Tourism management, as one of the important sub-disciplines in the field of management and planning, studies, designs, and optimizes tourism activities. In today's world, tourism has become a revenue-generating industry that has an impact on the economic and social development of many countries. However, the sustainable and successful development of tourism requires a scientific and management structure that can comprehensively analyze and manage the opportunities and challenges facing this field.

Tourism is one of the most important industries in the contemporary world and has a special place in countries with cultural, historical, natural, and religious potential, such as Iran. However, the tourism management structure in Iran faces many challenges, the comprehensive and detailed examination of which can greatly help policymakers, managers, and experts in improving and developing this industry sustainably.

The Comprehensive Atlas of Tourism Management Structure Analysis is a comprehensive scientific reference that can identify and provide solutions for optimizing the tourism management structure in Iran, while also examining factors such as policymaking, human resources, infrastructure, and environmental and economic issues in this field. The main goal is to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date source for analyzing the structure and effective management of tourism. This tool helps experts, managers, and policymakers in this field to make more strategic and targeted decisions with access to comprehensive and systematic information.

Tourism, as a dynamic and multifaceted industry, has profound impacts on culture, economy, and environment. Rapid technological trends, climate change, and social and cultural developments are among the factors that have increased the need for foresight and innovation in tourism management. In the meantime, the role of education and development as an effective tool in achieving the goals of sustainable management and optimizing tourism structures is important.

The Importance of Foresight in Tourism Management

Foresight in tourism management involves analyzing and identifying existing trends and predicting future changes, which can help develop effective strategies to reduce risks and improve the performance of this industry. Increased competition, digital transformation, environmental issues, and the need for innovation and creativity are among the factors that emphasize the need for a forward-looking approach in tourism management. Given the complexity of this industry and the diversity of its stakeholders, a forward-looking approach can help identify and manage potential crises.

1. The Importance of Human Resource Skills Training in Tourism Management

Training, as an effective tool for improving the capabilities and skills of human resources in the tourism industry, plays a fundamental role in creating effective management structures. Globally, human resources are considered one of the main resources of tourism, and the quality of services provided to tourists is directly affected by the skills and knowledge of employees. Continuous training of employees in various fields such as management, foreign languages, cultural studies, and new technologies can enhance the competitiveness and efficiency of the tourism industry.

1.1. Specialized and skill-based training

Different sectors of the tourism industry require different specializations. For example, hotel employees, tour guides, and travel agency managers each require a set of skills that can perform better with specialized and skill-based training. Specialized training can include issues such as crisis management, tourist security, and tourism marketing principles, which lead to increased service quality.

1.2. Innovation and new technologies

In recent decades, technology and innovation have played a vital role in the tourism industry. Training human resources in new technologies, including online reservation systems, mobile applications, and artificial intelligence, can bring management structures in line with new needs and improve the efficiency of executive processes.

2. Economic Development in the Tourism Industry

One of the most important impacts of the tourism industry on societies is its economic impact. Tourism, as a revenue-generating industry, can help increase national income, create job opportunities, and strengthen related industries. With proper planning and management, investment in tourism infrastructure, human resource training, and marketing, sustainable and significant economic resources can be created.

2.1. Job Creation

The tourism industry is recognized as one of the largest sources of employment globally, and by developing tourism infrastructure and services, it creates numerous job opportunities for people with different skill levels. By training human resources and increasing related skills, it can provide a basis for improving employment and reducing the unemployment rate.

2.2. Foreign Exchange

The arrival of foreign tourists to the country increases foreign exchange earnings, which can significantly contribute to the national economy. Training human resources to provide quality services and satisfy tourists can increase the number of foreign tourists and strengthen the country's position in global tourism markets.

3. Social Development

Tourism can contribute to the social development and empowerment of communities and provide opportunities for improved living standards, cultural awareness and social interaction. Training human resources in cultural and social awareness helps to increase intercultural communication and promote understanding between cultures.

3.1. Promoting community participation

Active participation of the local community in the tourism industry increases the sense of belonging and responsibility for tourism resources. By empowering the local community and providing relevant training, local people can be involved in tourism activities and contribute to sustainable development.

3.2. Promoting cultural diversity

Tourism can be a tool for showcasing cultural diversity and familiarizing communities with their cultural heritage. Cultural education and training of human resources familiar with different cultures can provide tourists with an authentic and meaningful experience and help preserve and promote indigenous culture.

