Urban tourism development in relation with shopping tourism Case study: City of Baneh

The current research is written with the aim of identifying and explaining weakness, strength points, opportunities and threats facing tourism development of the city of Baneh, relation of urban tourism with shopping tourism and formulation of an optimal strategy using the SWOT strategic analysis. Today, tourism has become an important economic reality that exists in all places with peculiar qualities and attributes. Urban environments constitute the most important human environments that involve various facilities and infrastructure as well as main political, educational and recreational centers. These environments due to different attributes are visited by tourists. In the current research which is descriptive-analytical, by understanding weak and strength points, potentials and facilities of the city of Baneh, a strategic assessment of the Baneh's tourism with an emphasis on its relation with shopping was done whose results were a preparation of an aggressive strategy based on using the existing opportunities. Results suggest a strong trade zone with various goods that attracts many visitors from all over the country. However the most important problem is the inappropriate quality of communication roads and unofficial economy of this city which are considered as grave threats for the tourism economy of this city.