Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
Islamic Azad University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran.
Abstract
Increased environmental pressures and threats to cultural heritage in historic areas have affected the social, cultural, and economic dimensions of these regions, making a comprehensive assessment of these consequences challenging. The complexity arising from the multitude of local and regional variables has made it difficult to form integrated and operational analytical frameworks. This research aimed to design a new methodological framework to improve the accuracy and efficiency of assessing the environmental impacts of tourism in historic contexts. It did so through a meta-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods.
Data was gathered through a systematic review of 28 selected articles from reputable databases like Web of Science and was qualitatively analyzed using MAXQDA software within a thematic coding framework. The research process had three main stages: first, identifying methodological considerations in previous studies; second, critically analyzing methodological challenges (data collection tools, sampling, and analysis); and finally, designing a hybrid model based on integrating quantitative data (e.g., the contribution of influencing factors) and qualitative data (e.g., the perspectives of local stakeholders).
The findings show that previous studies primarily focused on the quantitative measurement of variables such as tourist consumption of natural resources (56%), transportation systems (68%), and economic development (60%). In contrast, the socio-cultural dimensions and the role of local stakeholders were not systematically addressed.
This research's methodological innovation lies in combining a systematic review with in-depth qualitative analysis, using hybrid tools (structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews), and incorporating the results of studies that included the views of local stakeholders in their analysis. This approach provided a deeper understanding of the social and cultural dimensions. It allowed for the simultaneous identification of macro patterns through quantitative data and the hidden layers of conflicts through qualitative data, which were mostly studied separately in previous research. The results emphasize that using adaptive frameworks and a hybrid methodology in future studies can bridge the gap between purely quantitative assessments and passive qualitative analyses, leading to sustainable policies in managing historic tourism.
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