Asian Culture and Art Studies (Motaleat-e Farhang va Honare Asiya)

Analysis of key drivers of cultural tourism in Iran based on the Seventh Development Plan

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Seyed Shahabodin Hedayati

No organizational affiliation

10.30465/acas.2026.53542.1193
Abstract
The aim of the present research is to study the future ways of developing cultural tourism in Iran in order to provide a suitable cognitive and scientific basis for planners and policymakers, relying on the opinions of the elites. In terms of its applied purpose, the present research has been conducted at an exploratory level in terms of survey method and based on the futures research approach. Given the nature of this research, first a number of specialists and experts were selected and then the Delphi method and documentary studies were used to determine the key drivers. The number of participants in the Delphi who were identified and participated in the research consisted of 15 experts in the field of tourism management and the Planning and Budget Organization. In order to validate and reach a consensus on the important drivers, fuzzy Delphi analysis was used. In the second stage, by applying the interaction analysis method using the MIKMAC software, a structural analysis of the drivers identified in the first stage was carried out. The research findings showed that the potential of cultural diversity and the existence of world heritage sites and places related to cultural myths, especially the diversity of religions and sects, can play a key role in the development of cultural tourism in future planning.

Keywords

Futures Studies
Tourism Industry
Development Plan
Iran
Cultural Tourism

Subjects

Asian Culture and Art Studies (Motaleat-e Farhang va Honare Asiya)

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 05 January 2026

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