The COVID-19 pandemic enters year three, with no end in sight. Among hoteliers, small family run businesses have been among the hardest hit. We interview owners of small Iranian Eco-tourism lodges (Ecolodges). Using MAXQDA 2020 software, thematic analysis revealed 10 main themes, condensed into five discussion topics. Stakeholder theory shapes our discussion of findings, revealing roles of internal and external stakeholders. Findings also include the reactive and innovative strategies ecolodges use to stay open and generate cash flow, the importance of stakeholder communications and accessing up-to-date government rules, the value of constant learning, and H.R. practices that assure stakeholders’ well-being.

Tourism for cities with tourist attractions such as Zanjan can become the most important source of monetization. Provided that proper and comprehensive planning is planned and implemented for it. The concept of social marketing is based on that each organization must first determine the needs, wants and interests of its target markets, then providing those needs and demands more effective than other competitors in a way that welfare of both customers and society are provided. This article investigates the impact of social marketing strategy on the urban tourism growth and economic development with emphasis on the mediating role of trust. This study, in terms of purpose, is application-oriented and is descriptive-correlational in terms of method. The statistical population of the study consist of experts, specialists and students of Tourism science at Zanjan city. The sampling method was random, and the sample size was calculated based on the Cochran formula of 391 people. The data collection tool is the standard questionnaire which validity and reliability were evaluated by experts and Structural Equation Model (SEM) using desired Cronbach's alpha (0.896), respectively. Data were analyzed using pls3 and SPSS software. The results of the study indicated that social marketing with an intensity of "0.556" and trust with an intensity of "0.258" are effective in the tourism growth and economic development. There is also a meaningful relationship between social marketing and trust.