Strategic planning for development of tourism capabilities in Urban areas Case study: city of Orumieh

Orumieh city as the provincial center, which is neighborhood with three countries and also due to having the second largest saltwater lake in the world, has a valuable natural,  historical and ethno-cultural potentials in tourism field. The main goal of this study, is that by using strategic planning approach, while indicating the available  potentials of orumieh city, it is tried to provide adequate and appropriate strategies and identify strategies to promote tourism for the residents' enjoyment from the tourism activity. In this article, firstly, for developing the components,  30 experts and technicians in urban affairs and tourism of Orumieh city were surveyed by using Delphi questionnaire and the list of internal and external factors  required for strategic planning was prepared,
 
then by using field surveying method, the view of three groups including  tourists, host residents and authorities about tourism , deficiencies and needs, were evaluated, in form  of questionnaire method. To determine the sample size of tourists and host residents, Cochran sample size formula was used  and about the authorities group, due to their small population of the statistical society,  all of them were surveyed.  .Cronbachs' alpha statistical test  for  questioner of tourists' group, host  residents and authorities (0/89 , 0/90, 0/74 respectively) showed that this  research has satisfactory validity and reliability. At the next step, to analyze the data and provide tourism  development strategies,  SWOT analysis pattern was used. And to determine relative weight of the components , a combination of the  opinions of the three participants have been used.  The final results indicate that  the  acceptable strategies  in tourism planning of this city at the first priority is aggressive strategy(SO), and the diversification strategy(ST)  and  revised strategy ( WO)  have  the next  priority in planning. Finally QSPM matrix was formed for each group of the strategies and prioritization  of the strategies for the tourism development in orumieh city, have been presented in three groups.