4. Cultural Development

The tourism industry, as one of the main platforms for cultural exchange, has a wide impact on cultural development. Training human resources in understanding indigenous cultures, history, and arts can provide tourists with a rich and meaningful experience while also helping to strengthen the cultural identity of the host community.

4.1. Preservation of Cultural Heritage

Training human resources in the field of cultural heritage can help preserve and revive spiritual and historical heritage and prevent its destruction or destruction. By training specialized personnel in the field of protecting historical monuments and promoting indigenous culture, cultural values ​​can be passed on to future generations.

4.2. Promoting Responsible Tourism

Training human resources in the principles and values ​​of responsible tourism can help increase tourists’ awareness and reduce their negative impacts on local culture and environment. This type of tourism can play a vital role in preserving the culture and nature of local communities.

In order to better understand the structure of tourism management and its challenges at the provincial level, we intend to analyze Isfahan province. Isfahan province, which is known for its religious context and forces loyal to the Islamic Republic, is one of the most important tourist destinations in Iran, and has unique religious, historical, cultural, and natural attractions. By carefully examining this province, we can identify the challenges and opportunities in its tourism management and provide appropriate improvement solutions. This analysis helps us to achieve sustainable development of this industry and improve the quality of tourists’ experience by having a deeper understanding of the tourism situation in Isfahan.

Isfahan province can be one of the main destinations for urban tourism due to its numerous and diverse historical-cultural potential. Tourism development in Isfahan has also been foreseen in upstream documents such as the Isfahan Development Strategic Document 1404 and the Isfahan Province Development Document. However, Isfahan has not been able to achieve the desired level of tourism development. Therefore, the main goal of this topic is to identify the most important issues that have hindered tourism development in Isfahan. Despite the high potential for tourism development in Isfahan, the existing opportunities are still not being used, so an attempt is made to provide appropriate solutions.

1) Regional: The necessity of determination of all organizations for tourism prosperity

Isfahan's situation regarding tourism is not very good, and the amount of tourism that this city attracts is not worthy of Isfahan compared to its potential and should be much higher.

Solution: All relevant organizations, whether administrative or private, should be determined that we have an axis called tourism that should be developed and integrated as a project, and if laws need to be amended, they should be corrected quickly, and if regulations need to be adjusted, in this way everyone would move in the same direction as a team in this matter, and if facilities are to be created for the entry of foreign tourists or domestic Iranian tourists, everyone should work together; but sometimes, perhaps, participation in tourism is small, while there is a lot of talk about tourism.

Opportunity: Isfahan province has many tourism facilities and assets, and Isfahan in particular is one of the most important tourist cities in the world; because it has a suitable and beautiful urban structure, various historical and cultural monuments, hospitable people, and other characteristics. In general, there are many suitable tourism capacities in this province that domestic and foreign tourists will enjoy seeing

2) Provincial: Branding

Contrary to the public perception that Isfahan is a city known to the world and domestic tourists, we have not been able to properly introduce the tangible and intangible heritage of this city and province to tourists, including the variety of food, tourist areas, customs, and special clothing of the people, which is still unclear.

Solution: Although Isfahan is the whole world for us, is Isfahan really half the world? The famous slogan "Isfahan is half the world" sometimes does not have a comprehensive meaning from the perspective of foreign tourists, so we must work on choosing a tourism slogan and tourism brand and, by recognizing the symbols of Isfahan, use them as slogans and brands.

Opportunity: Tourism destination branding is one of the relatively emerging strategies in attracting tourists. This strategy is an effective tool for marketing tourism destinations because the brand gives the tourism destination an identity and personality and distinguishes it from other tourism destinations

3) Provincial: Religious (pilgrimage)

With its different places for most religions, Isfahan province has a special capacity for developing religious tourism, a topic that has not yet been established in our tourism culture

Despite its capabilities in Isfahan, the capacities of spiritual and religious tourism have not been considered in this province. Attractions such as historical shrines such as Imamzadeh Zeinbiyeh, Shahzaid and its murals that remained from the Qajar period; Imamzadeh Esmaeil with its Seljuk architecture and the tomb of the Prophet Shaya; the historical Imamzadeh Ahmad and Joud with the tombs of Zil-ul-Sultan's wife and Amir Kabir's daughter in it and the presence of the third historical cemetery in the Islamic world - Takht-e-Foulad, have been used to the least extent to strengthen religious tourism.

