Rural tourism

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- This survey research was conducted with the aim of assessing the rural residents' support for tourism development and their effective factors in the tourism target villages in the Central District of Firoozabad County. Design/methodology/approach- The statistical population of this study was resident household heads. Using Bartlett Table, 155 households were studied by simple random sampling method. The data gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire which its validity and reliability were confirmed. Findings- Based on the findings, the residents were categorized into two groups of committed supporters and passive supporters according to their support for tourism. The results of the logistic regression model showed that the perception of social, economic and environmental impacts is directly (positively) significantly predictive of the residents' support for tourism development. The highest coefficient of the logistic regression model was related to the perception of social impacts (with a coefficient of 10.661) as compared to the economic impacts (with a coefficient of 8.659) and the environmental (with a coefficient of 7.683). In addition, in 95.5% of the cases, the function can correctly measure levels of support for rural tourism. The accuracy of the model was also confirmed through the ROC curve. Research limitations/implications- Difficulties in completing the questionnaires due to the number of the tourist arrivals and people's occupations, the reluctance of some households to respond because of the distrust resulting from the location of the village in the palace privacy, and the problems encountered in this regard, which were resolved by the researchers' frequent visits to the area and acquiring the villagers' trust. Practical implications- In addition to improving the resident's perceptions of environmental impacts, further attention must be paid to improving the residents' perceptions of economic and social impacts. Originality/value- The development of tourism industry is heavily dependent on the participation and support of local residents. Improving the residents' perceptions of the impacts of tourism will lead to more residents' support for the industry, thereby, be paid more by tourists in the area, and recommend destinations to others and their desire to return to the area.

Purpose- The purpose of this study is to present a framework for studying the consequences of rural tourism entrepreneurship development. Design/methodology/approach- The type of study is applied Research and descriptive-exploratory in essence. Data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire and the validity of the questionnaire items was confirmed by experts and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha (.876). Based on statistical population of experts, local managers and owners of tourism complexes in the villages of Darram and Chavarzgh counties that were selected through purposive non-probability sampling method, 277 households were selected from the owners of tourism complexes and practitioners related to tourism activity. The field-library data collection and data analysis were performed using SPSS software and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using AMOS software. The relevance of the four factors affecting the outcomes of rural tourism entrepreneurship development is discussed. Finding- The results show that the extent of the impact of independent variables of entrepreneurship on tourism development outcomes in the study area, respectively, are the indicators of the opportunities created by the growth and development of entrepreneurship with 0.98 as the first rank and the most influential, socio-economic value creation index of entrepreneurship with 0.87, which is ranked second, innovation and creativity index is ranked third with 0.43 and finally, environmental entrepreneurship index of tourism entrepreneurship is 0.38 and is ranked fourth. Practical implications- The formulation framework for evaluating the implications of tourism entrepreneurship development presented in this study has a meaningful and acceptable explanation in the study area.

Purpose- Rural areas experience various economic and social tensions such as population instability and limited job opportunities, which place villages at risk. Rural tourism can improve the economic activities that increase the population and improve the economy because tourism transforms a fragile economy with dynamic activities that enable the establishment of service enterprises and bring about entrepreneurship opportunities. This study aimed to model the multilateral effects of tourism on rural sustainability. Design/methodology/approach- This research applied the theoretical-pragmatic approach. Data were collected using library and field studies. Field studies are a prominent element in the analysis of results. In this course, the systematic questionnaire was used for the extraction of the field database. Using the Cochran formula, the sample size was estimated 214 people. Furthermore, the interrelationship Structural Equation Model (SEM) was applied to analyze the networks of variations. Also, path analysis and partial least squares regression model was adopted to model the interrelationship between the variables observing the systematic nature of the sustainability approach. Findings- Tourism is an accelerating tool in rural permanency. It stimulates the stability of the population, cultural similarities, and promotion of rural culture, which subsequently establish rural sustainability. On the other hand, as land use change is acknowledged as one of the unfavorable consequences of tourism, support for the environmental aspect is mentioned as a necessary factor for sustainability. Tourists should also recognize the eminent function of the environment in rural settlements to ensure that promoting the entire aspect of sustainability results in rural stabilization. Practical implications- Specifically, tourism develops social solidarity through the formation of micro-businesses and particular rural entrepreneurship that directly and indirectly contribute to the expansion of job creation in rural settlements. Also, these mechanisms are involved in producing local capital that strengthens sustainable rural income and livelihood. On the other hand, tourism highlights the significance of the environment, and its protection is essential to the rural sustainability.

