In collaboration with Payame Noor University and Iranian Geography and Urban Planning Association

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Associate professor of Geography and rural planning, Payame Noor university, Tehran, Iran

10.30473/psp.2025.73369.2760

Abstract

Enhancing rural resilience by reducing vulnerability has been widely adopted by development planners as a key strategy to promote sustainability, enabling rural areas to adapt to and withstand economic and natural pressures. In this context, the present study investigates tourism development as a transformative activity in the rural environment of Oraman District, Sarvabad Township, in order to identify its effects on changes in local resilience. Data were collected through documentary research in the theoretical section and by questionnaires and interviews in the fieldwork. The research employed a mixed-method approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Qualitative data were analyzed using Grounded Theory, while quantitative analysis employed the Wilcoxon test, path analysis, and regression methods. The findings revealed that the mean resilience level of the studied villages significantly increased (p < 0.05) from 2.81 before tourism development to 2.95 afterward. Thus, tourism has contributed to improving rural resilience; however, this improvement remains relatively limited and fragile, indicating the existence of constraints that hinder tourism’s full potential in strengthening resilience. In total, 62 barriers and challenges were identified, which were grouped into four main categories: (1) managerial deficiencies, weak planning, and lack of essential services and facilities; (2) insufficient financial resources and prevailing security constraints; (3) social shortcomings and an unfavorable business environment; and (4) weaknesses in marketing, education, and demand generation for tourism development.

Keywords

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