درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Purpose - Agro-tourism and the development of farm-based tourism businesses have emerged as a creative and innovative approach to rural tourism, which exploits the potentials and capabilities of agricultural activities as unique opportunities for employment and development and poverty alleviation. The purpose of this study is to identify opportunities and areas for Agro-tourism development in rural areas of Tehran Province. Design/methodology/approach - This is an applied research that adopts a descriptive-analytical approach. The statistical population of the study consisted of the rural areas of Tehran Province, of which 8 towns and three villages from each town were selected as the sample. Data collection was conducted using both library and field survey methods; however, the main focus of the research was on field studies, which involved a questionnaire and face-to-face interviews. The questionnaires were prepared for three groups of villagers, tourists, and officials separately. The sample size for villagers was determined using Cochran formula (n=261). Also, since the exact number of tourists and officials was not known, the sample size of these two groups was selected using purposive method (n=31 and n=20, respectively). Data were analyzed using descriptive (mean and frequency) and inferential statistical methods (Chi-square test, one-sample t-test and Mann-Whitney test). Findings- The results suggest that government support and infrastructure improvement, the organization of local festivals related to farm products, the participation of tourists in harvesting, the direct presence of tourists in farming, job creation, and promotion of rural income levels are the most factors that influence Agro-tourism development in rural areas of Tehran Province. According to the results, showed all respondents agreed on the positive impact of the studied measures on Agro-tourism development.

Purpose- Housing has been one of the basic needs of the human beings, and the settlements have also been considered as the basic needs in terms of human communities. In order to satisfy such needs appropriately, traditionally human beings have intended to supply such needs as dealing with their surrounding environment. The current research intends to define the indices of housing sustainability in order to investigate the sustainability of environment for rural housing in Marivan County. Design/methodology/approach - The required data was collected using documentary methods and field studies together with questionnaires. First, the environmental variables of sustainable housing for rural areas were defined. Next, using hierarchical sampling method together with Cochran formula, 295 rural households were selected as the sample of the study. The tool for collecting the data was a questionnaire with an acceptable reliability endorsed using pre-test, data analysis, and the calculation of Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Finally, in order to analyze the data, fuzzy interference system (FIS) was used within the MATLAB software. For mixing the results obtained from measuring the elements of environmental sustainability, the gamma fuzzy was used together with FIS. Findings - The results indicated that the environmental sustainability of rural housing in the current research included the values of 0.9, 0.7, and 0.5 for gamma fuzzy which respectively included 0.09, 0.22, and 0.52. This indicates that the environmental sustainability of rural housing is not desirable for the areas investigated in this study. Research limitations/implications - The most important problem with the current research was that the household heads in the rural areas could not be easily accessed for data collection. Practical implications - With respect to the results, it is recommended that the economic, cultural, and social conditions of the rural areas and the subsistence of their native residents should be in line with the climatic and geographical conditions of the areas. Originality/value - The results of the current research can pave the way for studying the sustainability of the rural housing, especially in the area which has been studied.

Purpose- The present applied survey has been done for the purpose of the evaluation of function quality and effectiveness of Malakhord borderline market on the changes of villagers’ life quality level in Dezli Dehestan of Sarvabad County. Design/methodology/approach- This research is descriptive-analytic from the view point of method and library and field methods have been used on the basis of questionnaire distribution and interview to collect data. The sample size includes 250 people from the head of the households of active villages in the market that their number was specified using Corcoran formula and the questionnaires were distributed according to their class among the sample villages and distributed randomly among the head of the households. Findings- The analysis of the data using descriptive statistics indexes and the tests of inferential statistics (Chi-Square, one-sample t-test, Friedman test, Paired Samples t-test, path analysis) showed that generally the market has caused the improvement of the villagers’ life quality level in comparison to the previous period before the establishment of it and it is this economic aspect of the villagers that has had the most improvement and positive change. Research limitations/implications- Being faraway, the dispersion and the location of a large number of villages in the zero region, the villagers lack of familiarity with questionnaire completion, and not accessing easily to family guardians with the questionnaires were among the imitations of this survey. Practical implications- According to the survey findings, solutions like the improvement of the roadways to the market, the will of domestic organizations to prevent sectional holidays, the improvement of services and welfare facilities across the market, using local people to manage and coordinate the market affairs, exporting the villagers’ products to the neighboring country, allocating a part of the market income to the construction and physical development of the villages, and devoting another part to the young villagers looking for jobs as loan are suggested. Originality/value- Trading in the form of borderline markets, purposefully and lawfully, can pave the way for economic, social and physical development of the borderline rural areas and as a result will prevent migration, population leaving and the instability of the villages that can have negative consequences in the local, regional and national level.

Purpose- Return migration acts as a driving force of development and a key incentive of prosperity in rural areas by fulfilling their potentials. Rapid population displacement in developing countries including Iran, reveals the necessity of return migration planning. Semirom is a county in Isfahan province with the highest rate of emigration based on the 2011 Census enjoying sufficient potentials to change this trend. The overall purpose of this study is to analyze the ecosystem capacity of Semirom in order to develop a return migration planning. Design/methodology/approach- The research method is descriptive-analytical. As such, this study can be categorized as an applied research. The environmental, social, economic, and managerial aspects are hereby considered. The questionnaire of Semirom situation assessment was analyzed using inferential statistics (t-test) by SPSS. Content analysis was conducted by interviewing officials using Atlas.ti software. Internal and external factors evaluation matrix and SOAR model were used to offer strategies. In the end, adaptive strategic alternatives are prioritized using the QSPM planning approach and policies for the realization of the return migration. Statistical population consists of the residents and authorities of Semirom county. Findings- The findings indicate that the most important factors affecting return migration are reinforcement of gardening, related industries and tourism attractions, improving the quality of welfare services, fostering the sense of belonging, and the availability of fertile soil and sufficient irrigation water. Accordingly, the strategy of "appropriate management of tourism and environmental spaces for proper utilization of natural resources" should be given priority. It is also suggested that proper utilization of natural resources and tourism along with the potential of eco-tourism can offer a great opportunity for sustainable employment. This requires efficient management of new approaches and providing a secure environment for investment and entrepreneurship. In other words, considering the potentials of tourism will improve the quality of amenities, infrastructure services and employment, which in turn can boost their quality of local life, and their willingness to stay permanently in their rural residence, which ultimately encourages immigrants to return to their homeland.