Isfahan province has high tourism potential and suitable infrastructure for the development of religious tourism, while what is estimated indicates that a comprehensive, coherent and formulated plan has not been observed by the authorities for the development of religious tourism in this province, and the authorities should pay more attention to this capacity than in the past.

Solution: The most important measure for the development of religious tourism can be implemented in three steps: planning, implementation and feedback of the religious tourism development plan in Isfahan. In all these cases, the realities, limitations and capacity of the attractions should be paid attention to.

Another prerequisite for the prosperity of religious tourism in Isfahan is the management of the tourism attractions unit. Sometimes we witness fragmentation in the management and exploitation of Isfahan's destination attractions. The Ministry of Heritage, the Municipality and some agencies are among the organizations that are active in this field due to the locations of the sites within their scope of activity.

If there is no unified management, it is not possible to act systematically and systematically. If there is a unified management, all stakeholders in the tourism sector can be gathered on one platform and guided towards specific goals and a specific vision with specific job descriptions. If we act in this way, visits to attractions will also increase.

Opportunity: There are about 718 holy monuments, shrines and tombs in Isfahan province, and more than hundreds of historical mosques.

Isfahan’s religious attractions form part of the historical and cultural identity of this beautiful city. Isfahan has become one of the important religious tourism destinations in Iran with its mosques, churches and historical shrines such as the Atiq Jameh Mosque, Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque and Vank Church.

According to reports, Isfahan has approximately 13,600 endowments and about 718 holy monuments in the province, ranking third in this regard.

4) Regional: Security

Given the existence of the historical village of Abyaneh in Natanz and various, diverse and strategic tourist spots in Natanz, as well as the high volume of tourists, especially foreign tourists, entering this city, a Tourism Security Commission will be formed in Natanz.

Given that fortunately the entire country is safe for tourists and foreign tourists themselves admit this, this commission is responsible for examining the qualifications of foreign tourists for visiting Natanz and developing tourism.

Natanz city has numerous tourist attractions in various historical, religious and natural areas. Due to its unique features, this city has the capacity to attract tourists in all seasons of the year

There is a special tourism capacity in this region and having about 1800 historical monuments, of which 150 are registered, can be effective in attracting tourists to Natanz city in Isfahan province

5) Regional: Lack of hotels

In Isfahan, as a province with a high tourist attraction, there are not enough 4 and 5 star hotels for foreign tourists to stay, and according to the statistics provided, there are only two five star hotels in this city. The lack of standard accommodation centers, the limited variety of accommodation facilities, the limited standardization system for accommodation places, the proportional distribution of accommodation and the number of 4 and 5 star hotels in the province are not enough for foreign tourists, and the weakness of the province's accommodation centers is the number of appropriate beds required by tourists

Solution: First, create a suitable approach in the field of investment in the tourism sector and support private sector investors, and in the next step, reduce interdepartmental administrative circles in the investment processes in the tourism sector and accompany the investor to partially realize the tourism plan. Also, reducing bureaucratic communication in decision-making processes along with improving inter-institutional functional coordination can be considered as one of the desired solutions. Next, it should be mentioned to reduce the interference of inter-organizational activities with the support of the responsible institution, after which it is necessary to provide and distribute tourism infrastructure in the accommodation, transportation and communications, events and travel services sectors.

Opportunity: Isfahan is one of the tourist cities of Iran that annually hosts tourists from many cities and even other countries; This city has taken the right path in the field of hotel construction, despite the responsible urban management and interested investors. It is heard that the municipality; It encourages investors by providing free licenses or receiving one percent of the costs and facilities it has planned for the hospitality industry. Effective resolutions have also been considered for the historical context. The municipality, in order to support hotel developers, waives 99 percent of the cost of hotel licenses and receives only one percent.

6) Regional: Taxes

Isfahan ranks second after Tehran in terms of providing tax revenues, but it ranks almost seventh in receiving credits. There are many historical houses in Isfahan province that are being destroyed due to lack of resources and credits.

Solution: The government and parliament's view of tourism must change. This change of thinking will solve many of the problems of the tourism industry. In Isfahan, industry and agriculture have become somewhat difficult. The only thing that can save this province is tourism and the income generated from it, the best of which is spent directly on Isfahan itself by obtaining the necessary permits.

