Journal of Research and Rural Planning

Journal of Research and Rural Planning

Spatial Analysis of Factors Influencing the Development of Rural E-Tourism Approaches (Case Study: Tourism Destination Villages of Amol County)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Aliakbar Anabestani 1
Mahsa Hedayati 2
Shaghayegh Yarahmadi 2
1 Shahid Beheshti university, Tehran, Iran.
2 Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22067/jrrp.v14i4.2602-1161
Abstract
Purpose- E-tourism serves as a transformative tool for enhancing tourism services; by providing high-quality digital experiences, it significantly contributes to tourist attraction and satisfaction. This research aims to identify the factors influencing the formation of rural e-tourism approaches and to conduct a spatial analysis of these factors across the destination villages of Amol County.
Design/methodology/approach- This study is applied in purpose and utilizes a descriptive-analytical methodology. Data collection was conducted through a combination of library research and field surveys using questionnaires. To analyze the spatial distribution and hierarchy of the sampled villages in the Larijan District, the Marcos method was employed. The dimensions of the e-tourism variable investigated include cultural acceptance, supportive-managerial policies, infrastructure, and information systems. To determine the relative importance of these dimensions, weights were assigned using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) based on expert opinions.
Findings- The results indicate that the indicators of "support for private organizations for investment in e-commerce" (final weight: 0.06), "necessary legal and regulatory frameworks" (final weight: 0.05), and "utilization of specialized and trained human resources in e-tourism" (final weight: 0.04)—all subsets of the Supportive-Managerial Policies component—ranked first to third, respectively. These are identified as the most critical indicators for sustainable rural development. Consequently, "Supportive-Managerial Policies" emerged as the most influential component (weight = 0.49), followed by "Software/Information Systems" (0.22), "Infrastructure" (0.18), and "Cultural Acceptance" (0.09). Furthermore, the spatial analysis of the Larijan District reveals that the villages of Ab-e Garm, Ab-e Ask, and Ira fall within the green spectrum of the spatial model, indicating an unfavorable status regarding e-tourism development.
Keywords
E-tourism
Tourism Destination Villages
Spatial Analysis
Amol County
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 01 January 2026
  • Revise Date 02 February 2026
  • Accept Date 27 February 2026