Urban tourism planning with emphasis on sustainable development. A case study of Tabriz City

Implementation of the Tourism Development Programs in regional, national and international levels is among the measures performed by developed as well as developing countries with the aim of reaching sustainable development and reducing the socio-economic and bioenvironmental pressures. Investing in Tourism Industry has various economic, social and even physical influences; the economic influences in national and international levels including foreign sales income, balancing distribution of the income, attracting private investments, creation of jobs, creation of security, strengthening regional, national and international ties, preserving cultural heritage, re-structuring urban infrastructures... The income of the Tourism Industry in the year 2001 was about 480 billion dollars and it occupied the third place in the balance of trade and finance. Furthermore, more than 10 percent of the global work force belonged to Tourism Industry. Therefore, paying due attentions to Tourism Industry and earning foreign currency income which will ultimately lead to creation of job opportunities to the young work force of Tabriz City and laying emphasis on natural and man-made attractions of this megacity with the aim of urban development constitutes the main aims of the present dissertation. This dissertation constitutes of chapters including: Introduction, Principles of Tourism, Methods for Tourism Planning, Survey of the Tourism Status of Tabriz City, Analysis of the present Tourism status of Tabriz City, Determining the Aims, Presentation of the Strategies and Policies for the Tourism Projects of Tabriz City.