7) Regional: Transportation (High-speed train)

The Tehran, Qom, Isfahan high-speed train project, which has been on hold since 2000 and even Dr. Rouhani gave the go-ahead for the project in 2014, is still in limbo. There had been previous reports of a high-speed train being built between Mashhad and Tehran and vice versa, but that project also failed. The Tehran, Qom, Isfahan high-speed train project has been in the hands of various agencies in recent years due to administrative problems and has been met with negligence by the relevant officials.

Solution: The reason why this concern about people not using it or the Tehran-Qom-Isfahan project not reaching its goal is because of the contractor’s approach to implementation. Today, our country needs a transportation perspective, not a contractor’s perspective.

Unfortunately, it feels like our transportation structure is a kind of contractor structure. The structure that should be abandoned and the solution to this trend is to use the BOT project approach because BOT is an approach from the perspective of transportation development.

High-speed railways should be considered as a science. In 2012, the International Union of Railways published a booklet that collected the experience of the world's railways in this field. In this book, 14 stages have been considered for the construction of a high-speed railway from the time the idea of ​​​​building this railway comes to mind until the time of operation. In these stages, all issues such as the environment and station access, etc. have been explained in detail, and it is better to pay close attention to its highlights.

Opportunity: Isfahan-Tehran high-speed train, economic development and tourism boom in the country. Paying attention to the various economic, social, cultural and tourism dimensions of the Isfahan-Tehran high-speed train project and completing this plan will make a significant contribution to the formation of new chapters, including employment development, entrepreneurship and sustainable income.

This project does not only belong to Isfahan, but is also considered an intermediary link connecting the center of the country with the south, north, east and west, which is of strategic and economic importance for the country and the provinces in terms of its development dimensions.

8) Provincial: Zayandeh Rood Water

The plan to transfer water from the Persian Gulf to Isfahan is one of the plans that has grown in this context and will entail heavy economic, environmental, and other costs. This is while the implementation of this heavy plan may be very attractive to some groups. This is while defending this plan in expert forums and even interest groups is sometimes difficult for Isfahan province, and perhaps it will not solve the least problem of the water crisis in this province. Future generations cannot be spared from judgment. Drought is one of the main problems of Isfahan province. In recent decades, the Zayandeh Rood River, which is more than 400 kilometers long, has turned into a river with periodic flow and has faced drought in the downstream during the hot seasons, especially in summer, due to reasons such as illegal abstraction in the upstream, water transfer to another basin, population density, and to some extent a relative decrease in rainfall.

Solution: Moving towards solving the Zayandeh Rood problem requires, in the first step, a fundamental change in attitude towards comprehensive water resources management. In this regard, the first step should be to change and transform the structure of water resources management in this watershed. Another executive solution to the Zayandeh Rood watershed problem is for the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad to pay attention to determining a cultivation pattern appropriate to the conditions and also changing irrigation methods. Currently, traditional cultivation in these areas provides the basis for water waste. According to the statements of some experts in this watershed, the establishment of modern irrigation models can reduce water consumption by 60 percent and provide the basis for optimal water use.

Opportunity: The flow of water in the Zayandeh Rood during Nowruz helps develop tourism and the vitality and cheerfulness of Isfahan and increase the satisfaction of Nowruz tourists. If the Zayandeh Rood opens during the peak of tourist travel, it will have a great impact on attracting domestic and foreign tourists. However, this is while the flow of water in the Zayandeh Rood in the fall season, which is the season of decreasing tourist numbers, does not have much effect on the arrival of tourists, despite some advantages.

9) Regional: Food Tourism

In Isfahan, most restaurants tend to sell staple foods such as kebabs and chicken kebabs, and traditional foods are less common on their menus. Isfahan is one of the few cities that has a very good variety in terms of appetizers, main courses, desserts, yogurt stews, soups and stews, bread, hot and cold drinks, and pickles, which can be used to attract domestic and foreign tourists. The low variety of food is one of the weaknesses of the global tourism industry in Isfahan province.

