Geo-mythology and Its Influences on Tourist Attraction (Case Study: Geological Phenomenon and Geo Morphology of Baba Gorgor Village, Kurdistan

Abstract

Abstract. Given the importance of agriculture in the economy and the increasing role of potato and onion in the diet, this paper predicts the consumption of these products using a statistical model. Therefore, based on single and multi-variable models, data from 1970-2013 was applied to predict potato consumption using double exponential adjustment model and ARIMA (2, 1, 3) model was applied to predict onion consumption in 2015-2018. The results not only show a suitable prediction based on error criteria for the above mentioned models, but also reveals the fact that the application of an annual series using appropriate and valid models can provide acceptable results. The comparison of these Predictions with actual values is a sign for the high prediction power of these models and confirm this claim. According to our study, it is anticipated that per capita consumption of potato and onion will reach to 31.4 and 18.9 kg at the end of the year 2018. Geological phenomena and morphological forms sometimes appear in special and unique shapes. In the past and even now in some cultures and subcultures, because there was no response and rational justification for their formation and to satisfy their curiosity, people resort to (draw on) some legends and superstitions in order to explain their formation.Considering this issue, Baba Gogor village in Ghorveh, Kurdistan, has been investigated in a new category called geo mythology due to the myths and beliefs, due to the activity of several springs which were very active in the past and now show limited activity, various unique travertine and tofu forms have been formed near the springs. Due to the diverse and unique activities of the springs, different beliefs and superstitions have spread amongst the inhabitants of the neighboring villages and even more distant regions. Each year, thousands of tourists from all over Kurdistan and even the neighboring provinces are attracted in the region. The present study aims to investigate geo mythology in the world in general and in Ghorveh specifically and continues to investigate the relationship between geo-mythology and tourist attraction. To this end, different field methods such as interview and questionnaire have been used. At first, using open-ended interview and questionnaire, superstitions and beliefs regarding to different geological forms and phenomena and the available geology of the region (Baba Gorgor Village) have been gathered and in the next step the researcher designed a combined questionnaire (open-ended and closed) and 50 participants (the tourists in Baba Gorgor Village) completed it. The data were analyzed using SPSS Software and in other word the role of mythology in attracting tourists was investigated. The results show that among the available forms and phenomena, the hill known as the Dragon has the largest role in attracting people. Also, if we explain for the tourists in a simple way (language) how the forms and springs operate, the tourists suspicions can be removed to some extent.