Narges Vazin; Hossein Mokhtari Hashi; Mahdi Setayesh Manesh
Abstract
Extended abstract
Introduction
National power is a set of potential and actual capabilities of a country that is used to achieve national interests. Increasing national power is one of the most important goals of countries and efforts are always made to achieve it. National power plays an ...
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Extended abstract
Introduction
National power is a set of potential and actual capabilities of a country that is used to achieve national interests. Increasing national power is one of the most important goals of countries and efforts are always made to achieve it. National power plays an important role in the geopolitical weight of countries, which determines their position in the international system. Tourism can strengthen national power by strengthening the soft aspects of national power. This is why countries focus on tourism to achieve this goal. Iran is considered one of the ten largest countries in the world in terms of various historical, religious and natural tourist attractions, and it can use this opportunity to strengthen its national power. The present study aims to explain the importance and impact of tourism on national power components in Iran.
Review of Literature
National power has various origins and foundations that produce national power in a collective function. Economic, political, military, social, geographical and scientific factors are some of the main factors shaping the national power of countries. The impact of tourism on the economy is one of the direct and indirect methods of per capita income, as well as government revenues and increasing employment opportunities. Tourism also contributes to a fair distribution of income and directs money from the rich and middle classes to the poor, and can have a significant impact on improving the economies of less developed countries. Politically, tourism often helps increase political stability. With the increase in social interactions resulting from tourism, peace and understanding among nations will increase and in fact tourism is a tool of public diplomacy. Tourism can provide a positive and unmediated mental image of countries. Another effect of tourism is increasing security in the community. Socially and culturally, tourism helps to strengthen local values, traditions and culture, and also renews some customs and traditions. Tourism helps to raise public awareness and learn more about other cultures. Tourism protects historical monuments and buildings.
Methodology
A descriptive-analytical and survey research method was used in this study. The study subjects consists of 40 elites and academic specialists. Field research methods (5 pint likert scales questionnaire) were used for data collection purposes. The reliability of questionnaire with score of 0.7 confirmed. The collected data were analysed using SPSS software and GLM repeated measures analysis of variance test and one- sample t-test.
Findings and Discussion
Regarding the impact of tourism on national power dimensions, the one-sample T-test with an average value (3) indicated the mean values of 4, 3.85, and 3.91 for the economic, socio-cultural and political dimensions respectively. It was statistically significant at the alpha level of 0.05, indicating the impact of tourism on the national power of Iran. Regarding the impact of tourism on national power factors, the one-sample t-test showed that all factors of three economic, socio-cultural and political dimensions had mean values higher than average, and it was statistically significant at the alpha level of 0.05. Therefore, it can be concluded that tourism can strengthen the national power of Iran in all three economic, socio-cultural and political dimensions.
Conclusion
Today, the importance of tourism has attracted the attention of governments and nations, and countries are trying to develop tourism by adapting their national structures to these activities, not only to introduce their culture, country, land, nation, history and national identity to the world, but also they have good economic interests and a special place in the international trade of the tourism industry. Given the numerous and diverse capabilities and opportunities in the field of tourism that Iran has, the present study has explained the importance and the role of tourism in strengthening the national power of the country. The results of this study show that the development of tourism is effective in strengthening the national power of the country in macroeconomic, political and socio-cultural dimensions. Among these dimensions, tourism has the greatest impact on the economic dimension by strengthening the components of "increasing national income" and "strengthening the private sector." The overall results showed that tourism development both strengthens and develops the country's economic by increasing income, production, job creation, strengthening the private sector, trade development, increasing justice, strengthening domestic and foreign policy, increasing welfare, education, increasing national cohesion and solidarity and simultaneous cultural exchanges at the national and international levels, as well as it strengthens the country's domestic and foreign policies, and ultimately, strengthens the national power, the country's geopolitical position at the regional and global levels. Along with the above results, the following suggestions are provided:
To increase the awareness of legislators, policymakers and planners of the country with the position of tourism in strengthening national power;
To develop an integrated policy and planning system between policy makers and tourism planning agencies;
To create expert interactions between the foreign policy apparatus and policy makers and executives of the country's tourism industry;
To familiarize diplomats and experts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the capabilities and potentials of tourism;
To expand relations with international tourism-related organizations such as the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the World Travel and Tourism Council, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Hossein Mokhtari Hashi; Mojtaba Shams
Abstract
Extended Abstract
1. Introduction
Yemen is an ancient country with long history which is involved in many turbulences and crises such as wars with the Romans, Ethiopians, Iranian, Ottoman Turks, Portuguese, Britons, Egyptians, Saudis, etc. Especially in the twentieth century, the country has experienced ...