Solution: Starting an agricultural processing business is the most important way to create employment and an important factor in the sustainable development of food security, which reduces the wastage of agricultural products and creates added value from resources as much as possible. So far, activities have been carried out in the field of food industry in the cities of Isfahan; but there is still capacity to increase activity. The public and private sectors should pay more attention and focus on developing creative food tourism in Isfahan and investing in this type of tourism. Also, creative tourism tours and cooking workshops should be launched quickly and accurately by the local community for the participation of tourists in the stages of preparing traditional Isfahan dishes. Also, some of the active pastry workshops in Isfahan should be created for the presence of tourists to observe, train and participate in the preparation of preparations, and individual and group tours by tour operators to Isfahan should be created for creative food tourism and food tourism and help to promote this type of tourism. Holding food festivals in different rural and urban environments of Isfahan, conducting food tours to teach cooking local foods, holding cooking classes and teaching how to cook various foods can contribute significantly to the development of food tourism in Isfahan Province.

Opportunity: In Isfahan Province, there is a lot of diversity in terms of the culture of preparing traditional foods, and the following reasons for this food diversity can be mentioned:

- Diversity in geographical location and specific climatic conditions as the most important factor in the diet of each region

- Ethnic, racial and subcultural diversity

- Diversity of medicinal plants in different regions of the province

Traditional foods, various hot and cold drinks, various pickles, herbal teas, various soups and stews, and local dairy products are among the cultural capacities in preparing local foods in Isfahan Province.

Currently, about 31 food items, including traditional bread, food, sweets, and soup, have been registered in the Intangible Heritage List in Isfahan Province by the end of 2020, including the skill of cooking kebab in Golpayegan, the skill of cooking biryani and yogurt stew in Isfahan, the skill of preparing traditional cookies in Kashan, the traditional ritual of baking Samno Nazri in Shahreza, the traditional ritual of collecting rose water in Kashan, the skill of planting melons in Gorgab, and the ritual of preparing meat and chickpea Nazri food in Kashan.

10) Regional: Shahid Beheshti Airport

Attracting and hosting about 20 million foreign tourists annually is a plan that has been outlined in Iran's vision, and it is expected that between approximately 10 and 12 million Shiite tourists from Islamic countries will travel to Iran, and other tourists from countries will be the target of tourism. However, achieving these statistics requires the completion of many infrastructures in the field of transportation, including airports, as well as changing some behaviors and more precise planning, which can increase the presence of tourists in Iran and Isfahan. Unfortunately, Isfahan Airport has obstacles in terms of land and area, including, for example, holding a proper call to identify a contractor for the construction of a new terminal, etc. Although Isfahan is considered one of the country's tourism hubs, the conditions of Isfahan Airport are not suitable for tourism development; therefore, the first infrastructure problem for expanding Isfahan tourism is in the airport transportation sector. The airport has been planned to be expanded several times, but this has faced obstacles.

Isfahan's tourism development infrastructure is incomplete; currently, every city in the world attracts tourists equivalent to its population annually, while Isfahan, despite having a population of approximately 2 million people, attracts only about 200,000 to 300,000 tourists annually, which is about 10% annually.

Solution: Given the location of Shahid Beheshti International Airport as the golden gate of the historical city of Isfahan and the importance of this airport in the province's tourism industry, there is a national perspective on its development and several plans have been defined in the form of investment opportunities. These investment opportunities include the construction of a parking lot, a handling service shed, a welfare service complex, a hotel and an airport terminal, an aircraft repair and maintenance hangar and a solar power plant, an air restaurant with a used aircraft body, the establishment of a pilot school, the establishment of an airline with a main base in Isfahan (Base), and the development of an air cargo terminal, especially in the import sector, etc. Improving and diversifying non-aviation revenue sources by establishing a welfare service complex including car washes, oil changes, repair shops, refueling stations, the construction of an air restaurant with a used aircraft body, and an airport hotel can help increase these revenues.

Shahid Beheshti Airport in Isfahan receives about one and a half million passengers annually, and it is expected that this number will increase to more than three million passengers per year in the near future, which doubles the need to build an airport terminal in accordance with current needs, as well as to build multi-storey or underground parking.

Opportunity: The location of Isfahan Airport is of particular importance to the extent that it can attract many tourists to the province annually by increasing flights, developing new services and technologies, and creating an airport city free zone with comprehensive and new capabilities.

11) Provincial: Cultural

The lack of awareness of local culture and customs among foreign tourists may lead to misunderstandings. One of the main obstacles in attracting tourists is the lack of proper cultural development in Isfahan.

Solution: Conduct training courses for tour guides as well as programs to familiarize tourists with local culture. For example, in Turkey, modern educational centers have been established to familiarize tourists with local culture and customs.

