Phototourism Offers Opportunity to Brand Landscapes and Boost Local Economy in Gilan Province

Habib Mahmoudi Chenari, a member of the academic faculty of Jihad University's Environmental Research Institute, wrote in a note: The variety of natural landscapes and cultural richness of Gilan can make this province an important destination for photography tourism; However, the weakness of digital infrastructure and the lack of support mechanisms still hinders the transformation of this capacity into sustainable income for local communities.

Gilan can be seen from a different angle than conventional tourism models; From the morning fog in the Hyrcanian forests and the reflection of the sky in the paddy fields to the native architecture of the villages, local markets, cultural rituals and daily life that forms part of the identity of this land. These sights are not just attractions to watch; Each of them can be a visual narrative of Gilan, which is introduced to audiences near and far through the lens of tourists' cameras.

In the era of the expansion of social networks, photos are no longer just souvenirs of travel; It can play a role in forming the mental image of a destination, encouraging others to travel and introducing lesser-known capacities. From this point of view, phototourism or photographic tourism can become a tool for branding the landscape of Gilan and linking the natural and cultural resources of the province with the local economy. However, the realization of this opportunity requires planning and management beyond the publication of a few beautiful images in cyberspace.

The research paper "Feasibility of phototourism development in Gilan province with emphasis on environmental capacities and PESTEL analysis" presents a multidimensional picture of opportunities and obstacles in this area. Using documentary review, interviews with experts and questionnaires, this study examined the views of 64 activists and experts related to photography, documentation and tourism and measured the capacity of the cities of the province based on six main indicators: landscape diversity, special natural phenomena, astronomical photography capability, historical architecture, attractive engineering structures and cultural-economic dynamics.

The results show that the capacity of phototourism in Gilan is not limited to the forest and the beach. Paddy fields, waterfalls, phenomena such as the cloud ocean, the sky suitable for astronomical photography in some areas, historical monuments, bridges, local markets, handicrafts and native rituals can also be part of the photography tourism attractions of the province.

Based on the research ranking, Siahkol has been ranked first with an average score of 3.80. Rudbar and Razvanshahr are in the next ranks with a score of 3.71, and Lahijan and Amlesh are among the first five cities. This ranking shows that planning for phototourism should not be focused only on well-known and high-traffic destinations; Cities that have different natural and cultural capacities can also contribute to the photographic tourism network of the province.

local community; The most important capital of branding

One of the important findings of the article is the superiority of the social dimension in evaluating the conditions of phototourism development. According to the six-dimensional PESTEL analysis, the social dimension with an average score of 3.14 has the highest score, while the technological dimension with a score of 1.96 and the political dimension with a score of 1.94 are in the lowest positions. The score of economic, environmental and legal dimensions is also reported as 2.42, 2.17 and 2.12 respectively.

The attractiveness of rural culture and lifestyle is one of the outstanding strengths identified in the study. This finding reminds the importance of a basic issue: the tourism brand of a region is not made only from its landscapes; People, way of life, native architecture, food, handicrafts and local narratives also contribute to the formation of the destination's identity.

Therefore, in the development of phototourism, the local community should not be considered only as the subject of photography. Residents should be involved in introducing their culture, designing tourism experiences and deciding how to use environmental capacities. Successful branding is formed when the published image of the destination is a respectful and authentic reflection of the real life of the people and the benefits of tourism return to the same communities.

From the visibility of the destination to the prosperity of local businesses

The ability of phototourism to strengthen the local economy is revealed at this point. Photographic tourism can provide the basis for the development of specialized guide services, ecotourism accommodations, local transportation, selling agricultural products and handicrafts, and organizing thematic tours. Pictures of tourists can also play a media role in introducing these products and services, if they are widely published and properly introduce the destination.

The economic findings of the research show both the capacity and the distance to the realization of this goal. The attractiveness score of local products for photographer tourists is 3.79 and the capacity to create photography-related businesses is reported as 3.47; But the index of sustainable income from phototourism has a score of 1.75 and access to loans or small capital has a score of 1.79.