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Extended Abstract
1. Introduction
Yemen is an ancient country with long history which is involved in many turbulences and crises such as wars with the Romans, Ethiopians, Iranian, Ottoman Turks, Portuguese, Britons, Egyptians, Saudis, etc. Especially in the twentieth century, the country has experienced many political developments, such as various wars, independence, splitting into two countries, unity, civil wars and so on that their effects are still ongoing. The present study seeks to analyze the country's recent crisis from political geography and geopolitical point of view. The geography of Yemen particularly in physical, human, economic, political, and strategic dimensions, provides facilities as well as a context for domestic and foreign interventionist forces to act, influence, and intervene. Although the main starting point of the recent crisis in Yemen were domestic issues, considering the physical, human, and strategic characteristics of the country's geography, quickly became widespread with the involvement of regional and trans-regional actors. First the method of analysis of the study is to investigate the main and important geographical effective factors in the crisis. Then, how the competing forces benefit these factors at various national, regional, and transnational levels is considered.
2. Methodology
The research method is descriptive-analytic. Data is collected in a library method and using internet resources. The analysis has been carried out mainly qualitatively.
3. Results and Discussion
Creating a different lifestyle, physical geography factors, such as topography and climate, are the underlying factors for human diversities. In Yemen, physical geography factors, indirectly and through the orientation of human diversity, play a crucial role in the political and social crises, and directly provide facilities for the playing forces in the country. These factors play a significant role in the survival and power strengthening of different human groups, especially Zaydis.
Yemen's human geography factors such as religion have also led to the creation and continuation of the crisis in the country. In addition, the largely tribal social system of the country plays a decisive role in the developments. There are about 700 small or large tribes in Yemen, which more than 400 of them are Zaydis living in mountainous areas of the northern parts of the country that geography plays an important role in their survival.
The role of economic geography factors in Yemen crisis is mainly due to the distribution of economic resources, the transfer of resources, the dominant economic activity, the unbalanced distribution of wealth and facilities, and in general the geography of poverty and wealth. The crisis like a defective cycle causes economic deterioration and bankruptcy and a continuation of poverty and crisis cycle, such as the country's oil production that decreased from 429,000 barrels per day in 2003 to about 47,000 barrels in 2015.
The effective political geography factors in Yemen crisis have a wide range that has played a role from ancient times to the present. The ancient history of the country has caused many incidents such as wars between this country and other countries. The process of independence and unity has accompanied various volatility and events, and this country has been caught up in the dominant powers before and after its independence, and has experienced different political events and even civil wars, and now their effects can be seen as de facto division of the country mainly based on the pre-unified parts.
The activities of Salafi extremists and Al-Qaeda in Yemen lead to the complexity of the country's crisis and foreign intervention. The strategic geography factors affecting Yemen crisis are mainly based on the geographical situation of both the country itself and the situation of human groups residing in the strategic areas of the country. The country's position along the strait of Bab-el-Mandeb also encourages the involved parties to take control of the strait, and that is not something that regional and trans-regional powers want to easily ignore. Yemen territorial and border disputes, especially with Saudi Arabia, which have a historical background, have remained unresolved in the minds of Yemen people, despite the measures taken to resolve it in 2000.
4. Conclusion
Due to the comprehensive view of geography, analyzing issues with geographic and geopolitical perspectives leads to a precise rooting of the causes of them. Yemen is a country that has been in crisis and unrest over a long period of time; the latest round of crisis has come after the Middle East upraises called the Arab Spring. Despite the success of the overthrow of the head of state, the problems and insecurities of the country have increased. The competition of domestic forces has led to the division of the country into two de facto northern and southern parts of the north and south as before the unification in 1990. The intervention of regional and trans-regional forces in this crisis turned it from national into a transnational crisis, with no clear prospect for solving.
The analysis of the recent crisis of Yemen from the geopolitical point of view shows that physical, human, economic, political, strategic, and other geographic factors are the basis of the country's crises, and the rival forces involved in different internal, regional and trans-regional levels are using these geographic basis and trying to expand their position in the transformation. The characteristics of geographic factors are rooted and highly stable leading to the stability of the crises, and it is very difficult to solve them. Therefore, the crisis is persistent and chronic in Yemen because of the effects of geographic and relatively stable factors.
