Iranian academic centre for education، culture and research ACECR

Besides its general research activities on socio-cultural areas which was started in 1992, the sociology department of the Academic Center for Education, Culture, and Research (ACECR) has focused its research projects on tourism and pilgrimage studies. Therefore, as of the main departments of Khorasan Razavi Tourism Research Institute with more than a decade of experience in tourism-related studies, the ACECR's tourism sociology department is primarily focused on research and applied studies on different social and cultural aspects of tourism, including tourist satisfaction, interpersonal relations between tourists and hosts, tourists' sense of security at the tourist destination, tourists' attitude towards the host community, social tolerance capacity of the host community and their attitude towards tourism, etc.

In addition to carrying out numerous research projects on and publishing many articles in religious tourism and socio-cultural issues of Imam Reza (A.S) pilgrimage, the department is undertaking “The National Survey of Iranian Tourism Values, Attitudes, and Behaviors”, presently.

The National Survey of Iranians' Tourism Values, Attitudes, and Behaviors

Commissioned by the central office of ACECR to generate precise data on tourism in Iran through a national macro-survey on Iranians' attitudes and behaviors towards tourism, the ACECR's department of tourism sociology has, with the financial support of Iran's state Organization for Management and Budgeting, embarked on conducting the survey on 5000 Iranian nationals and 1000 non-Iranian tourists who have visited Iran. Considered as the first national tourism survey on tourists' behavioral study, the project seeks to examine Iranians' attitudes and behaviors towards tourism and visiting tourists.

 

Activities and Achievements

Research projects:

The ACECR's department of tourism sociology has conducted various research projects, some of which are listed as follows:

* Evaluating the hotel owners' and taxi drivers' treatment of pilgrims visiting Imam Reza (A.S) holy shrine and the ways for improving such a treatment  

* Examining the ways of children attendance in Imam Reza (A.S) holy shrine and offering practical strategies for its optimization

* Investigating and analyzing the pilgrims' cultural needs throughout the pilgrimage process

* Examining and categorizing the needs of non-Iranian pilgrims visiting Mashhad with emphasis on their expectations from Mashhad's municipality and city council

* Assessing the pilgrims' needs, problems, and satisfaction, and their evaluation of the municipality's performance

* Sociological analysis of travel satisfaction level of the Iranian disabled veterans   and those parents of Iranian martyrs who were members of the Khorasan Razavi Martyrdom Foundation

* Tourism cut in Khorasan Razavi's spatial planning

* Assessing the quality of accommodation services received by Iranian pilgrims visiting Mashhad and their preferences

* Surveying the attitude and perceptions of Mashhad's visitors towards the city's citizens and the factors involved in this regard

* Systematically reviewing issues, findings, and achievements of tourism sociology (with emphasis on religious tourism) through a conceptual model

 * Designing and offering a Model for Mashhad as a pilgrimage destination city (future approach) and Mashhad's Pilgrimage Development Model

* Developing a strategic document and a 5-year plan in terms of the pilgrims' and pilgrimage socio-security matters

* Investigating the relational challenges in cultural exchanges of tourists and Mashhad's citizens

* Investigating the attitude of potential tourist destinations' residents towards tourism and the factors involved in this regard

* Investigating the social factors involved in damaging the relationship between tourists and hosts in Mashhad

* Critical analysis of unofficial pilgrimage centers in Mashhad

* Investigating the attitude of the residents of Torghabeh city towards hosting the tourists and the factors involved in this regard

* Evaluating the current informing methods to achieve appropriate methods for informing the pilgrims visiting Imam Reza (A.S) holy shrine

* Critical analysis of the methods of announcing the cultural programs of the Deputy of Advertising

*  Conducting a national survey on tourism values, attitudes, and behaviors in Iran

*  Investigating the social feedback received from visitors and experts concerning the launching of Me'raj Travel station and the transfer of northern Iran's travel lines

*  Organizing traveling and pilgrimage tours for the retired members of Iran's Retirement Fund

*  Identifying the pilgrim-related jobs and occupations and making educational plans for them

Publication of books and research articles

Tourism Sociology Research Department has published approximately 46 scientific-research articles in prestigious domestic and foreign journals, seminars, and conferences. The department has also authored and/or translated three books on tourism, which are as follows:

* Global Tourism, Sustainable Tourism, and Ecotourism

* Social Sciences and Tourism

* Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Management: An International Perspective