Effects of Tourism on Rural Development: A Case Study of Ramsar County of Iran

     This study investigated the role of tourism in rural development in Ramsar county of Iran. The statistical population consisted of two groups: tourists including families who were traveled to this county and stayed in tourism areas for a short time (n=120), and rural hosting families including local households who delivered services to the tourists (n=130). The sample groups were selected randomly through the Krejcie and Morgan table. The main instrument was a questionnaire developed by the investigators. Majority of the local people (86.2%) and tourists (92.1%) emphasized on the effects of economic factors (at moderate to high levels) on the rural development. T-test results showed a significant difference between the viewpoints of the two groups regarding the socio-economic effects of tourism; but there was no significant difference regarding the environmental factors. In addition, majority of the tourists (80.67%) and the locals (70%) emphasized on the environmental impacts on rural communities at the moderate to high levels.