficientand its contentvalidity was approvedbyexperts and Factor Analysis. Analysis of data was done using Structural Equation Modeling. Results show that reputation and in novationthroughperceivedvalueand customer satisfaction variables affect the behavioral intentions, and customer loyalty.

Prioritization of the Aptitude of Archetypal Tourism Regions in the North East of Kermanshah Province, for Investment and

Pages 80-107

Gholamreza Noori, Zahra Taghizade

Abstract This research aims to prioritize the archetypaltourism regions situated
on the Oramanat tourism pole in the North West of Kermanshah
Province, based on their aptitude for investment. This study is an
applied survey type research. Data were gathered through
questionnaires and were analyzed using TOPSIS technique. Results
indicate that archetypaltourism regions of Shamshir, Ghourighale,
Noudeshe, Hajij and Veisolqarn are in the good level; Bouzinmarkhil
with

i
 
SL
0.48 is in medium level; the areas of Nowsoudeh,
Sarabemamishan, Shervineh, Sarabesefidbarg, Ozgolebamu, Bidmiri
and Dalani with

i
 
SL
of 0.2 to 0.4 are in the weak level, and
Cheshmehrize region with

i
 
SL
0.2 is evaluated to be in the very weak
level. Based on the research findings, yielding of the archetypal
tourism regions with low level of investment suitability, to investors,
is only a mere waste of resources. Therefore, tourism planners are
supposed to improve the potentiality of these areas for investment
first, and then offer them to investors.

The Gap between Attitude, Knowledge and Environmental Behavior of Tourists

Pages 142-168

Ali Hajinejad, Mojtaba Javdan, Borzou i Sabzi

Abstract Due to the intensity of the impact that tourists’ environmental
behavior has on the destination environments, this group of people are placed among those groups who are studied from their environmental behavior point of view. This article with a structured vision, surveys the effects of mental and visional variables on the en-behavior of two types of tourists.
The study was performed through a combination of desk and field studies
using questionnaire. Due to the lack of an accurate sampling framework for domestic tourists, by conducting a discovery work, 350 tourists were selected, where 200 of them belonged to Chalus statistical population and 150 individuals belonged to Isfahan. Collected data were assessed through descriptive and inferential statistical methods with the help of SPSS.
According to the findings of Pearson correlation test, there is significant and direct relationship between tourists' en-behavior and their environmental values, understanding of environmental benefits, cultural imagination, and cultural motivation. While no significant relationship was seen between environmental knowledge and tourists' en-behavior. According to the path analysis, imagination of place with a beta value of 0.75 has the greatest effect on the dependent variable of the study. In the second rank the variable of understanding of environmental benefits with a Beta value of 0.59 affects directly and indirectly the tourists' en-behaviors. Environmental motivation and environmental values with Beta scores of 0.35 and 0.29 respectively have significant direct effects on the dependent variable. In regression analysis of the paths, the environmental knowledge variable was removed from the model due to the insignificant obtained Beta. The mentioned factors totally explained 60% of the changes in tourists' en behaviors.

The Gap between Attitude, Knowledge and Environmental Behavior of Tourists

Pages 142-168

Mohammad Fazeli, Sahar Jafar Salehi

Abstract Due to the intensity of the impact that tourists’ environmental behavior has on the destination environments, this group of people are placed among those groups who are studied from their environmental behavior point of view. This article with a structured vision, surveys the effects of mental and visional variables on the en-behavior of two types of tourists. The study was performed through a combination of desk and field studies using questionnaire. Due to the lack of an accurate sampling framework for domestic tourists, by conducting a discovery work, 350 tourists were selected, where 200 of them belonged to Chalus statistical population and 150 individuals belonged to Isfahan. Collected data were assessed through descriptive and inferential statistical methods with the help of SPSS. According to the findings of Pearson correlation test, there is significant and direct relationship between tourists' en-behavior and their environmental values, understanding of environmental benefits, cultural imagination, and cultural motivation. While no significant relationship was seen between environmental knowledge and tourists' en-behavior. According to the path analysis, imagination of place with a beta value of 0.75 has the greatest effect on the dependent variable of the study. In the second rank the variable of understanding of environmental benefits with a Beta value of 0.59 affects directly and indirectly the tourists' en-behaviors. Environmental motivation and environmental values with Beta scores of 0.35 and 0.29 respectively have significant direct effects on the dependent variable. In regression analysis of the paths, the environmental knowledge variable was removed from the model due to the insignificant obtained Beta. The mentioned factors totally explained 60% of the changes in tourists' en behaviors.

Structural Equation Modeling for Identification of the Effective Strategic Components of E-tourism Institutionalization

Pages 170-197

Dr. Zohre Dehdashti Shahrokh, Ghadir Shakiba Jamal Abad

Abstract Tourism has many positive effects on the economic, social and cultural status of societies and has been able to attract the attention of public and private sectors. But with the advent of information technology, a new form of tourism - e-tourism -is witnessed, which its
adoption in tourism sectors, depends heavilyontheadministrators’ perspectives and strategicvision of senior managersin its preparation, adoption, implementation and institutionalization. Therefore making use of a hypothetical model, we intend to examine the effective strategic components in institutionalization of electronic tourism, from the viewpoint of managers of this industry.
The questionnaire-survey was done on a sample size of 310 from a statistical populationofoperatingmanagers, marketing managersand sales managers of tourism websites. After, theresearchmodelwasfitted by LISREL software and the hypotheseswereexamined. Finally, out of seven researchhypo theses, four were accepted. Conclusion is that organizational support and managerial productivity directly influence e-tourism adoption through influencing perception of strategic value, and Perceived Organizational Electronic Readiness components; however, lack of due attention to the implementation strategies, has hindered E-tourism to be institutionalized properly.