This significant difference in the assessment of experts shows that the attractiveness and possibility of business does not necessarily lead to the creation of stable income. If a tourist captures a beautiful image of a village, but the access route, services, accommodation facilities, local guide or the possibility of buying local products are not available, the advertising capacity of that image may not turn into a tangible economic benefit for the residents.

In the meantime, designing specific photography routes, digital introduction of attractions, organizing specialized tours and linking photography experience with local markets can help build a chain of economic value. In other words, the goal should not be to increase visits to a point; Importantly, travel creates an income-generating opportunity for a range of local activists.

Of course, a difference must be made between economic capacity and economic achievement. This article examined the feasibility of developing phototourism and did not measure the increase in household income or real employment resulting from it. Therefore, the economic boom should be considered as an opportunity that can be pursued, and measuring its effects requires field studies and economic data.

Technology and policy; The missing link of development

In another part of the research, the weakness of technological infrastructure and political and managerial challenges have been introduced as the main obstacles to the development of phototourism. Internet quality, lack of signposts and QR codes in photography routes, limited access to some specialized technologies, and weak policies for attracting international photographers are some of the identified problems. In addition to these issues, managerial instability and lack of sufficient coordination between the responsible institutions also add to the difficulty of planning.

Also, a positive and strong relationship between technological and legal dimensions with a correlation coefficient of 0.82 has been reported in the research. This result emphasizes the necessity of simultaneous attention to digital infrastructure and legal frameworks; Because the use of new technologies, including drones and digital guidance systems, will be limited without clear regulations and clear licensing mechanisms.

From this point of view, the development of phototourism needs to create an integrated system to introduce photography spots, provide route information and access conditions, manage licenses and protect the intellectual property rights of photographers. Such an infrastructure can improve the tourist experience and create a more suitable environment for professional activity in this field, along with training local guides and facilitating the activities of small businesses.

The tourism brand cannot be sustained without environmental protection

The attractiveness of a landscape alone is not a license for an unlimited increase in tourist arrivals. Unplanned traffic, accumulation of waste, lack of health services, crowding in sensitive areas and disturbance to wildlife can threaten the very capital that is supposed to be the basis of destination branding.

Referring to the weakness of some environmental indicators, waste management and health services, the article emphasizes the necessity of protecting and managing the capacity of receiving tourist areas. Designing controlled photography routes, determining the capacity of daily visits to sensitive points and teaching responsible photography are among the solutions proposed in the research.

Respecting people's privacy, obtaining consent for photographing people, and respecting local rituals and norms should also be considered along with natural protection. A destination that harms the environment or the dignity of the host community in order to produce an attractive photo cannot have a reliable and stable brand in the long run.

Gilan needs a road map, not just beautiful frames

The findings of this research have a clear message for policy makers, tourism managers and economic activists of the province: Gilan has the necessary natural and cultural capital for the development of photography tourism, but turning this capital into a sustainable economic advantage requires consistent policy and executive mechanisms.

Creating employment micro-funds for local guides, facilitating the access of small businesses to financial resources, branding local products relying on the visual content of tourists, forming local councils to participate in decision-making and improving information infrastructure, can be part of this roadmap; provided that environmental protection and fair distribution of benefits are placed at the center of planning.

Finally, phototourism should not be seen simply as a new branch of tourism or a tool to increase the images of Gilan in social networks. This area is an opportunity to tell stories about the province's identity, introduce lesser-known destinations and link cultural and natural capacities with the livelihood of local communities.

Gilan does not need to produce an unrealistic image to brand its landscape; What is important is the correct narration of the real assets of the province and providing the conditions so that the visibility of these assets leads to their protection, strengthening of local businesses and improvement of people's livelihood. The success of phototourism will not be measured by the number of published photos, but by the quality of the tourist experience, the participation of the host community, the protection of the environment, and the real contribution of local people to the economic value of this experience.