Spatial Analysis of Environmental Hazards

Spatial Analysis of Environmental Hazards

Environmental Risk Assessment in Tourism Destinations and Strategies for Reducing It in Dezful County

Articles in Press
Author
Moslem Savari
Abstract
Objective: Risk assessment in tourism destinations plays an important role in maintaining tourist safety and environmental sustainability. Identifying potential threats such as natural disasters, overcrowding, cultural damage, and social hazards provides the basis for more accurate planning and more effective tourism management. The present study was conducted with the aim of assessing environmental risks in the tourist areas of Dezful County.

Methods: The statistical population included tourists from rural areas of Dezful County, which, according to the statistics of the Cultural Heritage Organization, are visited by more than 10 million people annually. The sample size was determined as 384 people using the Krejci and Morgan table, and sampling was carried out randomly. In this study, 33 villages in four districts of the county were examined. The data were analyzed using a questionnaire and confirmatory factor analysis.

Results: According to the results of the study, only the Choghamish district faces high political risks, and the other districts have a moderate threat in this area. In the area of financial and economic risks, the matter is different, and only the central district faces a moderate threat, and the other districts face a high level of threat. However, the most important result of this study was in the area of social risks, where all districts showed a low level of threat, which indicates appropriate security and comfort for tourists traveling to this city. The results of the study also show a moderate level of environmental risks in the Shahyoun, Sardasht, and Choghamish districts, and even in the central district, these risks are in the low priority range. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis of tourism risk reduction strategies in Dezful city were classified into information and educational factors, legal and security factors, precautionary factors, and infrastructure factors.

Conclusions: The present study showed that social risks in Dezful county are at a low level and the security of tourists is ensured. However, economic and environmental risks in some sectors require more attention and management. Implementing the proposed solutions can help improve the quality of the tourism experience and the sustainable development of the region.
Keywords
Risk Reduction
rural tourists
tourist destinations
Natural hazards
Shushtar County
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Spatial Analysis of Environmental Hazards

Articles in Press, Corrected Proof
Available Online from 20 January 2021