بررسی و ارزیابی شاخص‌های توسعه گردشگری پایدار در مناطق خشک (مطالعه موردی: روستاهای جنوب غربی استان خراسان رضوی)

1-Introduction

Arid rural areas face challenges such as economic weakness, lack of infrastructure, unemployment, and migration. Drought and water scarcity in dry regions pose a serious obstacle to development and cause adverse environmental impacts in the agricultural sector (Kao et al., 2017). Climate change and the reduction of freshwater resources have also increased the necessity of adopting sustainable solutions. On the other hand, widespread poverty in the villages of dry areas and the inefficiency of traditional approaches have intensified migration to cities. One strategy that can alleviate the aforementioned challenges is the promotion of tourism. Sustainable tourism in arid areas, due to the fragility of the ecosystem and the limitation of natural resources, requires an approach based on intelligent management and accurate assessment of sustainability indicators. Examining the bio-ecological capacities of these regions can pave the way for balanced development among environmental protection, economic growth, and social welfare. From this perspective, analyzing sustainable development indicators is not only a tool for measuring the effectiveness of tourism policies but also illuminates the path toward long-term sustainability in arid and semi-arid climates.

2-Methodology

The research method is descriptive-analytical and of the applied research type. In terms of data analysis method, it is considered among quantitative methods. In descriptive-analytical research, the researcher, in addition to visualizing what is, addresses the explanation and elucidation of the reasons for how and why the problem situation and its dimensions exist. In conducting the research, existing information about the subject and the region was first collected from books, documents, journals, base maps, and statistical yearbooks. Subsequently, the necessary data was gathered through field studies, including observation, questionnaires, personal profiles, and the characteristics of the tourists in question.

Based on the report from the Cultural Heritage of the studied county, 15 villages have been designated as exemplary tourism villages (Cultural Heritage of Kashmar County, 1404 [2025/2026]). To address the objective and the research question, a statistical population of 28 experts was used, employing the snowball sampling method, which was continued until the point of saturation was reached. For the analysis of data and information, descriptive statistical methods (mean, standard deviation, variance) and inferential methods (one-sample t-test) were utilized. The time frame for this research was set between 1402 and 1403 [2023/2024 - 2024/2025].

In this study, after designing the questionnaire, to ensure the quality of the data collection instrument, the validity and reliability of the questionnaire were assessed. Content validity was first reviewed by a panel consisting of several expert professors in the relevant field. Based on the received feedback, minor revisions were applied to some items to ensure that the questionnaire accurately measured the intended variables. To measure reliability, Cronbach’s Alpha test, one of the most common internal consistency indices, was used. This test was administered to a preliminary sample, and the overall Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient for the questionnaire was calculated to be 0.947. This value, which is significantly higher than the acceptable threshold of 0.70, indicates very high reliability for the questionnaire. The results from these evaluations demonstrate that the questionnaire possesses highly desirable content validity and internal reliability. These characteristics guarantee that the research instrument is capable of accurately and reliably measuring the intended variables, making the resulting findings suitable for statistical analysis and generalizability.



3-Findings

The results indicated that the Natural dimension, with a mean of 3.94 and a t-statistic of 10.56, showed the highest agreement regarding the presence of pristine natural attractions, ecological tours, and environmental capacities, with a significance level less than 0.001, confirming a very high potential for tourism development. The Socio-Cultural dimension, with a mean of 3.93 and t = 10.55, also emphasized the preservation of cultural identity, local participation, and social interactions, indicating homogeneity of perceptions among respondents. In the Economic dimension, a mean of 4.09 and t = 71.11 revealed the strongest economic potential in terms of job creation, income generation, and ecotourism investments. Finally, the Managerial–Infrastructural dimension, with a mean of 3.91 and t = 5.65, suggested a moderate but significant desirability concerning policy-making, infrastructure, and institutional coordination. In aggregate, the test results rejected the null hypothesis at a significance level less than 0.001 across all four dimensions, confirming the high desirability of rural tourism development indicators in arid regions. These findings emphasize that natural ecological capacities, social capital, economic opportunities, and improved management mechanisms can be integrated to form appropriate indicators for the four-dimensional sustainability of rural tourism in Southwestern Khorasan Razavi, serving as a foundation for conservation, support, and sustainable investment policies.



4-Discussion and Conclusion

In arid regions, the assessment of sustainable tourism development indicators is of great importance because these areas face climatic limitations and ecological fragility. The sustainability of tourism in such environments is based on understanding natural and cultural capacities, and measuring environmental, economic, and social indicators. This approach, while reducing environmental pressures, helps create coexistence between human activities and nature and fosters sustainable geotourism and ecotourism models.The objective of this study was to investigate and evaluate the indicators for sustainable tourism development in arid regions, with an emphasis on eco-biological capacities in the villages of Southwestern Khorasan Razavi. The questionnaire was designed based on the theoretical framework of sustainable development, comprising four main dimensions: Natural, Economic, Socio-Cultural, and Managerial–Infrastructural. To answer the research question, a one-sample t-test with a test value of 3 (the midpoint of the five-point Likert scale) was employed to measure the desirability of each dimension. The research findings indicate that all dimensions of rural tourism development in the arid regions are desirable and statistically significant from the respondents’ perspective (Sig<0.001Sig < 0.001Sig<0.001). The Natural dimension, with a mean of 3.94 and t = 10.56, holds the greatest potential regarding pristine attractions and environmental capacities. The Socio-Cultural dimension, with a mean of 3.93, emphasizes the preservation of identity and local participation. The Economic dimension, with a mean of 4.09 and t = 71.11, demonstrates the strongest area for income generation and employment. The Managerial dimension, with a mean of 3.91 and t = 5.65, indicates a relatively desirable level of institutional coordination.Collectively, the findings confirm the four-dimensional sustainability of rural tourism based on eco-biological capacity, social capital, local economy, and efficient management.