Designing a Rural Tourism Marketing Model based on Participatory Geographic Information System: A case study of Karaik and Kokhdan Villages, Dena City

A B S T R A C T
This research focuses on developing a rural tourism marketing model based on a participatory geographic information system for the villages of Karaik and Kokhdan in Kohgiluyeh and Boyar Ahmad province. A qualitative research methodology based on Grounded Theory was employed for data analysis. Data collection involved in-depth and semi-structured interviews, collaborative meetings, note-taking, and observation. A total of 28 participants, including local experts, village managers, business owners, and employees of Dena National Park, were selected using purposeful, snowball, and theoretical sampling. The data analysis process unfolded in five stages such as open coding to identify concepts, developing concepts in term of their properties and dimensions, contextual data analysis, bringing process into the analysis, and integrating categories. The resulting paradigm model encompasses causal conditions (technology characteristics and facilitation of participation), context (tourism supply and destination attractiveness), intervening conditions (technological challenges and managerial /structural aspects), strategies (development of a participatory spatial system and policy making requirements), and outcomes (destination tourism development). The findings indicate that to address the primary issue of technological management challenges in rural tourism marketing based on PGIS, strategies such as developing a participatory spatial marketing system and enhancing social empowerment are essential. The implementation of these strategies is expected to yield competitive advantages and improve tourism sustainability.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
In today's world, most urban dwellers seek respite from pollution, overcrowding, and stressful conditions of city life by vacationing in pristine areas, engaging with nature, and experiencing rural life. This trend presents significant opportunities for rural areas with natural attractions, rich wildlife, and unique cultural traditions. However, rural tourism often faces challenges related to infrastructure, management, and marketing structures in rural areas. Currently, web-based information plays a crucial role in marketing tourism products. Moreover, collaborative marketing approaches have transformed rural tourism development and planning methodologies. Participatory geographic Information Systems enhance community involvement in policy-making and support the objectives of non-governmental organizations and local groups through geographic data. Collaborative geographic data allows local residents to gather detailed, accurate information about their environment, leveraging their firsthand experiences. Despite advancements in information and communication technology and geographic information systems impacting tourism studies, research on information technology applications in rural tourism has largely focused on online services or travel agency websites, with insufficient attention to the spatial data relevant to rural tourism marketing. Therefore, this study aims to address these challenges by designing a marketing model that incorporates PGIS. The central research question is:
-What constitutes an appropriate model for rural tourism marketing utilizing PGIS in the selected villages?
 
Methodology
To achieve this, a qualitative research method grounded in the work of Strauss and Corbin (2015) was employed. Data collection involved in-depth and semi-structured interviews, collaborative meetings, note-taking, and observation. A total of 28 individuals, including local experts, village managers, business owners, and Dena National Park employees, were selected using purposeful, snowball, and theoretical sampling methods. The data analysis process was conducted in five stages: open coding to identify concepts, developing concepts based on their properties and dimensions, contextual analysis, integrating processes into the analysis, and synthesizing categories.
 
Results and discussion
From the initial stages of analysis, 122 basic concepts, 24 subcategories, and 9 main categories emerged. The final paradigm model was constructed based on causal conditions (technology characteristics and facilitation of participation), context (tourism supply and destination attractiveness), intervening conditions (technological challenges and managerial/structural aspects), strategies (development of a participatory spatial system and policy-making requirements), and outcomes (destination tourism development). The primary concern identified in this research pertains to management and technological challenges. Participants proposed various strategies and solutions to address these issues. Strategies such as developing a participatory spatial marketing system and enhancing social empowerment were identified to resolve the main challenges of technological management in rural tourism marketing based on PGIS. The anticipated outcomes of these strategies include competitive advantages and increased tourism sustainability.
 
Conclusion
A review of existing literature on rural tourism marketing reveals that while some studies have focused on prioritizing marketing components in rural areas (e.g., Mahdi Hessam et al., 2016; Sheikhi & Pazoki, 2016), others have identified factors influencing rural tourism marketing through qualitative models and proposed solutions. The unique contribution of this research lies in introducing a novel aspect of rural marketing through PGIS, enabling local communities to produce spatial data and highlight tourism products and unique features of their destinations on a map. Tourists can access a wealth of integrated tourism data through a participatory web platform, thus saving time in their decision-making processes. The innovation of this study is evident in the proposed model for the selected villages. While the application of information and communication technology in urban tourism marketing has become commonplace, the use of PGIS in rural tourism marketing remains limited. Consequently, there is a lack of research focused on developing a rural tourism marketing model utilizing PGIS. This model can yield numerous benefits, including local community participation, enhanced data management and planning for destinations, and improved access to diverse tourism information for tourists, facilitating informed decision-making regarding services. Future studies could explore the implementation of a web platform based on this system.
 
Funding
There is no funding support.
 
Authors’ Contribution
The authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work declaration of competing interest none.
 
Conflict of Interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.