Scientific Quarterly Journal

Identification and Analysis of Factors Related to the Development of Agrotourism-Based Ecolodges Using a Mixed-Methods Approach (Case Study: Hashmiz Village, Kurdistan Province)

10.22034/toc.2026.600421.1246

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 24 October 2026

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

1 Assistant professor Faculty of Art & Architecture, Department of Architecture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

2 Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Kurdistan, Kurdistan, Iran.

Abstract
Problem statement: Rural ecolodges are sometimes developed without knowledge of a village's physical, social, cultural, and environmental characteristics and may not suit the local context. Agritourism studies mostly address potentials, socioeconomic effects, and local attitudes; the architectural and environmental requirements of lodgings receive less attention.
Objective: To identify components that experts, operators, and residents raise for developing agritourism-based ecolodges in the terraced village of Hashmiz, and to describe residents' attitudes toward development
Methods: In this mixed-methods study, the qualitative phase comprised 11 semi-structured interviews, conducted until theoretical saturation and analyzed with Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis. The quantitative phase used a researcher-made questionnaire with 35 items and six constructs, distributed to 300 residents by convenience sampling. Items are not mapped one-to-one to interview codes. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and measurement model assessment (partial least squares(
Findings: Themes fell into six axes. The most frequent potentials were strawberries and pristine mountain nature; the most frequent barriers were lack of basic infrastructure, suitable roads, and comprehensive tourism training; and the most frequent architectural requirement was fit with the village fabric. Construct means ranged from 3.84 (attitude toward tourists) to 4.60 (attitude toward environmental and cultural conservation) out of 5. Factor loadings ranged from0.407 to 0.856, and nine items loaded below 0.5; convergent validity warrants caution.
Conclusion: Relationships among the thematic axes were not tested statistically, and single-village data cannot be generalized. The findings can inform planning discussions in Hashmiz but offer neither a design model nor evidence of component effectiveness

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Subjects
  • Receive Date 02 September 2026
  • Revise Date 20 October 2026
  • Accept Date 24 October 2026