Current challenges facing ecotourism development in Iran

Abstract

Iran is a rich country in terms of natural, historical, and cultural resources appropriate for ecotourism development. Despite its many valuable attractions and growth potential, Iranian ecotourism has faced various problems that have slowed or even prevented its expansion. Thus, in order to plan to address these challenges, we need to identify them. This study highlights the challenges of Iranian ecotourism and identifies areas where further research is required by reviewing some of the previous studies on Iran's ecotourism. Based on a literature review and thematic analysis, six different categories of challenges are presented: governance and planning, political, socio-economic, cultural; legal aspects; infrastructure; community awareness and knowledge; and environmental challenges. The study results indicated that the most significant challenges facing the Iranian ecotourism industry are governance, management, and planning issues. The research findings enhance our understanding of the current challenges of ecotourism in Iran that need to be rigorously investigated in the future and before any development planning projects. This study provides valuable insights for researchers, managers, and tourism officials on the development of Iranian ecotourism, which can be considered for future studies and planning.

Relationships between Perceptions of Residents Toward Tourism Development, Benefits Derived from Tourism and Support to Tourism

“…Sustainability is defined as an understanding to prevent any unnecessary burden on environmental, socio-cultural, or economic carrying capacity at a destination (Weaver, 2006: 10). With this understanding, sustainability ensures the continuity of a certain ecosystem without any disruption and without being consumed by the excessive use of natural resources (Sezgin and Kahraman, 2008;Makian and Hanifezadeh, 2021). Thus, sustainability advocates the necessity of protecting natural, socio-cultural, and economic environment for the improvement of societal and individual welfare and the long-term continuity of society and tourism (Choi and Murray, 2010: 579).…”

Key factors of nature-based tourism future development in less-developed nature destinations: Case study: Ardabil province of Iran

“…Particularly in the case of Iran, implementing sustainable solutions and long-term ecologically sound strategies is essential. These measures are necessary to address the multifaceted challenges arising from the destruction of biodiversity (Makian & Hanifezadeh, 2021).…”