Assessing the Impacts of Sanctions on Iran's Tourism Zones Using the Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methods

Abstract

This article examines the impact of Iran's tourism zones on sanctions and evaluates the role of each criterion in the
intensity and severity of the impact. The research method was descriptive-comparative whose type was applied. Ranking
was done using the VIKOR technique and Expert Choice software by the four main criteria (attraction, advertising and
marketing, tourism and investment, and infrastructure) and ten sub-criteria. The results show that the northern zone
with a value of 0.00 has received the least effect from the international sanctions. The northwestern zone ranked the
next with a value of 0.224. Based on the Expert Choice output, the central zone with a value of 0.248 was in the first rank
due to the decrease in the number of foreign tourists and investments, which has suffered the most from the sanctions.
The northern zone with a value of 0.236 has been less affected by the sanctions.