Opportunity: The metropolis of Isfahan, as a city with a rich history and culture, has the potential to host events on various scales from local to international. The city can use the opportunity of holding events to attract tourists, stimulate the regeneration of dilapidated structures, and develop its own economic, social, and cultural development.

12) Provincial: Economic

The General Department of Cultural Heritage does not have a significant income and is not self-sufficient in any way. In addition, the budget allocated to the General Department of Heritage is also very small. For this reason, cultural heritage is unable to accurately perform all the tasks assigned to it and is not transformative in any way.

Solution: Attracting domestic and foreign investors to develop tourism infrastructure and also providing special discounts to tourists. In Malaysia, special discount plans and affordable tourism packages are offered to attract more tourists

Attracting foreign investors by giving foreign IP

Opportunity: Isfahan handicrafts are one of the cultural and artistic treasures of this city, which is known as one of the most important centers for handicraft production in Iran. With a history of more than centuries, these handicrafts have been introduced not only to the local community, but also to other countries and have a special place in national and international markets.

13) Province: Climate

Isfahan's weather conditions in the summer can reduce the number of tourists. High temperatures, especially in July and August, may be unbearable for some tourists.

The drying up of the Zayandeh-e Rud River has caused the arrival of tourists to the province to decrease by approximately 30 percent compared to before, and this decrease in tourists has had negative effects on the economy of Isfahan.

Solution: Developing tourism in cooler seasons (fall and winter) and promoting night tourism. For example, in Istanbul, night events and night markets are held to attract tourists in the summer.

Opportunity: Isfahan is a semi-desert city with hot summers; however, there are pleasant villages with lush greenery and roaring waterfalls around it that are known as destinations for one- or multi-day trips to escape the heat.

14) Regional: Urban

The lack of proper public transportation infrastructure in Isfahan can be one of the main problems for tourists. The lack of an efficient transportation system may make it difficult to access tourist attractions.

Although Isfahan is considered one of the country's tourism hubs, land and air transportation conditions are not suitable for tourism development; Therefore, the first infrastructure problem for the development of Isfahan tourism in the field of easy and accessible land and air transportation. This issue has faced obstacles, and the intercity and intracity transportation system for tourists is also facing fundamental weaknesses, especially since the failure to launch the Isfahan high-speed train is another infrastructure problem in the transportation sector of this historical and tourist-friendly city that must be looked at urgently and urgently.

Solution: Developing a public transportation system with smart capabilities such as electric buses and trams. For example, the city of Barcelona has been able to help attract tourists by developing an efficient public transportation system and smart traffic management.

15) Provincial: Social

Social problems such as unemployment and economic inequality can affect tourists' experiences and reduce their sense of satisfaction. Lack of real statistics and information on tourism supply and demand

Solution: Creating social programs to support local communities and improve their living standards. For example, in various cities, social projects have been implemented to create jobs and generate income through tourism.

People's participation in tourism development is part of a global movement, and for this reason, global programs such as the Comprehensive Tourism Program emphasize the development of tourism at the regional and local levels with the participation of indigenous people and the local community.

Opportunity: As an important cultural tourism destination with rich historical sites that even have UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Isfahan has the potential for creative tourism. Whether it is in the field of handicrafts, which Isfahan has also joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, or in the field of gastronomy, which has long been popular with many fans of Isfahan's food and sweets, which have also attracted the attention of tourists to this city. Therefore, Isfahan has the potential and capabilities to implement creative tourism-focused tours in the fields of handicrafts and food, and the development of this type of tourism can not only help develop sustainable tourism, but can also help attract tourists, create jobs, increase income, and improve the living standards of the local community in Isfahan. Opportunity: As an important cultural tourism destination with rich historical sites that even have UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Isfahan has the potential for creative tourism. Whether in the field of handicrafts, where Isfahan has joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, or in the field of gastronomy, where Isfahan's food and sweets have long been popular and have attracted the attention of tourists to the city. Therefore, Isfahan has the ability and capabilities to implement creative tourism-focused tours in the fields of handicrafts and food, and the development of this type of tourism can not only help develop sustainable tourism, but also help attract tourists, create jobs, increase income, and improve the living standards of the local community in Isfahan.

16) Provincial: Environment

Environmental problems such as air pollution in Isfahan can affect the experience of tourists. Especially in the seasons when pollution is higher.

