Evaluation of the Effective Components of the Physical Space of Ecotourism Resorts in Gilan Province on the Satisfaction of Tourists

In today's world, tourism is one of the most profitable industries and has seen increasing growth in recent years. Ecotourism has been formed as a tourism branch to protect the natural environment and support local communities. In the meantime, as one of the most important tourism facilities, ecotourism resorts play a significant role in the tourism boom of the destination. Gilan province has high potential in the field of ecotourism, and the favorable performance of residences can affect the development of ecotourism and the growth of sustainable tourism in the region. Despite the importance of the physical space of the residence in attracting tourists and its impact on the continuity of ecotourism life, in the existing tourism system of the country, no pattern, criteria, or guidance has been defined for the architecture of ecotourism residences which can be a problem for the future. Ecotourism is considered a threat. This shows the necessity of research in this field. The present study aims to evaluate the features of the physical space of ecotourism lodges in Gilan, which play a role in attracting the satisfaction of tourists. It seeks to answer the following questions:

-What is the relationship between the physical characteristics of the ecotourism residence and the level of tourist satisfaction?

-In ecotourism resorts, what are the physical components that are effective in attracting tourists' satisfaction in order of priority?

Knowing these factors will provide suitable information fields regarding the development of accommodations and increasing the satisfaction of tourists in the future.



Methodology

The research is applied and uses the survey method. The nature of the data is quantitative. In order to collect data, a researcher-made questionnaire was used, and 387 tourists who had the experience of staying in Gilan ecotourism residences formed the statistical sample of the research. In order to measure the validity and reliability of the questionnaire items, the KMO test and Cronbach's alpha were used. Also, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, Student's t-test (t), Chi-square test (χ^2), and factor analysis using principal component method (PCA) were used for statistical analysis of data with SPSS software.



Results and discussion

The findings of the research indicate that "service micro spaces," "historical, cultural and identity features of accommodation architecture," "spatial quality," and "materials and executive details" have a role in the satisfaction of tourists in order of priority. These cases can be used to improve the conditions of the province's ecotourism resorts in the planning and designing of future ecotourism complexes and provide the basis for attracting tourists and their satisfaction. By analyzing the research data, it was found that the architectural features of ecotourism residences effectively gain their satisfaction. This confirms the findings of previous studies. Also, the findings indicate that the most important priority for tourists from ecotourism accommodations is the presence of suitable "service micro spaces." This shows that providing the basic needs of tourist welfare services is essential, and such facilities seem necessary for designing successful ecotourism complexes. The second factor that leads to the satisfaction of tourists from ecotourism resorts in the province is the "historical, cultural and architectural identity features of the resort." With the development of tourism infrastructure in the world, travel and accommodation in routine and even luxury accommodation have become repetitive after a while, and the native, traditional, and unique architecture of the accommodation has been attractive and welcomed due to providing new experiences for tourists. The third factor of the physical characteristics of accommodations that plays a role in attracting tourists is the "spatial quality" factor. This means that in addition to the existence of micro-spaces required for the comfortable stay of tourists, the desired quality of these spaces is also important. "Materials and executive details" is the fourth factor from the point of view of tourists that should be considered in the design and construction of accommodation. The specific materials and executive details of each region are attractive to tourists and are of interest to people who have chosen ecotourism accommodation as their travel destination in order to get to know the specific culture and architecture of the host community.



Conclusion

According to the findings of the research, the following suggestions are presented concerning the creation and development of ecotourism residences in Gilan province:

• In the design of ecotourism complexes, the presence of welfare service spaces should be considered in addition to accommodation spaces.

• Cultivation regarding valuing architectural heritage, making the host community aware of the importance of preserving native architecture, and considering incentives to restore traditional buildings and turn them into native residences.

• Applying the necessary changes in old buildings during restoration and provision of micro-spaces for the necessary welfare services in ecotourism complexes.

• Attention to the quality of accommodation spaces.

• Inspiration from the native architecture of each region in the design, materials, and construction details.

• Training and holding special courses to acquaint tourism managers with the architectural features of successful accommodations.