Journal of Tourism and Development

Journal of Tourism and Development

The Impact of Accessibility Network on Rural Tourism Development in Asadabad County

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Naser Shafieisabet 1
Siavash Moradimokaram 2
1 Associate Professor, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/jtd.2025.486661.2983
Abstract
Rural tourism has emerged as a significant economic activity worldwide, particularly in terms of job creation and rural development. Adequate access networks and infrastructure play a pivotal role in strengthening tourism development in various regions. However, in some areas, such as the study area, tourism development faces numerous challenges due to insufficient expansion of the access network. To investigate these challenges, this research seeks to examine the role of the access network in tourism development in rural centers of the Asadabad region. This quantitative study, using a descriptive-analytical approach, examines the relationship between the access network and rural tourism development using 9 influential indicators in 30 villages and 368 households. The reliability of the questionnaire was examined using Cronbach's alpha with coefficients of 0.769 and 0.787 for the access network and tourism development, respectively. Structural equation modeling (SEM) using Smart PLS was used to analyze the data. The findings indicate that the rural access network has a significant impact on tourism development. Additionally, the t-test confirms the relationship between the studied variables, except for the hypothesis of the quality of the rural access network and tourism development. These results emphasize the critical role of transportation access in driving rural tourism by increasing income, employment, tourism activities, investment in accommodation facilities, the number of tourists, and improving tourism support services.
Keywords
Tourism
accessibility network
infrastructure
Asadabad
rural areas
Hamadan Province
 
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