Purpose- Villages are full of new and undiscovered opportunities that can be explored in a timely manner to create opportunities and new businesses for the villagers. In this regard, those approaches are sustainable that, due to changes in technology and the market, constantly assess market and technological needs and provide a more appropriate employment model. To this end, development through business clusters has recently been considered by economic and industrial policies. Design/methodology/approach- The main purpose of the study was to investigate factors affecting rural tourism cluster development via a quantitative approach.  The statistical population consisted of two groups of experts in Hamadan province with 21 individuals and 360 rural households. A total of 185 rural households were randomly selected using the Krejcie and Morgan table. This research was an applied research that investigated the contribution of each independent variable in explaining the dependent variable (rural tourism cluster development) using structural equation modeling through Smart PLS6 software. Findings- The results showed that in the structural model of research, the highest effect (β=0.420) belonged to institutions on rural tourism development and the relationship was positive and significant. In total, 56 percent of the dependent variable of tourism development in Ashtaran village is explained by four factors: institutions, tourism infrastructure, economic capacities and tourism services.

Purpose- The present study focuses on introducing ghetto tourism; the main objective of this study is to introduce some villages in Isfahan Province as ghetto tourism destinations with emphasis on religious minorities. Since the emergence of niche tourism needs the study of its place, the present study is designed to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Isfahan Province for the prosperity of ghetto tourism. Design/methodology/approach- To this end, SWOT and QSPM methods were used in this study. It is noteworthy that the data were collected through snowball sampling technique. The results of this study illustrate that Isfahan Province is strategically located in the aggressive area due to the internal and external factors affecting ghetto tourism, and strategies such as market development, concentric diversification, market penetration and product development can be used to boost rural tourism in Isfahan Province. Finding- According to QSPM results, it can be concluded that holding more conferences regarding the cultural bridge of Iran-Armenia-Georgia among the market development strategies, organizing the festival of culture of minorities among the concentric diversificationstrategies, and holding a tour of visiting the ghetto villages of Isfahan among the market penetration strategies have the highest priority for ghetto tourism development in Isfahan. And the proposed strategies do not differ much in terms of priority and attractiveness for product development.

Tourist destinations are selected by tourists based on various factors. One of the most important factors is tourist destination security. The study aims to investigate the role of security in the development of rural tourism. The methodology is descriptive-analytical. The statistical population includes 194 tourists from eight villages of Torqabeh and Shandiz County, which selected through the Cochran formula. A survey containing Likert- type scales were used for data collection. The reliability of the questionnaire was measured through Cronbach Alpha, which is acceptable. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS and Pearson Correlation test, One Sample T-test and Linear Regression, and VIKOR model. The results indicate that the security variable has a strong direct relationship with the tourism development variable (Coefficient = 0.713). In other words, security positively influences rural tourism development. In addition, the results of VIKOR model reveals that there is a different level of security for tourists in 8 tourist villages of the region; Jaghargh, Kang, and Abardeh villages are in good condition, but Noqondar, Anbaran, and Zoshk villages are at lower level in terms of tourism security and Zoshk village is at the lowest level in terms of tourism security that for the development of tourism in these villages should be considered by the authorities. 

Purpose- Development of the tourism industry in a proper way, followed by the promotion of tourism entrepreneurship, calls for adequate knowledge and understanding of the barriers and problems in this matter. In this regard, the present study tried to evaluate the barriers to the development of tourism entrepreneurship in tourism target villages of Chaldoran County. Design/methodology/approach- The current study is descriptive-analytical in terms of nature and method, and applied according to its objectives. The statistical population in this study includes people living in villages targeted for tourism. To study this population, 212 questionnaires were arranged based on the modified Cochran's formula. Information and data were collected in 2018 using library and field studies (observation and completion of a questionnaire). After collecting information through questionnaires using simple random sampling, the data obtained after coding were analyzed by SPSS and Amos softwares applying descriptive and analytical statistical approaches. Findings- The results showed that all the studied factors were effective in the failure of tourism entrepreneurship. Nevertheless, social barriers with a correlation coefficient of 1, physical and economic barriers with a coefficient of 0.91 had the greatest impact on barriers to tourism entrepreneurship in tourism target villages. Practical implications- Rural tourism entrepreneurship, regarding the natural and cultural capacities in the villages, can play an important role in revitalizing the villages, creating employment and income for the people, protecting the natural, historical and cultural heritage, and finally providing integrated and sustainable rural development, because rural tourism is one of the types of tourism whose sustainable form in various economic, social and environmental dimensions, paves the way for achieving sustainable development of local communities.

