Life Science Journal 2013;10(5s) http://www.lifesciencesite.

com

A Review on Rural Tourism Problems in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province: Case Study

Taghi Karimiana , Majid Rahmani Seryasatb, Mahdi Hajiloc

a.
M. A. Students in Geography and Tourism Planning Faculty, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
b.
Department of Management, Takestan branch, Islamic Azad University, Takestan, Iran
c.
M.A. Students in Geography and Rural Planning Faculty, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
[email protected]

Abstract: Tourism industry is an integrated process consisted of physical space and human society, new forms of
which are resulted from the changes in values and attitudes regarding human life, state-of-the-art technology,
explosive growth in data types and political forces. Rural tourism is one of its forms with special considerations.
This study is aimed to investigate rural tourism problems in Atashgah Village located in Lordegan City,
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province. The methodology for this study is of analytic descriptive. The study shows
that in the study area, there are infrastructural, social and economic problems with tourism need special
considerations. Consequently, there has been proposed some strategies to develop tourism activities in the area.
[Taghi Karimian, Majid Rahmani Seryasat, Mahdi Hajilo. A Review on Rural Tourism Problems in
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province: Case Study. Life Sci J 2013;10(5s):376-381] (ISSN:1097-8135).
http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 68

Keywords: Tourism, Rural tourism, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Atashgah Village

1. Introduction regard to utilize systematically and rationally potential

In recent years, following some global capabilities of the places. Aligned with this, tourism
developments, many rural areas in the developing industry development in rural areas was taken into
countries have encountered with critical changes in consideration as a new strategy for policymakers,
social, political and economic foundations resulted in political authorities and local communities.
increasing rural evacuations, decline in agricultural The term rural tourism is repeatedly and
products and on the other hand rapid growth in alternatively applied instead of terms such as green
urbanization accompanied by its problems. Therefore, tourism, native tourism, natural tourism and country
it is required to be provided new strategies with this tourism [15].

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Figure 1: Rural tourism (Source: authors)

Villages and their residents are related to tourism handicrafts; environmental attractions; native
industry into two dimensions: one is that rural livestock; scarce plants (herbicides) [14].
environment is accounted for bungalow places and 3.1 Rural tourism: a strategy for rural
appropriate for leisure tourists and the other is that development
their products including food and handicrafts are In various cases, tourism industry has been
supplied for tourists and this helps subsistence accounted for a strategy for development of rural
economy of the villagers [10]. areas. This study, because of increasing destruction of
Thus, rural tourism as an ultra-structural function villages and changes in agriculture uses, is endeavored
can be developed and promoted through participation to propose applicable strategies to create income and
with and dependency on other economic and cultural increase welfare for residents in rural areas through
sectors in the society. This, in turn, plays significant complement activities within validation of tourist and
role in village development and growth, accordingly, tourism attractions. These strategies will be presented
national development in the country (Fig. 1). during two approaches [2]:
2. Theories 1. Rural tourism as a complement for rural
2.1 Definitions and concepts activities;
History, culture, lifestyle and language of each 2. Evolution of less developed rural areas.
nation have woven together as a comprehensive 4. History
source, knowing of which is better achieved only 4.1 International studies
through direct observation. Without knowing these Among initial ideas about rural tourism for an
different versions in different societies the culture will extensive concept is of Richard and Julia Sharply
no doubt be retarded, if decayed at all [11]. Therefore, (1997) [3]. They in their book “Introduction for Rural
tourism in an environment where the fates of cultures Development” described to a large extent rural
are interdependent is an extensive cultural tourism concept, its scopes and how to plan tourism in
conversation in which tourists are precursors for rural areas, investigated rural tourism development as
consistent growth of the cultures with together and is an important part of the tourism as a whole and
considered as a tool for their understandings [9]. emphasized on the role of tourism in social and
Following this discussions, rural tourism was economic development and rural reconstruction.
appeared as a social, economic and cultural activity in In a study by C. Ashley (2000) [4], “Tourism
Europe, especially U. K., in the second half of 18th Effects on Rural Lifestyles”, a comprehensive scope
century. With this regard, rural tourism current is of tourism effects on lifestyles of villagers resident in
considered as a context for the tourists who reside in different parts of Namibia was investigated and it was
or around a village for relaxation or leisure and obtain tried to achieve two purposes:
information about lifestyle and local environmental 1. Having concentrated on lifestyle, a useful
conditions of the village [8]. landscape of tourism was provided to
Rural tourism is a part of tourism market place upgrade local advantages.
and a source for income and employment. It can be 2. How to increase the influences and tourism
indicate as an important tool for economic, ecological diagrams among villagers was considered.
and social development of rural communities such In a paper, “Tourism Development in Estonia:
that in many countries, this is related to agricultural Attractions, Sustainability and Rural development” by
policies and is upgraded as a strategy for environment Time Andrin (2000), the factors effective on tourism
and traditional rural culture conservations [7]. development in Estonia has been investigated since its
3. Rural tourism attractions independency. In this study, integrated rural
For Pierre Larousse [12], tourism is to travel for development and contemporary symbolic tourism, its
leisure and entertainment and the tourist is a person sustainability, advantages and usefulness of tourism
who travels for his/her happiness and enjoyment. development and also its social, environmental and
Incentives that cause to make a person to travel as a economic influences have been portrayed.
tourist for long distances and reside in or around a 4.2 National studies
village for a short time are very extensive. The most While tourism, especially rural tourism, has been
important and principle attraction for rural tourism has traditionally considered in Iran and because it’s
been traditionally the village itself [13]. Attractions different cultural and natural attractions are still gone
which make tourists attracted for villages can be ahead, scientific accurate studies has been no longer
expressed as the following: natural and morphological implemented in Iran, especially in local and regional
conditions; lifestyles; cultural customs; local level, until recent years. In this section, it has been

