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Modeling and prediction of future ecotourism conditions applying system dynamics

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Abstract

The ecotourism industry is one of the largest industries and has an important role in the economic social and cultural development of societies, especially in developing countries. Policymaking and planning procedures in this industry require the application of the methods that can appropriately model mutual and complex interactions and contacts. System dynamics is an accurate modeling method to simulate complex systems in a structured way and to design more effective policies by using these complex systems. In this study, the interactions and dynamics of the main components of ecotourism (effective variables) in the Taleghan area are modeled using system dynamics. To formulate and model simulations in the period between 2005 and 2015 was considered, and then extending the period of investigation, the model simulation was performed till the year 2025. Among the most important results of this study is the effect of the environment on the demand for ecotourism. Environmental degradation and the degradation of the quality of the environment lead to a reduced demand for ecotourism. This study predicts the future of ecotourism by this dynamic and designs a group of policies for the sustainable and comprehensive development of ecotourism on the basis of the behavior of the model variables in order to prevent the degradation of environment and simultaneously ensure that ecotourism demand is not negatively affected. Finally, the best policy “depending construction to the state of the area environment” was selected among them.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all who assisted in this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

    Hamide Aliani & Seyed Masoud Monavari

  2. Department of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

    Sasan Babaie Kafaky

  3. Industrial Engineering Department, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

    Kiumars Dourani

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  1. Hamide Aliani
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  2. Sasan Babaie Kafaky
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  4. Kiumars Dourani
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Aliani, H., Kafaky, S.B., Monavari, S.M. et al. Modeling and prediction of future ecotourism conditions applying system dynamics. Environ Monit Assess 190, 729 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-7078-4

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