Purpose - The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of the second homes on the physical and economic development of rural settlements in Hendeh Khaleh Rural District of Someh Sara County. Design/methodology/approach- The research method was descriptive-analytical. The main part of the data was obtained by a survey and interviews. The statistical population of this study is the villages of Hendeh Khaleh Rural District. Based on the estimation of the sample size using Cochran's formula, the sample size was detemined to be 385 of the heads of households. The independent variable (second home tourism) and the dependent variables (physical and economic development of rural settlements) for Hendeh Khaleh Rural District were analyzed in SPSS software. Findings - The findings of statistical tests show that second homes have caused physical and economic changes in Hendeh Khaleh Rural District. Second home tourism had influenced physical components, especially the indicators of “improvement of facilities and amenities”, and “increasing the construction”. The villages of Sofiandeh, Hendeh Khaleh, Now Khaleh Jafari and Akbari, Siah Darvishan, Lakesar had the highest number of built villas. The villages of Sheykhmahale, Kishestan, Lakesar, and Nargestan had the highest ranks in earning income from having houses to rent. The highest distance from the optimal limit regarding the physical components is for “increasing the construction” (1.89) and regarding the economic components is for “earning income from having the house to rent” (1.83). Practical implications - Providing a comprehensive review of all related literature, this study may help the researchers in choosing the appropriate method for planning the development of second home tourism as a strategy of development policies. Originality/value- This resaerch is the first study conducted about the impact of the second homes on the physical expansion in Hendeh Khaleh Rural District, which examined the relationship between the creation of the second homes and physical and economic development together.
