Urban Diplomacy Strategies for Enhancing the Tourism Economy of Shiraz City

Panahande, Mohsen; Rashtian, Seyyed Mohammad; Goodarzi, Mahnaz; Daeikarimzadeh, Saeed; Taghipour, Faezeh

doi:10.48311/udd.2025.27561

Urban Diplomacy Strategies for Enhancing the Tourism Economy of Shiraz City

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

Mohsen Panahande ¹

Seyyed Mohammad Rashtian ²

Mahnaz Goodarzi ³

Saeed Daeikarimzadeh ⁴

Faezeh Taghipour ⁵

¹ Student of urban planning, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.

² Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Planning, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.

³ Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations and Political Science, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran. Saeed Daei-Karimzadeh: Associate Professor, Department of

⁴ Associate Professor, Department of Economic Sciences, Isfahan (Khorasgan), Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.

⁵ Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Sciences, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.48311/udd.2025.27561

Abstract

In the contemporary world, cities play a pivotal role in urban diplomacy by enhancing their economic, political, and cultural positions, which necessitates exploring effective strategies for tourism development. This study addresses the critical issue of how Shiraz can elevate its competitiveness among regional and international destinations, focusing on the mechanisms of inter-urban interactions and collaborations to strengthen its tourism economy. Employing a qualitative approach with a phenomenological framework, the research utilized descriptive and Klai’s analytic methods to analyze data collected through semi-structured interviews and purposeful sampling from tourists and experts who had visited Shiraz’s attractions. The findings revealed that healthy competition and inter-urban collaboration significantly contribute to improving tourism infrastructure, including the construction of new hotels, public transportation development, and enhanced tourist services, while challenges such as inadequate planning, insufficient infrastructure, and underutilization of cultural and historical capacities were also identified. Ultimately, the study concludes that effective collaboration among governments, citizens, and cities through urban diplomacy serves as a powerful tool for tourism development and urban economies, emphasizing the importance of diversifying tourist attractions, leveraging modern technologies, and strengthening international relations to solidify Shiraz's position as a leading tourist destination regionally and globally, with key insights highlighting the processes of urban diplomacy, urban economy, tourist attraction, and infrastructure deficiencies.

Keywords

Urban Diplomacy

Tourism

Economic Development

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