An Analysis of the Factors Affecting Tourism Brands in Rural Settlements of Iran (Case Study: Binalud County)

Extended Abstract
Today, for a variety of reasons, communities create brands. One of the most important reasons for creating tourism brands is to make a location seem attractive for tourists and encourage them to spend more time in an area and raise the residents’ standards of living. In this study, the factors affecting the formation of a rural tourism brand are examined from the perspective of experts and university professors. This study is an applied research conducted in a descriptive-analytical method. A major part of the data was collected through field studies, interviews, and filling out questionnaires by 30 experts active in the area together with 42 rural managers. The findings of the study based on the results of fuzzy hierarchical analysis showed that among the three factors, the economic factors with impact coefficient of 54.6 % had the highest effect, and physical-environmental factors with the impact coefficient of 16.7% had the lowest impact on creating rural tourism brand. There was a little difference between the results acquired from the experts of the organizations and the academics about the impact of the above factors. With the aim of identifying villages suitable for creating tourism brand, we applied TOPSIS technique, and proposed Jagharq village as the most appropriate rural area for creating rural tourism brand. We also identified 10 other rural areas as capable of creating tourism brands. According to the findings, the following guidelines are recommended: to introduce and advertise certain products of the rural areas in urban areas, to pay special attention to entrepreneurship in rural areas, to provide tourism facilities in rural areas, to restore cultural elements, and to give special attention to restoration of past cultural elements, customs and traditions.
 
Introduction
This study aims to identify the rural areas having a high capacity and potential ­for creating brands and symbols and the role of symbols in improving the quality of life in villages of the study areas. Therefore, this study seeks to provide an appropriate response to the following question: What are the most important factors affecting the creation of tourism brands in villages of the study area? In addition, we try to identify the villages suitable for developing tourism brand in the study area?
 
Materials and Methods
To use a methodology, we mean to utilize the principles and frameworks that will guide the research. Clearly, the research methodology will be different based on the type, purpose and subject of the study. This study is an applied quantitative study benefiting field works for data collection and is based on descriptive- survey analysis. The data were collected through documentary research and field works. In documentary method, the researcher takes notes from books and documents and could be used in all scientific researches. We mainly tried to find the information and the results of previous relevant studies, so that we may find a general framework for topics discussed in this research through reviewing the literature of the study.
To investigate the factors affecting the formation of a rural tourism brand, we used Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and then ranked the villages of the study area through Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS).
 
Discussion and Results
Results of ranking 14 indexes, using Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) showed that three indexes of ‘availability of specific products in the villages’, ‘presence of entrepreneurs in the villages’ and ‘capital investment in rural areas’, with the impact coefficients of 14.2, 13.6 and 13.4 % respectively ranked first to third. With regard to rankings based on 14 indexes, there was a significant difference between the views of experts from departments and organization and university professors, to the extent that university professors believed that three indexes of ‘availability of specific products in the villages’, ‘presence of entrepreneurs in the villages’ and ‘capital investment in rural areas’, with the impact coefficients of 14.2, 41.1 and 14 % respectively ranked first to third. However, the experts from departments and organization believed that ‘availability of specific product in the countryside’, ‘cultural significance’ ‘and presence of entrepreneurs in the villages’ with the impact coefficients of 14.6, 14.3 and 12.8 % respectively ranked first to third. The availability of tourism facilities and the ‘use of tourism potentials’ in rural areas with the impact coefficients of 2.3 and 1.7 percent, were ranked last and penultimate by experts and university professors.
 
Conclusions
Based on exploratory studies, factors affecting rural tourism brand were in three categories: economic, social and physical-environmental ones among which, according to experts’ views and utilizing Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP), economic factors with the impact coefficient of 54.6 % had the maximum impact on recognition of a rural environment as a tourism brand. Among the 14 indexes affecting tourism brand, availability of particular products in a village with the impact coefficient of 14.2 % and presence of entrepreneurs in rural environment with impact coefficient of 13.6 % ranked first and second in affecting the recognition of a village as a tourism brand.
The results showed that Jagharq village, given to its attractions in economic, social and physical- environmental fields has had the minimum distance from the positive ideal in TOPSIS method, and was identified as the most suitable village for creation of rural tourism brand.
 
Keywords: Rural Tourism, Special Products, Entrepreneurship, Fuzzy Analysis Hierarchical Process (FAHP), Binalud County.
 