Isfahan is facing a serious challenge these days called air pollution. The air pollution situation in this metropolis has reached a point where it has become a normal thing for many citizens, while its destructive effects on public health are still extremely worrying, and Isfahan should be prominently placed on the environmental calendar and be specially highlighted as the face of the country's balanced development and become the best model of environmental development.

Solution: Developing new waste management programs and increasing environmental awareness among tourists. For example, in Iceland, environmental protection has been addressed by holding educational campaigns for tourists and using new waste management technologies.

17) Provincial: Scientific

The shortage of specialized labor in the field of tourism and hotel services can be one of the main challenges in Isfahan.

One of the most important educational gaps is felt in the case of direct activists in the tourism sector, namely service or operational forces, marketers, and producers. Service and operational personnel, such as public transport drivers, employees and workers at travel terminals and airports, and restaurant and hotel personnel, are among the direct activists in the tourism sector. Despite their important role in tourism development, their professional empowerment in terms of specialized training has always been neglected. We are facing a shortage of active and specialized human resources to accommodate foreign tourists. Although there are many universities and educational environments in this field, due to the lack of planning, modern and practical training is not carried out to train and develop human resources in the fields of tour operators and reception services, accommodation, cooks, waiters, etc. Solution: Establish training centers and specialized courses to train and develop skilled human resources in the tourism industry. For example, in Switzerland, professional tourism training centers have been established to train tourism specialists. Based on tradition and high standards, Swiss higher education in the field of tourism and hospitality is among the best in the world.

Opportunity: High Skill Schools; A new model of skill training that was formed in the Azad University environment to improve applied education and empower students, while preparing them to start a business based on social innovation models. More than 200 schools with this title have been formed in various fields so far, and the most recent is the High Skill School of Tourism and Hotel Management

18) Provincial: Historical

Some of Isfahan's historical monuments need restoration and protection, and lack of sufficient attention to this issue can affect the attractiveness of tourism. Isfahan's situation in the field of historical monuments and their protection is not good, and everyone knows this today. On the one hand, drought and subsidence, and on the other hand, the lack of protection and faulty restorations have become a scourge on the lives of buildings that are often unparalleled in the world

Solution: Increase investment in the restoration and maintenance of historical and cultural monuments. For example, in Italy, historical monument protection projects are carried out in cooperation with the government and the private sector.

Opportunity: Historical contexts are not only a tangible heritage, but also display valuable information as living documents of past civilizations. Urban contexts, by combining historical and modern architecture, indicate a deep connection between human creativity and nature.

Isfahan province, with almost more than 20 thousand historical monuments, is known as one of the main centers of Iranian tourism. More than 60 percent of these monuments are located in the historical context of Isfahan. In many countries of the world, especially neighboring countries such as Turkey, the majority of tourism revenues are allocated to this sector. Historical contexts, due to their reflection of identity and culture, create great attraction for tourists

19) Province: Technological

Challenge: Insufficient use of modern technologies in the tourism industry, such as smart reservation systems and smart traffic management, can negatively affect the tourist experience. Isfahan province, as one of the country's tourism hubs and as this province's share of about 8.7% in the development of digital technology, can play a significant role in development. Considering the aforementioned introduction, the rural areas of Isfahan province, which have tourism potential and capabilities, have not utilized this opportunity as they should and perhaps have not, and the residents of these areas are facing many problems. Now, fully intelligent information and communication technologies can be fruitful as an effective component in introducing, identifying, expanding and developing tourism in these areas.

Solution: Implementing new technologies in the tourism industry, including mobile applications for reservations and consultations and modern multi-purpose services. For example, some major cities in the world use modern tourism applications to provide better services to tourists.

The use of information and communication technology is a powerful tool for improving coordination in the tourism industry. Implementing central management systems, online reservation systems, using mobile software and applications, and other similar technologies, provides fast and effective communication between different elements and improves coordination in providing modern services.

Using stratified and convenient sampling methods, 1,484 international tourists visiting Hong Kong participated in the survey. The results show that among the six STA features, the features of intelligent information systems, intelligent navigation, e-commerce systems, and intelligent prediction had a positive effect on tourists’ perceived destination image. As a result, tourists’ perceived destination image positively increases their behavioral intention.

