زاهد شفیعی

Purpose- Return migration acts as a driving force of development and a key incentive of prosperity in rural areas by fulfilling their potentials. Rapid population displacement in developing countries including Iran, reveals the necessity of return migration planning. Semirom is a county in Isfahan province with the highest rate of emigration based on the 2011 Census enjoying sufficient potentials to change this trend. The overall purpose of this study is to analyze the ecosystem capacity of Semirom in order to develop a return migration planning. Design/methodology/approach- The research method is descriptive-analytical. As such, this study can be categorized as an applied research. The environmental, social, economic, and managerial aspects are hereby considered. The questionnaire of Semirom situation assessment was analyzed using inferential statistics (t-test) by SPSS. Content analysis was conducted by interviewing officials using Atlas.ti software. Internal and external factors evaluation matrix and SOAR model were used to offer strategies. In the end, adaptive strategic alternatives are prioritized using the QSPM planning approach and policies for the realization of the return migration. Statistical population consists of the residents and authorities of Semirom county. Findings- The findings indicate that the most important factors affecting return migration are reinforcement of gardening, related industries and tourism attractions, improving the quality of welfare services, fostering the sense of belonging, and the availability of fertile soil and sufficient irrigation water. Accordingly, the strategy of "appropriate management of tourism and environmental spaces for proper utilization of natural resources" should be given priority. It is also suggested that proper utilization of natural resources and tourism along with the potential of eco-tourism can offer a great opportunity for sustainable employment. This requires efficient management of new approaches and providing a secure environment for investment and entrepreneurship. In other words, considering the potentials of tourism will improve the quality of amenities, infrastructure services and employment, which in turn can boost their quality of local life, and their willingness to stay permanently in their rural residence, which ultimately encourages immigrants to return to their homeland.

Purpose- The present study has two major purposes; the first of which is the identification of the key propellants in the essence of the brand of target tourism villages of Saman County in Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari Province, and the second purpose is prioritizing of the effective key propellants in the essence of the brand of target tourism villages of Saman County in Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari Province. Design/methodology/approach- This study is an applied one, and data are collected using a descriptive-survey method. To collect data, three types of questionnaires have been used for three groups of the local community, visitors, and experts. According to Morgan table, the sample size of the visitors and the local community are 384 samples, and 365 examples, respectively, and the sample size of the experts, with Delphi technique, was 25. To analyze the samples, one-sample T-test and Mann-Whitney U-Test using SPSS software and structural analysis (paired squares) using MICMAC software were used. Findings: The results of this research showed that the most effective key propellants in the essence of the brand of target tourism villages of Saman County in priority order are, 1. gardens, 2. water-based tourism, 3. place attachment, 4. plants and animals species, 5. the opportunity for relaxing, 6. beautiful landscapes, 7. rural accommodations. Research Limitations/Implications: The high cost of the research and the required time to fill out the questionnaires, with regard to the extent of the study area, were among the main challenges facing the present study. Originality/Value: The present study is looking for a model and method for making a sustainable brand that not only give identity to the local community but also it is attractive to tourists and fulfills experts’ views. So, the present model has the mentioned features.