Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
M. A of Entrepreneurship in University of Tehran
2
Assistant Professor in University of Tehran
3
Full Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran
Abstract
Scientific tourism, as one of the emerging branches of the tourism industry, plays an important role in developing scientific interactions, knowledge exchange, organizing academic events, and enhancing the international standing of countries. Despite Iran's significant capacities in higher education, medicine, research, and the organization of scientific events, the lack of an integrated digital platform has led to service fragmentation, weak coordination among stakeholders, and reduced productivity in this sector. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to design a comprehensive digital platform model for the development of scientific tourism in Iran and to provide a framework for optimizing its efficiency and effectiveness. The present study was conducted using an exploratory mixed-method approach with a sequential design. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts in the field of tourism, scientific event managers, information technology professionals, university faculty members, and managers of conference-organizing companies to identify the challenges, needs, and requirements for developing a digital platform for scientific tourism. In the quantitative phase, data were collected through a questionnaire with the participation of potential users, including researchers, international students, participants in scientific conferences, and activists in the field of scientific tourism, and then analyzed. The findings of the study indicated that the most important factors influencing the success of a digital platform for scientific tourism include service integration, ease of use, user trust, information transparency, multilingual support, service personalization capability, quality of user experience, and targeted digital marketing. The results also showed that Iran possesses significant competitive capacities in the areas of scientific infrastructure, educational services, and affordable costs, but weaknesses in digital infrastructure and the lack of integrated platforms are considered the main obstacles to the development of this sector. Finally, this study presents a conceptual model for a digital platform for scientific tourism that, by leveraging user-centered design, intelligent services, recommender systems, integrated management of scientific and tourism services, and digital marketing strategies, enables the enhancement of user experience and the sustainable development of scientific tourism in Iran.
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