Social Tourism Development Strategies with the Use of the Technique Promethee (Case Study: Tehran County)

Tourism plays an important role at improving community mental health. Present study aims to study the strategies to improve social tourism in Teheran in order to provide suitable conditions for the benefit all people. The sample size is 141 including active tourism participants of Tehran county which were selected through snowball sampling and judgmental. The data collection tool is questionnaire. Validity of the questionnaire was proved by the experts. Besides, reliability of the questionnaire was proved by using Cronbach's alpha (0.73). SWOT model Strategic was used in order to evaluate the present condition. The results show that social tourism situation in the region has not a good situation. SWOT analysis results showed that distinction of internal factors is equal 2.018 and the distinction of external factors is equal to 2.418. Although appropriate strategies and high priorities have placed in defensive strategies, there are some suggested strategies in every four groups including defensive, aggressive, review and diversity. At the end to get priority among defensive strategies for future planning, suggested strategies were given to 30 experts in tourism sector using PROMETHEE techniques. The results of  Promethee model showed that providing infrastructure and funds facilities with a score of 0.32, the formation of specialized office with a score of 0.28 and increase the government's role in development of social tourism with a score of0.28, are the most important strategies that have been identified.
Extended Abstract
1-Introduction
Although "social tourism (support)", as a concept has existed for at least the past 60 years, it has not still been defined clearly and it has different interpretation in different countries. In 1957, Hunziker defines social tourism (support) as a “special kind of tourism by the participation of people with low incomes, providing specific services for them”. The idea of Chauvin, recipients of this type of tourism (social tourism (support)) groups of people with limited financial resources are usually the people who receive minimum wage or social situations, such as retirees, the unemployed, students, agricultural workers, etc. Maurin (2004) the difference between social tourism (support) and business tourism know in target groups and the role of social tourism (support) emboss in the development of society. This role is opposite of trade tourism which has been built on the basis of profit, market and activity.  Moreover, its role in the market is profit motivated. Social tourism (support) broadly is connected to the issues such as social exclusion, lack of participation, the rule of attainment and type of connection, although it cannot be linked just to poverty. So, social tourism (support) does not consider just economic dispossessed also a wide range of factors on different social groups comprises, such as single parents, the elderly, youth, disabled, etc.
2- Materials and Methods
In this study, social tourism is examined as a strategy to provide condition for the benefit all of tourism society. The present study in terms of purpose is applied and in terms of methodology is a descriptive exploratory. The sample size is 141 including active tourism participants of Tehran county which were selected through snowball sampling and judgmental. The data collection tool is questionnaire. Validity of the questionnaire was proved by the experts. Besides, reliability of the questionnaire was proved by using Cronbach's alpha (0.73). SWOT model Strategic was used in order to evaluate the present condition.
3- Results and Discussion
The internal factors :The results showed that the most important strengths of social tourism in Tehran are massive monuments and museums, diversity of tourist attractions in the city and province, adjacent to the northern provinces and the Caspian; high populations of target groups in Tehran , mountain natural spaces multiple river around the city . However, the most important weaknesses of this type of tourism in Tehran could refer to the weakness of recreational and tourism spaces for the use of disabled and frail people such as the elderly, lack of transport equipment for special groups, low interesting to this type of tourism due to low profitability, lack of awareness of these programs and unknown concept of social tourism.
The External factors: The most important social tourism opportunities in Tehran include: Increase understanding of target groups in relation to their surrounding environment
 (history, culture, social status, economic, environmental), Creation tourism program for the elderly and disabled because of free time and lack of administrative and educational activities and raising the confidence, utilization of vacant capacity residential centers in the non-tourist season.
The most important threat to the development of social tourism in Tehran include: The higher cost of specialized equipment (for people with disabilities and disabled), the impossibility of the use of certain transport equipment due to the physical limitations of some target groups, the high cost of tourism services in Tehran, lack of attention to social justice and benefit all sectors of society from tourism benefit.
4- Conclusion
The results show that social tourism situation in Tehran County is not suitable now. In order to evaluate the present condition SWOT model Strategic was used. The results show social tourism situation in the region has not a good situation. SWOT analysis results showed distinction of internal factors is equal to 2.018 and distinction of external factors is equal to 2.418. Although appropriate strategies and high priorities have been placed in defensive strategies, however strategies have suggested in every four groups defensive, aggressive, review and diversity. The most reliable strategies, strategies which in the first stage tries to preserve the current situation and reduce weak points and to change threats into opportunities. In the second phase investigation in order to identify the feasibility of implementing the identified strategies, the identified strategy 11 at this stage, based on six indicators including financing, regulation, management, participation of the applicants, suppliers and technical cooperation and technology with the help of 30 experts and using the software Visual Promethee review and its priorities were identified. The results of Promethee model showed that providing infrastructure and funds facilities with a score of 0.32, the formation of specialized office with a score of 0.28 and increase the government's role in development of social tourism with a score of0.28, are the most important strategies that have been identified.