مطالب

In a complex geopolitical context, Iran utilizes its rich spiritual and cultural heritage as a fundamental element of its tourism strategy to convey a sophisticated national identity. This research utilizes a qualitative thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke’s six-step framework, analyzing official promotional materials, academic literature, and content generated by tourists to reveal the prevailing narratives that influence Iran's destination image. The analysis identifies a complex identity systematically built upon four narrative foundations: (1) sacred pilgrimage, which includes Shia, Sufi, and Zoroastrian spiritual journeys; (2) the grandeur of ancient empires, highlighting Achaemenid glory and Silk Road resilience; (3) the artistic soul of prominent cultural cities, notably Isfahan and Shiraz; and (4) the lived experiential aspect of deep hospitality, represented by the practice of Taarof. A key finding is the intentional balancing of Iran's pre-Islamic Persian heritage with its modern Islamic identity, resulting in a unified narrative of a persistent and resilient civilization. These narratives function as critical tools of "soft power," enabling Iran to actively counter singular, often negative, international perceptions. This study presents a framework for analyzing the use of narrative in navigating a contested geopolitical landscape and identifies a critical vulnerability: the strategy's reliance on the preservation of fragile heritage assets. This research offers significant insights for scholars and practitioners, highlighting essential aspects of destination marketing and cultural diplomacy. It illustrates the complex interactions among heritage, spirituality, tourism, and geopolitics in a nation seeking to reshape its global image.

This article presents a systematic conceptual model to elucidate the role of cultural diplomacy and news media in the development and branding of cultural tourism destinations. The proposed model is built on four key components: cultural diplomacy as a strategic foundation, news media as an interactive medium, message framing, and cultural tourism destination branding. Using a documentary research method, the article extracts and explains the model’s key components and relationships, emphasizing its unique contribution by treating news media as an independent and equal partner to cultural diplomacy. This approach highlights the active role of media and the critical importance of message framing as a connecting mechanism between cultural policy and brand image. Ultimately, the process leads to the creation and reinforcement of a cultural tourism destination brand, which can enhance a destination’s international standing and foster sustainable cultural tourism development. The model provides a scientific and practical framework for policymakers and tourism stakeholders, addressing the existing gap in presenting integrated conceptual models that systematically incorporate the role of news media in this context.

Cultural marketing is considered one of the most effective strategies for introducing and strengthening local identities in the context of globalization. Among various cultural elements, food holds a distinctive position as both a part of tangible culture and an element of intangible heritage. It can convey the values, narratives, and lifestyles of a region in an accessible and experiential way. This study examines the role of traditional culinary practices and local dish names in the cultural marketing of Guilan Province, Northern Iran. A mixed-method approach (qualitative and quantitative) was used. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 24 participants, including local chefs, cultural heritage experts, and organizers of culinary tourism tours. Thematic Content Analysis was applied to interpret the interviews. In the quantitative phase, a researcher-designed questionnaire was administered to 306 incoming tourists who had experienced local food in the province. Their responses were analyzed statistically. The findings indicate that Guilan's traditional foods reflect the region’s climate, history, language, rituals, and indigenous beliefs. Through the diversity of ingredients, unique cooking methods, and culturally rooted names, these foods have strong cultural appeal. Statistical analysis also revealed significant and positive relationships between tourists’ demographic, psychological, and motivational characteristics and their willingness to consume local foods and engage in culinary tourism Additionally, factors such as the diversity of dish names and preparation styles, the hospitality culture, health-related aspects of local food, and promotional activities were found to significantly influence demand and enhance the culinary tourism experience. Overall, the study emphasizes that the deliberate integration of food culture into tourism policies—especially by leveraging its symbolic and narrative dimensions—can strengthen destination branding and contribute to the sustainable economic and cultural development of local communities.

The Territorial conquests of the Medes, as Far East as Hyrcania, could be traced from the first half of the seventh century BC onwards. The first Median kings undertook far-flung campaigns to take control of the region and extend their territory. The existence of the fortified settlement in the Gorgān plain could prove the expansion of centralized Median kingdom as far as Hyrcania. The Assyrian sources of the 9th to 7th century BC are also in overall agreement with the results of the archeological studies in the western steppe of Gorgān plain (Hyrcania). As a result, the Median’s dominance over Hyrcania determined the strategies and political guidelines of the Median kingdom and set the foundations for its transformation from a confederation of tribes to a powerful trans-regional state. Accordingly, in the present paper, beside historical and literary sources, archaeological evidences have also been studied in order to determine the Median’s range of territory in the east of their homeland.

This essay explores the psychological tension between the Symbolic and Imaginary orders in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, examining how these tensions relate to trauma through the theories of Jacques Lacan and Cathy Caruth. By analyzing Holden Caulfield's fantasies, rejection of adult "phoniness," and fragmented identity, the study reveals how trauma disrupts the subject’s relation to the Symbolic and manifests in obsessive retreats into fantasy. Drawing on Lacan’s concepts of the Real, Symbolic, and Imaginary orders and Caruth’s theory of trauma as an unassimilated experience, alongside recent critical studies, this essay offers a psychoanalytic reading of Holden’s alienation, illustrating how his attempts to resist symbolic structures ultimately reinforce his trauma. Through an analysis of Holden’s relationships, internal conflict, and interactions with adults, the essay argues that his rejection of the adult world is driven by a fear of corruption, insincerity, and the inevitability of change. Holden's critique of adult society, exemplified through his cynicism toward institutions and adults around him, is contrasted with his idealization of childhood innocence, represented by his fantasies of being "the catcher in the rye." By examining the symbolic significance of Holden’s red hunting hat and his relationships with characters like Phoebe and Jane, the essay highlights his internal struggle and ultimate inability to reconcile the innocence of youth with the complexities of adulthood. The analysis concludes by addressing Holden's self-destructive path, revealing the broader themes of alienation, disillusionment, and the tension between childhood purity and the pressures of growing up in.