Tourism Economics and Management, Faculty of Tourism, University of Tehran
Abstract
Human beings have always considered nature as a source of health. Just as in ancient Persian culture, being in nature and benefiting from its resources were recommended. However, now with the introduction of various forms of tourism, emphasis is placed on utilizing nature in the development of new tourism activities. In Iran, ecotourism and nature-based tourism have seen significant growth. Despite various climatic and geographical conditions in the country, health tourism products and innovations do not benefit from much diversity. This is important as therapeutic purposes has been one of the oldest reasons for travel. Moreover in recent years, the development of health tourism has received attention in Iran. Although most efforts focus on attracting tourists interested in medical tourism, results show that developing other aspects of health tourism, such as wellness tourism using natural resources, can lead to innovation and diversity in the country's tourism industry.
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