The Impact of Travel Characteristics and Environmental Features on the Duration of Tourist Stays in the Sheyvand Village of Dezpart County

Introduction
In the realm of rural tourism, the duration of tourist stays is one of the important indicators of sustainability. Rural tourism becomes sustainable when it can significantly contribute to job creation, increase incomes, enhance cultural exchanges, and more. In essence, tourists can have positive outcomes for an area when their stay is prolonged, allowing them to utilize existing facilities and generate economic revenue for the geographic location. Various economic, social, infrastructural, and environmental factors can influence the improvement of tourist stay durations. Identifying these factors can illuminate barriers and limitations to tourism development and enhance the duration of tourist stays. One major and noteworthy factor in this context is the environment. Unlike previous research that emphasized the impact of tourism on the environment, this study focuses on the effect of the environment on tourism. In this research, Sheyvand village in Dezpart County, Khuzestan Province, has been selected as the study area. This study aims to examine and explain this issue. Thus, the primary research question is formulated as follows: Do the travel characteristics and environmental features of tourist villages (specifically Sheyvand village) influence the duration of tourist stays, and in what ways do these influences manifest?
 
Methodology
This research is descriptive-analytical and exploratory in nature, based on the analysis of survey data. The data were collected using a researcher-designed questionnaire. The data analysis method is quantitative, relying on statistical tests and structural equation modeling. The statistical population of the research consists of tourists who visited Sheyvand village during the summer of 2023, selected randomly. The actual population of the study is not specified; however, given the researcher’s access to the statistical population and existing limitations, a sample size of 250 individuals was determined and surveyed. The validity was confirmed through expert review, and the reliability of the instrument was established with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.790 overall. Ultimately, the data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS statistical software. Data analysis was conducted using appropriate statistical tests as well as structural equation modeling.
 
Findings
An analysis of the results of the binary test regarding the impact of travel characteristics on the duration of tourists’ stay in rural areas indicates that factors such as the gender of tourists (0.184), transportation and accessibility to the village (0.950), the quality and price of rural accommodations (0.411), infrastructure facilities (water, electricity, gas) in the village (0.114), the hospitality of the local people (0.066), and local festivals and programs (0.146) were not significant at the 0.05 level. Examining the means of these characteristics shows that the travel characteristic of gender, with a value of 3.336, has a moderate impact on tourists’ length of stay. Additionally, transportation and accessibility to the village, with a mean of 3.432, infrastructure facilities with a mean of 3.492, and local festivals and programs with a mean of 3.564 also demonstrate a moderate influence on the duration of tourists’ stays, classifying them as situational and objective variables of travel. The analysis of the results from the binary test showed that other travel characteristics were significant at a level less than 0.05. The significance indicates that age and income, as background variables, have a moderate impact on the duration of tourists’ stay. Additionally, the price and cost of services, with a mean of 3.696, the location and distance of the village with a mean of 4.028, and access to the internet in the village with a mean of 3.672 are recognized as other important factors that affect the duration of tourists' stays in rural areas.
The overall model regarding the impact of the environmental characteristics of the village on the duration of tourists’ stays indicated that the role of environmental characteristics was statistically significant at a 99% confidence level. A higher critical ratio estimated at 2.58 (a critical ratio above 2.58 indicates the significance of the effect) also demonstrates the significance of the independent variable of the study (characteristics) on the dependent variable (tourists’ length of stay). In summary, the 18 examined characteristics, including the village's landscapes and beauty, cleanliness of the environment, diverse attractions (historical, natural, etc.), proper sewage disposal, the pristine nature surrounding the village, effective waste management, availability of diverse aquatic attractions (rivers, springs, etc.), diversity in agricultural production (pomegranate orchards, rice, etc.), the plant cover of oak trees, low pollution levels in the village, waste separation in the village, etc., can influence the duration of tourists’ stays in rural areas. The analysis of the impact of the 18 influential factors shows a total effect of 0.91, indicating that these examined factors can explain approximately 91% of the variance in the positive role and effects on the duration of tourists’ stays. According to the results of this model, the greatest impact comes from the local residents’ attention and sensitivity to the village’s environment, with an effect size of 0.81, which actually has the most significant influence on tourists’ length of stay. Effective waste management in the village, with an effect size of 0.79, and the presence of environmentally compatible accommodations in the village, with an effect size of 0.78, are recognized as the second and third most influential characteristics affecting the duration of tourists’ stays. Overall, the 18 characteristics examined as the environmental features of the village have been influential on the duration of tourists’ stays.
 
Discussion and Conclusion
The results of this research indicated that the rural environment, as a significant indicator, can influence the length of tourists’ stay in rural areas. This influence can be achieved through various environmental (natural and human) actions and characteristics. It is recommended that considering the impact of the environment on the length of tourists’ stay, an effective operational program should be emphasized to strengthen the environmental indicators of target tourism villages, such as Sheyvand village.