Analysis of Factors Affecting the Development of Cultural Tourism in Urmia with Emphasis on the Tourism Capacities of the Historical Badlou Castle

Objectives:

The city of Urmia, with its natural and historical attractions, particularly Badlou Castle, possesses a high capacity for cultural tourism. This applied research examines the factors affecting the development of tourism in this city, with an emphasis on Badlou Castle, and analyzes the impact of four factors: heritage conservation, infrastructure, marketing, and local community participation.



Methods:

The research was conducted using a descriptive-survey method. The data collection instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire comprising five components. The statistical population consisted of 350 respondents, and data analysis was performed using SPSS software, employing normality tests, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression.



Findings:

The findings indicate a positive and significant relationship between all independent variables and the tourism development of Badlou Castle. Based on regression analysis, the historical heritage conservation variable, with a beta coefficient of 0.344, had the greatest impact, followed by tourism infrastructure development (0.301), tourism marketing (0.247), and local community participation (0.189). Collectively, these variables were able to explain approximately 71% of the variance in the dependent variable (tourism development).



Conclusion:

To achieve sustainable tourism development in this region, strategies such as principled protection and restoration of historical monuments, investment in infrastructure, destination marketing and branding, and fostering active local community participation are of high priority. These results can be utilized in the planning and decision-making of tourism managers, cultural heritage officials, and urban management for the development of cultural tourism in the region.