Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Associate Professor Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran
2 MSc in Geography and Tourism Planning, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Objective: The present study aims to develop an integrated, context-sensitive strategic framework for enhancing climate resilience in historic-mountainous tourism destinations, with a specific focus on Hamedan, Iran.
Methods: A qualitative grounded theory approach, following the systematic design of Strauss and Corbin, was employed. Data were gathered through 35 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a diverse array of key stakeholders—including urban managers, cultural heritage and environmental experts, university faculty, private-sector tourism actors, and local community representatives. Sampling continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. The three-phase coding process (open, axial, and selective) was conducted using MAXQDA software, with trustworthiness ensured via Lincoln and Guba's criteria for qualitative inquiry.
Results: A core phenomenon, “The Process of Realizing Sustainable Tourism Development through Integrated Climate Resilience Strategies,” emerged from the data. This reconceptualizes climate resilience not as a static goal but as a continuous systemic transformation. Five interconnected strategy clusters were identified as essential to this process: Adaptive and Risk-Reduction strategies, Protective and Restorative strategies, Institutional and Governance strategies, Empowerment and Participatory strategies, and Knowledge-Based and Technological strategies. The findings underscore that these strategies operate as a synergistic system; their fragmented application would be insufficient to break the prevailing “vicious cycle” and initiate a desired “virtuous cycle.”
Conclusions: The study concludes that climate resilience in historic-mountainous destinations necessitates a paradigm shift from reactive, sectoral management toward systemic transformation. The immediate priority is an “institutional surgery” the creation of a powerful, cross-sectoral coordinating body to overcome structural distrust and inter-agency fragmentation, thereby unlocking the potential of all other strategies. The generated paradigm model provides a novel analytical-operational framework for integrated resilience planning.
Keywords
- Climate resilience
- Sustainable urban tourism development
- Grounded theory
- Integrated strategies
- Hamedan City
Main Subjects
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