Authors
1
Business Management and Information &technology management, Payam-e-Nour university, Tehran, Iran.
2
Department of Business Management, ShQ.C., Islamic Azad University, Shahr-e Qods, Iran
3
Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Economics, Management & Accounting at Yazd University, Iran
Abstract
Context and Purpose: The shift in the tourism industry towards sustainability represents a profound transformation in tourists’ expectations and how they interact with destinations. The increasing interest of tourists in factors such as responsibility and cultural authenticity emphasizes the need to redefine competitive advantage in this industry. Therefore, this study designs a model of sustainable competitive advantage for tourism destinations.
Design/methodology/approach: The research method is qualitative and exploratory. In-depth semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The statistical population of the study consisted of 13 experts and faculty members specializing in tourism and managers of tourism organizations in Tehran, who were selected using a purposive judgmental sampling method. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.
Findings The findings led to the identification of 7 main themes and 18 sub-themes, including environmental factors (green value, attachment to green products, environmental knowledge), social factors (green image, social value, social norms), economic factors (economic value, economic awareness), marketing factors (social media, green marketing, sustainable tourism brand), cultural factors (cultural values, sustainable lifestyle), individual factors (tourist attitudes, tourist motivation), and tourism destination factors (shopping environment, natural landscapes, tourism services).
Conclusion: Sustainable competitive advantage is only formed when these dimensions are integrated into an integrated and indigenous framework. Sustainability in this context acts not as a cost, but as a strategic resource for differentiation, trust-building, and cultural diplomacy.
Originality/value: Providing an integrated model that is compatible with the cultural and economic realities of Iran, which has been less frequently observed in previous research and fills the research gap in domestic and international literature.
Keywords
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