Purpose- Rural tourism, in the perspective of developed economies, is considered as a context-based experience that has a broad range of attractions. Also, it can increase the opportunities to provide services to local communities. Thus, their maintenance has become an integral part of the rural economy. In this regard, the study explored the understanding of rural tourism development in Rudbar County, Guilan province. Design/methodology/approach- This study, in terms of goal is applied-developmental, in terms of paradigm is qualitative, and in terms of method is a grounded theory which is based on an inductive approach. The statistical population consisted of two groups of key rural informants and tourists of Rudbar County. Using a purposive sampling, 18 people were selected by snowball method and data were collected applying in-depth and semi-structured interviews, reaching saturation. To analyze the narratives, three stages of open, axial and selective coding method were used. Findings- Findings showed that the vital commodities of rural tourism in Rudbar are the supply of a mixture of tourism approaches such as ecotourism, agrotourism and participatory approaches such as the view of scenic byways. In the elevated villages near Darfak peak, the commodities are long hiking or cycling alongside Sefidrood River as well as heritage areas. Also, in the development of rural tourism in the study area, the categories of products of the destination, space opportunities of the destination, infrastructure of the destination, cultural support and beliefs of the destination, responsible participation of the destination, cultural acceptance of the destination, marketing for the destination, human capital of the destination, employment in the destination were important. The most important category (core category) was known as "tourism product development policy". Research limitations/implications- Lack of proper access to infrastructures such as mobile coverage accessibility, Internet and accommodation opportunities, frequent cut-offs of tap water in some villages for long hours, and access to tourists and key local informants were among the problems in the way of this study. Practical implications- In order to achieve the development of rural tourism, it is suggested that special attention be paid to the development policy of Guilan tourism product supply in different dimensions. Since most of the incoming tourists to Guilan are nature tourists, increasing the village's service such as improving mobile and Internet access, improving the village's water and electricity quality, travel agency offices and active tour operators in the villages, automobile repair shops, local food restaurants and eco-resorts are vital. Originality / Value- A grounded theory systematically examines phenomena in their natural state in the form of regular steps. In this method, generalization is not the purpose. Instead, the goal is to understand the phenomenon and its various dimensions.

Purpose- Rural tourism can be considered a country-related experience that includes a wide range of attractions and activities. They can be related to agriculture and might increase opportunities to provide services to local communities. In the same time, they can change the nature of geographical landscapes. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the feasibility of rural tourism development using the structural equation model in Gaikan Village of Aligudarz County. Design/methodology/approach- This is applied study, in terms of purpose, and in terms of method, it is descriptive-analytical. To fulfill the purpose of the study, field study and survey were used. Using Cronbach's alpha test, the reliability for two feasibility components (attractions and capabilities of rural tourism, and obstacles and problems of rural tourism development), were 0.79 and 0.80, respectively, which indicates the good fit of the research tool. The statistical population consisted of three categories of experts, tourists and villagers (270 people in total: 13 experts, 129 tourists and 128 villagers) who were selected by simple random sampling. In order to analyze the data, exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling in SPSS20 and AMOS software were used. Findings- The findings showed that the most important attractions and tourism capabilities of Gaikan Village are in four main categories: cultural and religious attractions, use of organic product, rural welfare facilities and services, and natural attractions. Also, the most important restrictions and obstacles of tourism development in this village are: lack of proper investment, avoidance of using agricultural products and related industries, ignorance of local people about the benefits of tourism, lack of amenities, and creating environmental pollution. The last one has a significant relation with tourist development. Research limitations/implications - Lack of proper access to transportation infrastructure, roads, and accommodations in the area of Aligudarz County has created limitations for the development of tourism in the study area. Moreover, access to tourists and key informants of rural issues (statistical population of the study) was one of the problems in the research. Practical implications - Due to the lack of transportation, accommodation, and public infrastructure in Gaikan Village, establishing the accommodations such as hotels as well as camps are suggested in the region. Originality/value- The feasibility of tourism development can lead to understanding the tourism process in accordance with the local systems and finally, designing a suitable local model.