References

Aaker, D.A. (1991). Managing Brand Equity, The Free Press: New York, N.Y.
Amani, A.R., Pourchafi, P., Qane, R. and Fakhraiee, A. (2011). Planning the development of rural tourism with SWOT Model (Case study: Malhamdareh village of Sarvabad County), Proceedings of the 1^st National Conference Geography & Rural Planning & Development, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. (In Persian)
Arthur Rooney, J. (1995). Branding: a trend for today and tomorrow, Journal of Product & Brand Management, 4(4): 48-55.
Ataee, M. (2010). Fuzzy Multiple Criteria Decision, Shahroud: Industrial University of Shahroud Publication. (In Persian)
Ateljevic, J. (2007). Small tourism firms and management practices in New Zealand: the Centre Stage Macro Region, Tourism Management, 28(1): 307-316.
Ayubi Yazdi, H. and Bazrafshan, M. (2011). The importance of brands and branding in tourist destinations, Proceedings of the 1^st National Conference Management & Tourism Development, Challenges & Solutions, Tehran, Sharif University of Technology Research Center, Retrieved Sept 16, 2015 from http://www.civilica.com/Paper-SHARIFURBAN01-SHARIFURBAN01_038.html. (In Persian)
Ayubi Yazdi, H. and Hosieni, S.M.H. (2011). Brand status and challenges in tourism destinations, Proceedings of the 1^st International Conference on Intellectual Capital Management, Zanjan, Zanjan University Graduate School of Science, Retrieved Sept 16, 2015 from http://www.civilica.com/Paper-IICM01-IICM01_037.html. (In Persian)
Baker, B. (2012).  Destination Branding for Small Cities, (2^nd ed.)  Creative Leap Books, Portland. Oregon. USA.
Baker, M.J. and Cameron, E. (2008). Critical success factors in destination marketing,Tourism and Hospitality Research, 8(2): 79-97.
Baloglu, S. and McCleary, K. W. (1999). A model of destination image formation, Annals of Tourism Research, 26(4): 868-897.
Barezani, H. and Zargham Borojeni, H. (2013). Tourism brand pathology in Iran, Journal of New Marketing Research, 3(8): 63-80. (In Persian)
Blain, C.R. (2001). Destination Branding in Destination Marketing Organizations (Doctoral dissertation), University of Calgary.
Dastjerdi Yousefi, M.H. (2006). Design strategic model of name and logo, Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Management & Marketing, Tehran, Ariana Research Group, Retrieved Sept 20, 2015 from http://www.civilica.com/Paper-IMMC01-IMMC01_062.html. (In Persian)
Dwyer, L., Edwards, D., Mistilis, N., Roman, C. and Scott, N. (2009). Destination and enterprise management for a tourism future, Tourism Management, 30(1): 63-74.
Governor of Khorasan-e-Razavi. (2015). The Latest Administrative Divisions, Binalood County, Mashhad: Governor of Khorasan-e- Razavi. (In Persian)
Habibi, A., Izadyar, S. and Sarfarazi, A. (2014). Fuzzy Multiple Criteria Decision, Rasht: Katibe-e-Gil Publication. (In Persian)
Hemati, R. and Zahrani, D. (2014). Factors affecting satisfaction and loyalty of foreign tourists to Isfahan as a tourism brand, Journal of Tourism Development & Planning, 3(10): 182-204. (In Persian)
Hultman, J. and Hall, C.M. (2012). Tourism place-making: Governance of locality in Sweden, Annals of Tourism Research, 39(2): 547-570.
Imani Khoshkho, M.H. and Ayubi Yazdi, H. (2010). Factors affecting brand equity in tourism destinations of Yazd city, Journal of Tourism Studies, 4(13): 113-137. (In Persian)
Jalalian, H., Namdari, F. and Pashazadeh, A. (2014). Effects of rural tourism on the development in Hajij village of Kermanshah, Journal of Applied Research of Geographic Sciences, 15(36): 205-228. (In Persian)
Johansson, J. (2008). Working with Events to Build a Destination Brand Identity-the DMO Perspective, Rapport nr: Master Thesis 2007: 33.
Kaplanidou, K. and Vogt, C. (2003). Destination Branding: Concept and Measurement, Travel Michigan and Michigan State University, Department of Park, Recreation and Tourism Resources, 1-7.
Karami, S. and Fakhraie, A. (2012). Position and brand value in the development of tourism and attracting tourists, Proceedings of the 1^st National Conference on Geography and Tourism in the Third Millennium, Najafabad, Islamic Azad University of Najafabad Branch. Retrieved Sept 25, 2015 from http://www.civilica.com/Paper-NGTC01-NGTC01_048.html. (In Persian)
