Evaluation and Ranking barriers of tourism development in township of Minoodasht

Nowadays, tourism industry as dynamic industry with unique features allocated an important part of economic activity and production in developed and developing countries. Accelerated growth of tourism has led many pundits call twenty-first century to century tourism. Tourism is one of the important factors that could promote regional development in field of economic, social, cultural and environmental. Politicians and planners are trying to prepare in terms of potential and removing the obstacles ahead, provide the opportunity to benefit from the positive aspects of the industry. Accordingly the present study is assessed and ranked barriers to tourism development in township of Minoodasht. This township is located in the east Golestan province, a beautiful area with many tourist attractions in various sectors such as ecotourism, agricultural tourism, sports tourism (air sports) and cultural tourism. Tourism development process in this erea is faced with a lot of different obstacles and looks at the economic, administrative and infrastructure among the most important obstacles. The research method is descriptive – analytical. Required information through library and field research has been collected using questionnaires. To extract the main obstacles to the development of tourism in the Minoodasht township through library studies, barriers affecting the development of tourism classified in 5 factor include: environmental, social, economic, infrastructure and managemen. The population in this study consisted of tourists during of 1392 have visited the Minoodasht township.Thus, because lack of reliable statistics on the number of tourists was used sampling as a sample of 300 person randomly. All questions are Likert scale Finally, the data obtained were analyzed using SPSS statistical software and TOPSIS model. According to the results, the most influential environmental barrier with an average rating of 3.03 is sultry weather in the warm season of the year. Another factor is the destruction of natural landscapes and the possibility of torrential rains, due to their lower than average rate of 3, barriers are not very important. In the social dimension, 5 factors were cited as barriers to the development of tourism after the assessment has revealed only two of the five factors above, the tourists are the barriers to effective. These two factors are influencing : failure to deal properly with an average score of 3.43, and the host population and population density of vehicles in tourist sites with a score of 3.34. In the following, three factors negative consequences for residents to tourism, ethnic conflict and insecurity in the region due to the score obtained is less than 3 as the main obstacles have been approved. Economically, with seven obstacles evaluated by tourists, the results obtained in this regard shows apart from the cost of shipping and handling (with a score of 2.59), the effect became less important as a major obstacle, were confirmed other factors as effective barriers. These factors, in order of importance are: Lack of funds and state investments (with a score of 4.04), lack of support from banks, investors and tourists (with a score of 3.9), the lack of private investment (with a score of 3.61), lack of banks and financial institutions (with a score of 3.56) the high cost of living (with a score of 3.5) and low levels of banking services (with a score of 3.31). In the infrastructural barriers are summarized in seven of the evaluations carried out except the low quality of communication (with a score of 2.68) the other half of the city's tourism development are the main obstacles. In this regard, the internet and mobile services with a score of 3.75 influential prevent undesirable and then approval as the main obstacles to tourism development in order the lack or low quality agencies and tourism (with a score of 3.55), lack or low quality-service recreation center (with a score of 3.4), the lack of or low quality shopping and reception (with a score of 3.34), lack or low quality residential centers (with a score of 3.08), and low quality of transport (by 3.04 points). Finally, in the management, six factors were assessed as obstacles to tourism development that were approved all six of the points. In the following, the greatest obstacle is the shortage of experts with a score of 4.24 and the lack of information and advertising with a score of 4.17, weak policy and planning with a score of 4.16, 4.12 points for passive organizations, local managers do not believe in the potential of the tourist city with a score of 4.05 and inconsistencies of various managerial with a score of 3.88 have been known as the main obstacles affecting the development of tourism. The study concludes there are many obstacles in the way of the development of tourism in the Minoodasht township which can be classified in various aspects of environmental, social, economic, infrastructural and managerial. The analysis carried out shows that barriers in the management dimension is as effective barriers and obstacles to economic, infrastructural, social and environmental dimensions are ranked in terms of importance. Therefore this research in order to develop tourism in the Minoodasht township and reduced the amount and intensity of the obstacles facing the tourism offers the following suggestions: 1-       The first step is essential to the development of tourism in the Minoodasht township strategy identify with the participation of all actors and factors influencing the tourism development process. 2-       It is necessary to pay more attention to the training of specialists in the field of tourism in the region. 3-       Tourism, especially in the early stages of the process needs to be supported strongly by the public authorities, based lending, and tax breaks for investments in tourism can be very useful and helpful. 4-       Advertising and branding should be regarded as a fundamental objective of all managers and citizens.Keywords. 5-       Local authorities should strengthen the development of tourism infrastructure and provide consistent desire and satisfaction of tourists.