Spatial Analysis of Sustainable Rural Tourism Pattern Using Geographic Information System (Case Study: Kuhrang Region, in the West of Iran)

Purpose: One crucial development planning for tourism is the spatial distribution pattern which can draw up a plan for rural development within a uniform framework. This study aims to analyze the tourism indicators in rural areas and determine their spatial distribution pattern in the Kuhrang region of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province.Methods: The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach. The survey data is quantitative using a questionnaire. The statistical population of this research includes 2628 people in tourism villages. Three hundred thirty-five people were selected as the sample size based on the Cochran formula. SPSS and ArcGIS software was used for data analysis, and Moran’s I was employed in ArcGIS software for spatial distribution pattern analysis.Results: The results showed that rural areas have attraction diversity and capacity for tourism development; however, economic, social, and environmental indicators have unfavorable status. Also, the results showed that rural areas have a dispersed spatial pattern only for the tourism current status indicators, followed by Moran’s I (-0.94), and regarding other indicators, namely, tourism potential, attraction diversity, foresight, indicators of social, economic, and environmental tourism have a random pattern.Conclusion: Considering the appropriate attraction diversity for tourism development, the spatial distribution pattern of rural areas in terms of tourism indicators is unacceptable as it does not follow a regular, planned, and uniform pattern. Therefore, an acceptable framework should be provided for creating an appropriate spatial distribution pattern for tourism development (Clustered pattern).