Explaining Historical Identity and Cultural Landscape in Urban Tourism Development: A Case Study of Maragheh City

Background and Purpose: Historical identity and cultural landscape are among the most fundamental components shaping tourists’ experiences in historic cities. Any weakness in organizing these elements may lead to narrative discontinuity, visual fragmentation, and a decline in the overall quality of destination experience. Although Maragheh possesses valuable historical and cultural layers, the city faces a clear mismatch between the perceived importance of its identity-related elements and their actual performance within the urban environment. This gap is particularly evident in aspects such as the visual continuity of the historic fabric, the presence and legibility of cultural markers, and the coherence of tourist pathways. Therefore, a systematic investigation of the role of historical identity and cultural landscape in the development of urban tourism in Maragheh is essential. The main purpose of this study is to elucidate this role and to identify the managerial and planning priorities required to enhance tourist experience and strengthen the sense of place.
Methodology: This research employs a quantitative–exploratory approach to examine how historical identity and cultural landscape influence urban tourism development in Maragheh. The study is applied in purpose and descriptive–analytical in nature, aiming to identify perceptual constructs shaping tourist experiences through valid field data and robust statistical analysis. The statistical population includes tourists and visitors of Maragheh’s historical sites. Due to the unknown size of the actual population, it was considered unlimited. A purposive sampling strategy was adopted to ensure that only individuals with real experience in the historic urban fabric participated. The sample size was determined using Cochran’s formula for infinite populations, with a 95% confidence level, a 5% margin of error, and p=q=0.5, resulting in a sample of 384 respondents. Data were collected using a questionnaire designed based on internationally recognized indicators. Content validity was confirmed by experts in tourism, urban design, and cultural heritage, and reliability was verified using Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability, both exceeding the acceptable threshold of 0.7. Data analysis proceeded in two stages. First, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted to extract latent constructs and identify the correlation patterns among variables. The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) index and Bartlett’s test confirmed the adequacy of the sampling and the significance of the correlation structure. Only factors with eigenvalues greater than 1 and factor loadings above 0.4 were retained in the final model. In the second stage, the Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA) technique was applied to reveal the gaps between the perceived importance and actual performance of factors related to historical identity and cultural landscape. The mean values of importance and performance for each indicator were calculated and plotted in a four-quadrant IPA matrix to determine which factors require immediate action, which should be maintained, and which have lower priority. All analyses were performed using SPSS, ensuring data normality, sampling adequacy, significance of relationships, and construct reliability.
Findings and Discussion: The findings indicate that historical identity and cultural landscape constitute the most influential components shaping the tourism experience in Maragheh. EFA revealed a coherent and meaningful structure comprising indicators such as historical legibility, identity narrative, identity distinctiveness, landscape legibility, spatial narrative, visual coherence, quality of spatial experience, cultural engagement, destination image, and urban symbols. The IPA results demonstrated that, despite their high perceived importance, several indicators—including identity narrative, spatial narrative, identity distinctiveness, and urban signage—exhibited lower-than-expected performance and require urgent intervention. Conversely, indicators such as historical legibility, landscape legibility, destination image, and quality of spatial experience performed satisfactorily and should be maintained and strengthened.
Conclusion: The study concludes that successful tourism development in Maragheh depends on integrating historical identity and cultural landscape into a coherent, readable, and narrative-driven visitor experience. Enhancing visual coherence, redesigning the signage system, improving identity narratives, and enriching cultural engagement are essential priorities. Overall, the findings emphasize that coordinated management of identity and landscape components is vital to strengthening the city’s tourism potential.