Today, there is a new trend in architecture called "architecture for tourism", That one of the emphasized principles of it is the value of the traditional architecture of tourism in sustaining, sustainable tourism. In fact, the appearance of this new approach responds to the changes that have been made in the geography of the tourism market in the postmodern era, due to the changing needs and interests of tourists to exclusive and unique destinations. As regards that the native architecture of each region, reflecting its economic, social, cultural and environmental conditions, is an appropriate response to the principle of uniqueness in the competitive tourism market. The main emphasis of architectural tendency for tourism is the design and construction of tourism structures with the native architecture approach. In this regard this stem-applied research that is conducted using a descriptive-analytical method, and its information has collected from two sources of documentation in the field of questionnaires distributed among 100 tourists and experts in the field of tourism, architecture and geography in the village of Palangan, Kurdistan province as one of the important hubs of rural tourism and native architecture of the country, With the aim of explaining, analyzing, introducing and emphasizing on the importance and impact of the design and construction of tourism structures in rural tourism development, the aim of this approach is to use this approach in the field of rural tourism development. The results of the research show that the design and construction of tourism structures with the native architecture approach is capable of realizing the principle of uniqueness, satisfying the needs of residents and the welfare of tourists, and ultimately realizing the principle of satisfaction of tourists, in order to be able to according to the results of correlation, The side of the native architecture will move in the construction and design of tourism structures; we will see more and more favorable development of rural tourism.

The Main Objective of the Present Study was to Investigate Mechanism of Rural Tourism with emphasis on the Natural tourism in the village of Hyderabad in ilam County. The Present research was applied type based on the goal, in terms of the Nature it was quantity research and in terms of the method of Collecting data was a Survey research. The Population of this study Consisted of three groups of expert(N=40), Rural housholds (N=110) and Touirists. For Selecting Sample, in the Case of  the first groups the Census method eas used and for Tourists Population by using Simple Random Sampling method 100 people were Selected and altogrther 250 People were Studied. Main Instrument of gathering data was questionnaire that its Validity was Confirmed by Experts Panel of ilam universiry and Islamic azad University of ilam branch and Expets of Tourism. Cronbach alpha Coefficient was used to determine questionnaire reliability and its value was equal to ./96. For dara analysis, descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation was used. For analytical statistics, factor analysis was used. The Resuls of Factor analysis Showed that in Natural Dimention, Infrastructural- Cultural mechanisms with the percentage of (25/55) was the most important mechanism of Rural Tourism Development.

Today, the residents of urban areas try to spend some time in the natural quiet, original and intact environments to escape from the various types of environmental pollution that threatens them. Therefore, tourism is one of the phenomena that has affected the rural areas and especially the summer villages of Tehran in recent decades. The purpose of this study was to investigate the process of emergence and identification of environmental factors in the development of tourism around metropolis of Tehran. The method of this research is descriptive-analytical. For information gathering, field surveys (questionnaires) were used and 100 households were interviewed. The results show that the tourism of the studied villages dates back to the decades 1991s and 80s, so that in the 2001s, it had a growing trend, and a meaningful relationship between natural and human factors in the formation of this industry has existed. According to the findings of the research, it is suggested to identify the effects and environmental factors in the development of tourism structures in rural areas.

Rural tourism is one of the most entrepreneurial and high efficiency activities in the villages of Toyedarevar rural district in Damghan. The prosperity of this sector of economic activity, can transform the income sources of the villagers and lead to an increase in the welfare and quality of life of the villagers. The objectives of this research are the feasibility of developing rural tourism through the identification of the potential and existing status of the infrastructure of rural tourism development and Prioritizing villages in terms of infrastructure and attractions and Finally, presenting strategic plans for the sustainable development of rural tourism with minimizing negative outcomes. The statistical population was the villagers in Toyedarevar rural district , according to the Cochran formula, 240 individuals were selected as sample size. Data collection was carried out based on a researcher-made questionnaire and Data analysis was done using SPSS software and the VIKOR method. The results of the research show that the villages are not the same in terms of infrastructure development and Natural factors, rural residences and cultural factors have a significant impact on tourist attraction and the village of Toye is more developed than other villages in terms of infrastructures.

Nowadays, the residents of urban areas try to spend some time in natural, quiet, original and intact environments to escape from the various types of environmental pollution that threatens them. Therefore, tourism is one of the phenomena that has affected the rural areas and especially the summer villages of Tehran in recent decades. The purpose of this study was to investigate the process of emergence and identification of environmental factors and their relations with development of tourism around metropolis of Tehran. The method of this research was descriptive-analytical. For information gathering, field surveys (questionnaires) were used and 100 households were interviewed. The results showed that the tourism of the studied villages dates back to the decades 1991s and in 2001s, it had a growing trend, and a meaningful relationship between natural and human factors in the formation of this industry has existed. Accordingly, the findings of the research suggested that identifying the effects and environmental factors in the development of tourism structures in rural areas are important.

