تبیین مولفه‌های موثر در برنامه‌ریزی فضایی بازاریابی گردشگری روستایی (مورد مطالعه: منطقه 6 آمایش سرزمین)

Extended Abstract

Introduction

Development goals of tourist destinations are based on factors such as participation (considering the views of tourism stakeholders in designing new products), equity (ensuring access for all employees to rural welfare facilities), and responsiveness in the tourism marketing process (product, price, place, promotion, physical evidence, planning). Factors such as the lack of up-to-date information technology in tourism infrastructure, the presence of intermediaries, the lack of skills, expertise, and knowledge among employees, laws and regulations, unstable product prices due to sanctions, and cultural differences between local communities and tourists are identified as root causes of the problem in the first research. This indicates a weakness in spatial planning for rural tourism marketing. Therefore, the research questions can be formulated as: Which indicators of spatial planning for rural tourism marketing are more important, and what is the status of the studied villages in terms of these indicators of spatial planning for rural tourism marketing?



Methodology

This research was conducted using a descriptive-survey approach. The statistical population of the study comprises 59 tourist villages located in Territorial Region 6 (Tehran, Alborz, and Qom provinces). Utilizing the census method, 13 villages prioritized for tourism, as approved by the government and proposed by the handicrafts industry, were ultimately selected. In the initial phase of achieving the indicators, the dimensions explaining spatial planning and tourism marketing were identified based on global literature. Subsequently, the frequency of these dimensions was determined using global literature spanning the period from 2001 to 2025. The final dimensions explaining spatial planning and tourism marketing were then refined based on previous studies, incorporating the marketing mix for tourism marketing. In the next step, the final indicators were defined, and expert opinions, along with input from stakeholders and tourists, were employed to assess the importance of these indicators and to localize and operationalize them within the studied rural areas. For statistical analysis of the questionnaires completed by experts, stakeholders, and tourists, one-way analysis of variance, Gabriel test, and one-sample T-test were utilized to determine which indicators explaining spatial planning for rural tourism marketing were deemed most significant. These tools also helped assess the current status of the indicators explaining spatial planning for rural tourism marketing. Additionally, the grey relational analysis test was employed to rank the villages based on the status of the explanatory indicators.



Results and discussion

Indicators explaining spatial planning for rural tourism marketing in the region show that their importance level is not equal. To determine the importance level of the indicators explaining spatial planning for rural tourism marketing in Territorial Region 6 (Tehran, Alborz, and Qom provinces), the Gabriel test was used, which revealed a significant difference between the relevant indicators. Specifically, the promotion index, with an overall average of 2.92, and the product and place indices, with an average of 2.88, are more important than other spatial planning indicators for rural tourism marketing. The results of this part of the research are consistent with the studies of (Setegn & Japee, 2025; Arici & Koseoglu, 2025; Oka & Subadra, 2024, etc.). According to the results of the one-sample T-test, it can be concluded that all tourist villages in the region are in an unfavorable condition in terms of the studied indicators. Among the studied indicators, place, promotion, and price, with an average of less than 2 (theoretical median), are in a more unfavorable condition compared to other studied indicators in the region. The results of this part of the research align with the studies of (Gonzalez, 2025; Mododi Arkhodi, 2024; Marpaung et al., 2024, etc.). Finally, to prioritize the aforementioned indicators for assessing the status of spatial planning for rural tourism marketing in the region, the grey relational analysis technique was used. The results showed that the village of Sangaan, due to its proximity to the metropolitan area of Tehran, plain location, existence of more natural attractions, population increase, or the village of Anjile in Qom, due to information dissemination and introduction of tourist attractions, the presence of knowledgeable and trained people in tourism, the quality of the appearance of infrastructure and service spaces, etc., are in a more favorable condition compared to the village of Dastgerd and other similar villages.





Conclusion

Rural tourism marketing mix is a comprehensive and strategic approach to achieving sustainable development, which seeks to balance economic, social, and environmental goals on the one hand and the changing needs of the tourism market on the other. This approach, relying on spatial planning indicators, aims to improve service quality, shape a unique experience for tourists, and create tangible benefits for local communities. Therefore, spatial planning for rural tourism marketing is a strategic necessity for optimal use of existing capacities, balanced distribution of tourist flows, and reducing concentration on saturated destinations. In this regard, actions such as developing a transparent and multi-level pricing system, a system for responding to tourist complaints and feedback, providing financial incentives for quality services, designing integrated tourism packages, etc., are among the key requirements for improving the status of rural tourism.