Khorasan-e-Razavi Governor. (2015). Last Administrative Divisions of Binalud County, Mashhad, Khorasan-e-Razavi Governor. (In Persian)
Kiani, Z. (2008). Brand tourist destination and its role in the unity of the tourism industry stakeholders, Proceedings of the 1^st National Conference on Changes in the Environment for Tourism Development and Poverty Reduction, Tehran, Alame Tabatabaie University. (In Persian)
Mohammadi, S. (2011). Rural development and tourism development, Journal of Sepehr, 20(78): 93-101. (In Persian)
Mollazadeh, A. and Eftekharnia, M. (2011). Evaluation of urban branding to attract tourists. Proceedings of the 1^st National Conference on Tourism Management & Sustainable Development, Marvdasht, Islamic Azad University of Marvdasht Branch. Retrieved Sept 23, 2015 from http://www.civilica.com/Paper-TMSD01-TMSD01_018.html. (In Persian)
Najafipour, A.A. Karoubi, M. and Heydari, M. (2012). Brand equity and position in tourism branding, Proceedings of the 1^st National Conference on Tourism and Ecotourism Iran, Hamedan, Islamic Azad University of Hamedan Branch, Retrieved Sept 26, 2015 from http://www.civilica.com/Paper-CTEI01-CTEI01_199.html. (In Persian)
Novghani, M., ASgharpou-e-Masouleh, A.R., Safa, Sh. and Kermani, M. (2008). Citizen quality of life and its relationship to social capital, Journal of Social Sciences, 5(1): 111-140. (In Persian)
Popescu, R.I. (2009). The branding potential of Bucharest. Strategy and success factors, Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management, 4(4 (13)): 177-193.
Pourtaheri, M. (2010). Application of Multiple Attribute Decision Making in Geography, Tehran: SAMT Publication. (In Persian)
Qalamkar Mo’azam, M. (2012). The role of Iranian villages in tourism brand, Proceedings of the 1^st National Conference on Tourism and Ecotourism Iran, Hamedan, Islamic Azad University of Hamedan Branch, Retrieved Sept 22, 2015 from http://www.civilica.com/Paper-CTEI01-CTEI01_599.html. (In Persian)
Qu, H., Kim, L.H. and Im, H.H. (2011). A model of destination branding: Integrating the concepts of the branding and destination image, Tourism Management, 32(3): 465-476.
Ranjbaran, B., Khazaie Poul, J. and Balouie-e-Jamkhaneh, H. (2012). Analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats foreign tourism Esfahan with FAHP technique, Journal of Tourism Development & Planning, 1(1): 13-34. (In Persian)
Ritchie, J.  and Ritchie, R. (1998). Destination marketing, International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism Report, 40(1): 89–116.
Saeedi, A. (2000). Principle of rural geography, Tehran: SAMT Press. (In Persian)
Saiedi, A. (2000). Principle of Rural Geography, Tehran: SAMT Publication. (In Persian)
Sojasi, H., Romyani, A. and Jafari, N. (2014). Evaluation and assessment of rural tourism destinations from the views of local communities (Case study: Darb Gonbad Dehestan- Kohdasht County), Journal of Spatial Planning (Geography), 4(1): 103-126. (In Persian)
Sorayyaee, A., Radmard, M., Radmard, M. and Yonesi, A. (2012). The effect on the behavior of urban branding image of tourism in Ramsar County, Proceedings of the 1^st National Conference on Tourism and Ecotourism Iran, Hamedan, Islamic Azad University of Hamedan Branch, Retrieved Sept 26, 2015 from http://www.civilica.com/Paper-CTEI01-CTEI01_100.html. (In Persian)
Su, B. (2011). Rural tourism in China, Tourism Management, 32: 1438-1441.
Taghdisi, A., Varesi, H.R., Ahmadian, M. and Asgari, H. (2015). Identify and analysis the factors affecting development of tourism in rural areas (Case study: Rural areas of Jiroft County), Journal of Research & Rural Planning, 4(9):1-14. (In Persian)
Vanolo, A. (2008). The image of the creative city: Some reflections on urban branding in Turin, Cities, 25(6): 370-382.
Zahedi, Sh. (2006). The Principle of Sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism (1^st ed.), Tehran: Alame Tabatabaie University Publication. (In Persian)