Proposing a Model for the Development of Sustainable Social Tourism of the Turkmen Folk

Introduction: Despite the different ethnic groups in the country and the lack of development of villages and target destinations for ethnic tourism, the development of ethnic tourism can lead to sustainable economic growth and development in these areas, as well as the preservation and promotion of indigenous culture, oral heritage, traditions, indigenous industries, traditional arts, and customs of Iranian tribes. Consequently, the objective of this study is to offer a paradigm for the development of sustainable social tourism using the Turkmen people as a case study.
Methodology: The philosophical foundations of this work are grounded in interpretiveness and a data-theory-based research strategy. Interviews were conducted with a total of 81 individuals, utilizing three distinct protocols for three distinct groups, including residents, visitors, and managers. Sampling was conducted theoretically, to the level of theoretical saturation, and in conjunction with snowball sampling.
Findings: In total, 3255 codes were recovered from 2284 meaningful statements of these interviews; after deleting duplicate cases, 639 final codes and 92 subcategories were extracted. Thus, out of 92 sub-categories, 8 central categories consist of heritage tourism, art tourism, ecotourism, sports tourism, food tourism, rural tourism, literary tourism, and cultural tourism for causal conditions; The 9 key categories consist of tourism infrastructure, financing and investment, management and organization challenges, tourism rules and regulations, tourism supply chain, tourism market elasticity, crisis management in the tourism industry, and inter-agency cooperation. control over intervening circumstances; For the underlying factors, four central categories include: socio-cultural characteristics, tourism of the host community, capacity building, and ethnic-religious prejudices; The 10 key categories consist of cultural stability, public security, population structure, migration, cultural heritage protection, environmental protection, stability of beliefs, social tolerance capacity, stability in ethnic context, and guest-host adaptation to the phenomenon. regional ecotourism management, establishment of non-governmental organizations and tourism clinics, handicraft management, cultural event management, stakeholder education, tourism project management, regional cultural heritage management, ethnic tourism market management, value chain management, planning Sustainable tourism; management of tourism studies; and cultural management of the host and guest community for strategies; Five main categories, including the sustainability of the region's social system, the sustainability of the local economy, the development of service quality, the empowerment of the local people, and the strengthening and promotion of indigenous culture, were recognized as results.
Conclusion: The theoretical model of the study suggests that a number of factors affect the development of sustainable ethnic-social tourism; to address them, special measures should be taken; and if these measures/strategies are implemented in the appropriate context, positive effects will be brought to the Turkmen region. The research has presented theoretical and managerial implications for destination management organizations with respect to the country's potential for ethnic tourism.