Analyzing the effects of tourism development on the reconstruction of earthquake-stricken villages in Changoreh Avaj in Iran

In northwestern Iran, the Changoreh Avaj earthquake occurred in 2002, destroying about 80% of the villages. The quake killed at least 261 people, injured 1300, and left more than 50,000 homeless. However, in the last decade, the sense of belonging in local people has attracted investment in infrastructure and resulted in a tourism boom. This study aimed to explore the effects of tourism development on the reconstruction of villages affected by the quake. The data investigated in this study were randomly distributed in the studied villages using official statistics, questionnaires, and observation in 2020. The statistical population of the current survey is the households of reconstructed villages, which was calculated based on the Morgan 335 table. The research findings showed that the KMO value was 56.361, indicating the appropriate data status for factor analysis. Bartlett’s value was 9764.279 and was significant at a 99% confidence level. The tourism development in the villages of Changoreh Avaj has also improved physical infrastructures such as power lines, gas, drinking water networks, and access to road networks and local markets. These villages have been re-planned and built with the investment from a second-home tourism organization and the cooperation of the government and residents. Housing was constructed with durable materials and under the supervision of civil engineers in new locations. Old dwellings were demolished, and the new ones were designed and constructed similar to urban settlements.