Tourism as a Soft Driver of Small-Town Development:A Context-Sensitive Systemic Model for the Zonouz Tourism Hub

This study develops a context‑sensitive systemic model for transforming small towns into regional tourism hubs, using Zonouz (Iran) as the primary case. Tourism is conceptualized not as the main axis of development but as a soft driver that activates the town’s intrinsic, attainable, and acquired capacities across natural, cultural, heritage, economic, and spatial dimensions.Based on mixed‑methods research—including field observations, semi‑structured interviews, and documentary analysis—the study shows how tourism can mobilize these capacities to generate regional networking, urban regeneration, economic clustering, and participatory governance. By comparing the proposed model with classical regional‑development frameworks (core–periphery, competitive advantage, network‑based development), the research demonstrates that the Zonouz model introduces a significant innovation: the integration of spatial‑topographic, cultural‑identity, cultural‑heritage, climatic, and economic dimensions within a unified systemic framework.The findings indicate that tourism can function as a soft driver enabling small towns to evolve into sustainable regional hubs, offering a new perspective for balanced regional development.