Distribution of Spatial Clusters of Tourist Villages and its Relationship with the Formation of Population Centers in Khorasan Razavi Province

Purpose: This study aimed to show the placement of rural settlements throughout the province of Khorasan Razavi that have religious and nature tourism patterns, and to delineate the differences among them in a time period of ۳۵ years from ۱۹۷۶ to ۲۰۱۱. According to the available statistics, there are ۳۹۰ villages with a religious tourism pattern and ۹۵۲ villages have a nature tourism pattern throughout this province. Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on spatial analysis techniques such as “directional distribution”, “K-function”, and also spatial autocorrelation and Moran’s I. Findings: The findings of the study showed that the spatial distribution of these villages is clustered and is more observable in villages with a nature tourism pattern. Using the indicator of population and utilizing spatial autocorrelation models, specifically Moran’s I, it became clear that some differences exist in villages’ spatial patterns. In villages with a religious tourism pattern, rural settlements have moved toward population centers, in a way that in these villages spatial clusters can be seen alongside population centers; while in villages with a nature tourism pattern, no such correlation and accompaniment is discernable. In other words, clustered patterns in these villages have not led to the formation of population centers. Considering the relatively similar levels of enjoyment of urban services in the tourist villages of Khorasan Razavi province, it can be stated that the inner cluster relationships among villages with a religious tourism pattern, have reinforced settlements in each cluster, thereby creating a favorable environment for its development. This cannot be seen in villages with a nature tourism pattern. Research limitations/implications: Collecting, creating and forming a database of the villages in Khorasan Razavi province was a major limitation of the current study. Practical implications: In the current situation that rural settlements are increasingly losing their status, using such patterns can prove effective in stabilizing the rural population. Originality/value: The innovation of the study is to depict the creation of population centers around the villages with religious and nature tourism patterns.