Designing a complementary tourism development model for desert areas In Nehbandan, the gateway to the Lut Desert

Abstract

Innovation is a way to develop desert tourism that leads to the prosperity of the local economy, increasing the coefficient of enjoyment in peripheral areas, and using local capacities for the economic construction of these areas. This research aims to extract and classify the types of tourism in the Lut Desert in Nehbandan County and explain the development strategy based on complementary tourism. This study is a mixed approach (qualitative-quantitative), applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of data collection method. Data were collected through library and document study and field observation. The statistical population included tourism experts and the local community in South Khorasan Province, who were selected through purposive sampling and snowball technique. Content analysis (in the qualitative part) and descriptive statistics (in the quantitative part) were used to analyze the data. The conclusion of the research indicates that the successful development of tourism in this isolated area depends on adopting an integrated strategy of complementary tourism. In this model, different types are designed to reinforce each other, leading to an increase in the length of stay of tourists, a more complete economic cycle, a wider distribution of income, and an economic justification for the protection of natural and cultural heritage. The key to the sustainable and economic development of the region is to move away from a one-dimensional view and adopt an integrated strategy of complementary tourism. In this model, different types of tourism are designed to reinforce each other (such as combining astronomical tourism with ecotourism stays and the purchase of handicrafts). This leads to an increase in the length of stay of tourists, a more complete economic cycle, and a wider distribution of income, an economic justification for the protection of natural and cultural heritage, a reduction in one-dimensional economic dependence, and a reduction in migration. The success of this strategy requires the active participation of the local community, investment in infrastructure, and integrated planning.