Effects of Tourism on Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (Case Study: Saravan, Rasht County, Iran)

Abstract

Purpose- Over the past decades, the improvement of sustainable rural livelihoods has received much attention and has been one of the main goals of sustainable rural development. One of the main approaches to improve rural livelihoods is the development of rural tourism. This has been considered by policymakers as a strategy to reduce rural poverty, especially in developing countries. Therefore, the present study is to investigate the impact of tourism on sustainable livelihoods.Research limitations/implications- This is a descriptive-analytical study in which the documentary study method and field survey (questionnaire-observation-interview) were used in the case study of Saravan. The statistical population is 4233 Saravan rural households. In this framework, 360 household questionnaires have been completed based on the Cochran formula as a research sample.Finding- The results have indicated that tourism in Saravan has not been able to play an effective role in the sustainable livelihoods of the local people (in institutional, economic, and human developments) and covers only some households. It can be concluded that tourism has had a greater impact on other aspects such as social and environmental issues. At the same time, with proper planning, people's livelihoods and abilities can be improved by promoting tourism and sustainable livelihoods.