According to the latest reports by World Tourism Organization, receipt through tourism by most of the countries has experienced rapid increase in recent years. Province of East Azarbaijan that owns considerable amount of tourist attractions, and being known for tourists from long ago, has dismissed industry’s socio-economic advantages. This paper aims to find an answer to the question of what factor or factors have resulted in provinces failure in benefiting of tourism’s advantages, as one of the very high income sector in the world. Paper has been prepared on the bases of findings of field studies in three tourist attractions of Province of East Azarbaijan (Kandwan, Babak Castle and Sharafkhaneh). While identifying characteristics of tourists, the research has planned, to evaluate their satisfaction with tourist facilities and services, and to give suggestions for optimum use of tourist potentials of the province. On the basis of findings of the study, tourist places of the province lack needed facilities to satisfy tourists in most areas. Planning, and in particular preparing and implementing comprehensive plan for tourism industry of the province, may not only make possible to absorb more tourists, it may also minimizes tourism’s negative cultural and environmental impacts. Paper ends with some suggestions for development of tourism in the province.
Keywords: Tourist, Tourist services, East Azarbaijan, Kandwan, Babak castle, Sharafkhaneh
)