Opportunity: Modern technologies in Isfahan hotels, especially Armandis and Sufi hotels, have made service delivery much easier. Isfahan hotels use various technologies such as online reservation systems, smart cards, high-speed internet, smart TVs, and mobile applications to improve the guest experience and increase competitiveness.

The benefits of these technologies include increased productivity, reduced costs, improved customer satisfaction, and personalized services. Isfahan hotels have also moved towards using new technologies

20) Regional: Rural

Rural tourism in Isfahan is still not fully developed and many villages have not benefited from this potential.

Solution: Develop tourism infrastructure and facilities in villages and create eco-tours. For example, in India, there are plans to develop rural tourism with the aim of increasing local income.

Opportunity: There are nearly 2,000 villages in the area of ​​half the world, which have ethnic, cultural, climatic and ritual diversity, along with their natural and tourist attractions, especially in the eastern and western regions, which have opened up a wide horizon in the ecotourism sector of this province. Isfahan province ranks first in this field in the country with about 444 ecotourism units, of which about 230 units have operating licenses and the rest are undergoing renovation and approval processes. These units have so far created jobs for about 2,500 people, of which about 263 units are in villages. Most of the ecotourism units in Isfahan are in the east of the province in the counties of Khor and Biabanak, Nain, Ardestan, Kashan, Aran and Bidgol and Isfahan. Among them, Khor and Biabanak has the largest number of ecotourism units in the province with about 75 accommodations.

Analysis of statistics on foreign tourists using hotels

The statistics presented on the number of foreign tourists who have used hotels show interesting trends in the Iranian tourism industry over the years. This information can help to better understand the effects of various variables, including economic, social conditions, and especially disease outbreaks, on tourism.

1. General trend in the number of tourists:

In 2006, the number of foreign tourists was 42,841, indicating a relatively limited start of foreign tourism in Isfahan.

This number decreased to 39,943 in 2011. The decrease in the number of tourists may be related to factors such as the economic and political conditions of the country.

However, in 2016, we witnessed a significant jump in the number of tourists with 381,933. This increase could be due to improved international relations and tourism advertising.

2. Impact of COVID-19:

In 2020, due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and travel restrictions, the number of tourists decreased sharply to 16,430. This significant decrease clearly demonstrates the negative impact of COVID-19 on the tourism industry.

In 2020, the number of tourists increased to 39,275, indicating a gradual improvement in the situation and a limited reopening of travel.

3. Monthly Analysis of 2021:

In 2021, the number of foreign tourists increased to 77,421. This increase reflects the gradual return of tourists to Iran after the COVID-19 period.

A review of monthly statistics in 1401 shows fluctuations in the number of tourists:

Farvardin: 4,330 people

Ordibehesht: 8,600 people

Khordad: 7,355 people

Tir: 8,053 people

Morgad: 7,948 people

Shahrivar: 7,995 people

Mehr: 9,570 people

Aban: 6,830 people

Azar: 3,198 people

Dyan: 3,633 people

Bahan: 4,555 people

Esfand: 5,354 people

4. Monthly trend analysis:

Seasonal fluctuations: Monthly statistics show significant fluctuations. In general, the highest number of tourists is observed in the months of Mehr and Ordibehesht, which may be due to special cultural occasions or events and celebrations.

Fall season decline: In the fall months, especially Azar, the number of tourists decreases sharply, which may be due to weather conditions or the resurgence of the coronavirus.

Finally, the statistics of foreign tourists using hotels reflect the profound effects of economic, social conditions, and especially global crises on Iran's tourism industry. Despite the challenges that arose due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, the tourism industry seems to be gradually recovering and returning to its pre-corona situation. This information can help policymakers and tourism industry managers plan to attract more tourists and improve services.

Conclusion:

Forward-looking tourism management with a focus on comprehensive and skilled human resource training and its multidimensional development can help the tourism industry serve society not only as a revenue-generating industry, but also as a cultural and social tool. Training human resources and investing in economic, social, and cultural development can create a sustainable and efficient structure for tourism management that responds to the growing needs of tourists and at the same time helps strengthen and develop local communities sustainably.

As mentioned, sustainable and successful tourism development requires a precise understanding of the scientific and executive structure, which requires relevant managers to make strategic and targeted decisions to achieve the goals of sustainable development and lasting progress by utilizing comprehensive, systematic information and analyzing it carefully, and to have a management model with comprehensive and forward-looking generalizability.

Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency