Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
Department of Urban Planning, Ma.C., Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran.
Abstract
Highlights
This study integrates a meta-method approach with a systematic review of 28 Web of Science articles (2010–2024) to develop a comprehensive framework for assessing tourism impacts on historical urban areas.
The proposed framework supports urban planners and heritage managers by identifying methodological gaps and promoting integrated mixed-method approaches.
The study highlights the limited attention paid to socio-cultural dimensions despite their importance for sustainable tourism management.
The framework contributes to evidence-based decision-making for balancing tourism development with heritage conservation.
Introduction
The rapid growth of tourism has generated considerable economic and cultural benefits while simultaneously imposing increasing environmental pressures on historical urban areas and local ecosystems (UNWTO, 2020). High tourist concentrations contribute to pollution, traffic congestion, excessive waste generation, and the degradation of cultural landscapes, threatening both environmental quality and social sustainability (Ricaurte et al., 2023). These challenges are particularly evident in historical urban fabrics and World Heritage Sites, where sensitive physical structures and cultural values require careful protection (García-Hernández et al., 2017; Yawer et al., 2022).
In developing countries such as Iran, limited environmental planning and fragmented policymaking have reduced the effectiveness of tourism impact assessment (Sharpley & Telfer, 2014). Despite possessing exceptional cultural and historical assets (UNESCO, 2021), many Iranian historic cities have experienced increasing environmental degradation, pressure on natural resources, and deterioration of heritage sites as tourism has expanded (Holden, 2016). Mashhad, Iran's largest religious tourism destination, exemplifies these challenges, receiving millions of visitors annually while facing growing environmental and infrastructural pressures (Statistical Center of Iran, 2022).
Although previous studies have examined tourism impacts using either quantitative or qualitative approaches, few have integrated both perspectives within a comprehensive methodological framework. Assessing environmental impacts in historical urban areas requires the simultaneous analysis of measurable indicators, such as pollution and traffic, alongside qualitative dimensions, including stakeholder perceptions and socio-cultural change. Therefore, this study adopts a meta-method approach to review existing methodological practices and answer the following research question:
How can a meta-method approach provide a more comprehensive framework for assessing the environmental impacts of tourism on historical urban fabrics than conventional research methods?
Theoretical Framework
This study is grounded in sustainable development theory (Brundtland, 1987) and the concept of sustainable tourism, which seeks to balance economic development, environmental protection, and socio-cultural well-being. In historical urban environments, uncontrolled tourism growth has intensified environmental degradation while placing increasing pressure on cultural heritage and local communities (Gössling & Hall, 2005; Holden, 2016).
The research adopts a meta-method approach (Sterman, 2000; Watkins et al., 2010), which integrates qualitative and quantitative evidence to capture the multidimensional nature of tourism impacts. Unlike mono-method studies, this approach combines environmental indicators—such as pollution, traffic, and resource consumption—with qualitative evidence derived from stakeholder experiences and cultural perspectives.
The methodological framework is further organized using the Saunders Research Onion (Saunders et al., 2016), which structures the research process across philosophical assumptions, methodological choices, research strategies, data collection, and analytical techniques, thereby ensuring methodological transparency and reproducibility.
Methodology
This applied research employs a meta-method approach based on a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of peer-reviewed articles indexed in the Web of Science database between 2010 and 2024. Following predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 28 articles were selected for detailed analysis.
A structured coding framework was developed in MAXQDA to extract information on research philosophy, methodological approach, research strategy, data collection techniques, analytical methods, and software applications, including NVivo, ATLAS.ti, SPSS, GIS, and Excel.
The Saunders Research Onion served as the organizing framework for integrating methodological layers, while triangulation was employed to validate coding consistency and compare findings across multiple studies. This process enabled the identification of dominant methodological trends, existing research gaps, and opportunities for developing a comprehensive framework for tourism impact assessment in historical urban contexts.
Results and Discussion
The review identified several methodological and thematic trends across the 28 selected studies. From a thematic perspective, natural resource consumption (56%), transportation systems (68%), and economic development (60%) received the greatest research attention. In contrast, socio-cultural dimensions—particularly quality of life, community well-being, and cultural identity—remain comparatively underexplored despite their importance for sustainable tourism management.
Methodologically, mixed-method approaches were the most frequently adopted (14 studies, 50%), followed by qualitative (9 studies, 32%) and quantitative approaches (5 studies, 18%). Interpretivism emerged as the dominant research philosophy, reflecting the importance of stakeholder perspectives and contextual understanding. Similarly, the inductive approach and case study strategy each accounted for 20 studies (71%), with Safranbolu, Bordeaux, Porto, and Pingyao representing the most frequently investigated cases.
Document analysis was the primary data collection method (17 studies), followed by interviews (10 studies) and observation (9 studies), whereas questionnaires were comparatively less common (4 studies). Among analytical tools, NVivo was the most frequently applied qualitative software, while descriptive statistics remained the dominant quantitative technique, with relatively limited use of advanced methods such as regression analysis and spatial modeling.
The review also identified persistent methodological challenges, including limited stakeholder representation, interviewer and respondent bias, restricted generalizability of case-study findings, incomplete sampling frameworks, and the substantial resources required for mixed-method research.
Overall, the findings demonstrate that comprehensive tourism impact assessment requires integrating quantitative indicators—including pollution, traffic, and resource consumption—with qualitative evidence related to stakeholder perceptions, cultural values, and community experiences. Such integration provides a more comprehensive understanding of environmental and socio-cultural changes than either approach can achieve independently.
Conclusion
This study demonstrates that a meta-method approach, supported by a systematic literature review and qualitative–quantitative synthesis, provides a comprehensive framework for assessing the environmental, social, and economic impacts of tourism on historical urban fabrics.
The analysis of 28 Web of Science articles (2010–2024) indicates that environmental issues, transportation systems, and economic development dominate current research, whereas socio-cultural dimensions remain insufficiently addressed despite their significant role in sustainable tourism. Methodologically, mixed-method approaches outperform mono-method designs by integrating measurable environmental indicators with stakeholder experiences and contextual knowledge.
The proposed framework offers a practical decision-support tool for urban planners, heritage managers, and policymakers by facilitating evidence-based tourism management while balancing heritage conservation and local development. Its application is particularly relevant to rapidly growing tourism destinations in Iran, such as Mashhad, where increasing visitor numbers place considerable pressure on historical environments and urban infrastructure.
Furthermore, the framework is transferable to other historic cities in Iran—including Isfahan, Shiraz, Yazd, Tabriz, and Kashan—as well as comparable international contexts. Future studies are encouraged to expand the empirical application of this framework through larger datasets, advanced analytical techniques such as spatial regression and system dynamics, and more systematic investigation of socio-cultural dimensions, including resident perceptions, cultural identity, and social equity.
Keywords
- Historical Urban Fabrics
- Sustainable Tourism
- Environmental Impact Assessment
- Mixed Methods
- Meta-Method Approach
Main Subjects
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