Comparative analysis of lived experiences of domestic and international tourists in the context of urban smart tourism along Tehran's Nofel Loshato axis (District 11)

Asgari, Atiyeh; Jahanabadi, Mehrshad

doi:10.22034/uep.2025.562155.1788

Comparative analysis of lived experiences of domestic and international tourists in the context of urban smart tourism along Tehran's Nofel Loshato axis (District 11)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Atiyeh Asgari ¹

Mehrshad Jahanabadi ²

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Urbanism. ST.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

² Master, Department of Urbanism. ST.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/uep.2025.562155.1788

Abstract

Smart tourism in dynamic urban centers, particularly in historical–cultural destinations, requires rigorous investigation of its constraints and determinants due to marked differences in tourists’ lived experiences. The present study examines the smart tourism paradigm along Tehran’s Nofel Loshato axis, where a significant gap is observed between the experiences of domestic and international tourists. Adopting a descriptive-analytical strategy and a mixed-method (quantitative and qualitative), the research collected data through 200 purposive questionnaires with high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.875) and applied Pearson correlation tests, Friedman ranking, and interpretive structural modeling (ISM) for analysis. The statistical findings reveal a profound divergence in the perception of smart tourism dimensions: international tourists prioritize affective components such as digital and physical security, advanced service personalization, and multilingual capabilities, whereas domestic tourists focus more on cognitive–behavioral aspects, including ease of access to local information and data credibility. ISM analysis, as the methodological innovation of this research, clearly identifies structural and governance-related challenges, such as the absence of an integrated governance model (CH13), limitations of key platforms (CH10), and inefficient access infrastructures (CH5), as root variables shaping weaknesses in digital literacy. The results confirm a positive relationship between the six dimensions of smart tourism and destination success, underscoring the need to prioritize smart environment and smart mobility. The study proposes a phenomenologically informed conceptual model and a hierarchical structure of barriers that can underpin place-based strategies and managerial reforms for emerging destinations, aligning with the standards of scholarly research articles.

Keywords

District 11 of Tehran

Interpretive structural modeling (ISM)

Lived experience

Nofel Loshato axis

Tourism experience

Urban smart tourism

Subjects

Urban planning

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