Designing a Tourism Ethics Model in Guilan Province with an Interpretive Structural Modeling Approach

Document Type : Research article - extracted from the dissertation

Authors

1 PhD student in Marketing Management, Department of Business Management, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran.

10.22124/gscaj.2025.29555.1340

Abstract

Tourism, as one of the industries that significantly influences the economic and social development of regions, requires attention to ethical principles and social responsibilities. In Given the unique natural and cultural attractions of Gilan Province, designing tourism ethics models is essential. The main issue addressed in this study is the lack of clear and practical models of tourism ethics in the region, which can lead to social and environmental harm. The aim was to design a tourism ethics model in Guilan Province using the Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) approach. This research was applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of methodology. A purposive judgmental sampling method was used to determine the sample size, and 12 experts participated in the study. Based on a review of theoretical foundations and expert validation, six components were identified for model development. Based on the review of theoretical foundations and expert validation, six components were identified for model development. The results showed that the components influencing ethical behavior in tourism, are as follows: “social responsibility of the tourism destination” as the most important component; “host community values” and “business ethics” in second priority; “ethical behavior of the tourist” in third; “tourism management and policies” in fourth; and “ethics-oriented tourism” in fifth. This study demonstrated that attention to ethical principles in tourism can improve the quality of tourists’ experiences and contribute to the sustainable development of tourist destinations. By identifying the key components, effective strategies can be proposed to enhance awareness and responsibility in the tourism industry.

Highlights

  • Ethical principles in tourism contribute to improving the tourist experience and sustainable development of coastal areas.
  • Identifying key components such as social responsibility and ethical behaviors of tourists increases awareness and responsibility.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Geographical Studies of Coastal Areas Journal
Volume 6, Issue 4 - Serial Number 23
November 2026
Pages 21-40

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