Sustainable Development of tourism is aimed to promote tourism and attract tourists to a region using available resources, such a way that can also respond to the needs of economic, cultural and legal norms and expectations of tourist unity and cultural identity, environmental health, economic balance, destination and their guests to ensure a balanced and continuous optimal level. Tourism development in villages with valuable historical and architectural fabric of the canvas are oriented, means actualizing the values of the architectural attractions of the village and its introduction as a tourism destination. In this case providing services and facilities and develop infrastructure for the visiting tourists and residents is essential. The aim of presenting this paper reviews the development of sustainable rural tourism through the preservation rural texture of using SWOT model. Based on studies, rural revival and renewal, strengthen the role of rural tourism and if rural tourism is the most appropriate planning and management, it Can creator or stimulus developed a process for achieving sustainable development in rural areas and the tourism industry.

The aim of this study was analysis of rural tourism development (RTD) in Iran by exploratory factor analysis (EFA).  The research population consisted of all the experts of Organization of Tourism in Mazandaran Province (N=105), which was selected using the census method. The validity of the instrument was established by a panel of experts consisting of senior faculty members in the tourism department, and research committee advisors. The reliability of the survey instrument concluded the Cronbach alpha coefficient for all the variables with a degree scale of 0.84. Using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), five factors were discovered with components and their factor loading. The five factors were labeled (1) infrastructure factor, (2) economic factor, (3) social factor, (4) management factor and (5) cultural factor. The results obtained from the factors analysis reveal that the five following factors, infrastructure, economic, social, management and cultural explain 57.32% of the variation of RTD

  The concept of social capital has been emphasized through its connection with the basic social components including belief, awareness, participation, trust, cohesion and social network in the direction of sustainable development of societies, especially rural communities. This study aimed to investigate the effect of social capital components on the development of rural tourism. The present research method is descriptive-analytical. The main research tool is the questionnaire. The statistical population of this study is the households of the villages in four tourist target villages in the Torqabeh village, Binalood city in Khorasan Razavi province. To measure the reliability of the research instrument (questionnaire), Cronbach's alpha coefficient and KMO coefficient were used to validate the questionnaire. Six effective institutions in rural tourism development are (etc, council, village, private sector, heritage organization, district, public sector and non-governmental sector). In terms of villagers' belief in their effectiveness, villagers' trust in these institutions and villagers' participation in the development of tourism with these institutions were examined and the research results show that from the villagers' point of view, believing in the effectiveness of any institution ensures villagers' trust in it. Institution and ultimately participation in the development of rural tourism.

Purpose- Owramanat County in Kermanshah province with 14 tourism regions, is one of the best tourist destinations of Kermanshah province, in which the tourism activists have faced challenges during the period of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate and analyze the resilience of rural tourism and identify the key drivers affecting it in the face of Covid-19 pandemic in Owramanat County. Design/methodology/approach- the present applied, quantitative study has been conducted with a combined approach (combination of descriptive-analytical and exploratory methods). The questionnaire method was used for data collection and its validity and reliability have been confirmed by observing scientific principles. In order to achieve the purposes of the study, the opinions of 150 people from the local community active in the field of tourism were used to evaluate the resilience, and the opinions of 30 experts were used to identify the primary factors affecting the resilience and also the views of 25 experts were taken into consideration in order to identify the key drivers affecting the resilience of rural tourism. The SPSS and MICMAC software were used to analyze the collected data. Findings- The research findings showed that, the average of four variables including local government budget, environmental knowledge, community welfare, and social support system as the main components of the resilience of rural tourism were 1.757, 2.358, 1.808, and 2.295 respectively and have been significantly lower than the base average. The overall assessment results showed that the calculated average with a value of 2.014 has been significantly lower than the medium level. The results also showed that, among 17 factors affecting the resilience of tourism, 5 factors of government financial support, financial capital, sanitary equipment, infrastructural facilities and disease control are the most effective key drivers on resilience. Originality/ value- Evaluation and analysis of the resilience of rural tourism in the face of Covid-19 pandemic with an approach of presenting the key indicators and variables in this field and also identification of key drivers affecting the resilience of rural tourism have received less attention from researchers and this proves the originality of the present study.