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tried to present few studies conducted on some Finally, dimensions of these effects on rural
dimensions of rural tourism. development were studied. In this part, considering
In a paper by Abolghasem Sharifzadeh and the studies proposes three critical attitudes with regard
Homayoon Moradinejad (2003) [5], “Sustainable to tourism and rural development:
Development and Rural Tourism”, it has been 1. Tourism as a tool for rural development;
investigated different dimensions of rural tourism and 2. Tourism as a policy for reconstruction of
emphasized the role tourism playing social, economic rural residential;
sustainable development of rural areas. Also, they in 3. Tourism as a mean for sustainable rural
this paper emphasized that rural tourism can play development.
significant role in human resources development and 5. Methodology
diversity of agriculture sector and economic The methodology in this study is a combination
development besides new opportunities with regard to of descriptive analytic methods and case study method
other economic sectors. to increase the accuracy. It is descriptive because
In a Ph.D. dissertation by Esmaiil Ghaderi using library and field data, it has been devoted to past
(2004) [6], “Tourism and Sustainable Rural and present conditions and it is analytic because it
Development”, in addition to respond the question investigates and considers the relationship among the
whether rural tourism plays a role and influences on variables and finally, case study for increasing
rural sustainable development, it has been investigated accuracy. The studied village was selected as a sample
viewpoints within different literature around the world and data collection and questionnaire completion was
about tourism, rural development. It has been conducted. The questionnaires were distributed
investigated different effects of tourism on rural separately by tourism experts, tourists and local public
residential in different countries using analytic and the results were investigated.
descriptive method and library data collection. 6. Study area

Figure 2: Study Area

The study area was located in 50km far from beautiful and pristine natural features. Within the
southeast Lordegan city of Chaharmahal and valley, a roaring river flows surrounded by lime
Bakhtiari Province on northeastern Zagros range fault stones and gypsums beside old trees such as walnut,
at 50°28’25” in longitude and 31°14’50” in latitude. oak and ash. High steep and ups and downs along the
This area is located on Zagros faults with thick river make various local waterfalls aligned with 3km
sequence of sedimentary rocks (Fig. 2). long. While weather is temperate to warm, it is very
Atashgah waterfall is located in 40km away cool within the valley and provides some relaxation
from Lordegan city after Milas and Sardasht-e- for human body. In 200m away, two relatively large
Shoosh villages in Atashgah village. The village with waterfalls represented which host far and close
a very ancient history is a narrow valley with travellers at weekends, beside natural beautiful

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elements such as valley, meadow and suitable climate provide green vegetation for leisure and hiking [1].

Figure 3: Problems with rural tourism (source: authors)

7. Findings
Considering the questionnaires distributed In the interviews with the study area tourists
among experts, tourists and local public, the results in about the reasons for low second visit of the
Figure 1 were achieved. 28% of tourists indicated no waterfalls and Atashgah village, above three reasons
consideration for infrastructural facilities as one of were considered as the main for no more returns to
principle problems with Atashgah village and 15% Atashgah. Of course, most emphasize was on
indicated no suitable planning as well as low and inappropriate and dangerous connection availability
insufficient governmental sponsorship. Other route for the area. It should be considered that some
observed in the figure has relatively identical parts of the route are still dusty such that in the
proportion for rural tourism problems in the area winter, because of rainfalls, it is possible to fall rocks
(Fig. 3). and the availability is just possible with livestock
(Fig. 4).

Figure 4: Reasons for no return of tourists to the

study area

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Figure 5: Proposed strategies by tourism experts for private sector investment beside special notice for
tourism development in the area (source: authors) required infrastructure for tourism sector. Of course,
According to the interviews with tourism they emphasized that constructing service and
experts, they recognized tourism development in the welfare complexes should have no damages for rural
area in short and long time planning with government texture and cause no changes in tourist minds (Fig.
supports and considerations as well as incentives for 5).

Table 1: Classification of inappropriate implications of tourism for the host community (source: authors)
Nature and ecosystem Economy Culture and society Politics and bureaucracy
 Elimination of plant
 Immigration;
species;
 Increase in crime;
 Ran some animal
 Increase in prices;  Changing host
species;
 High rates of lands; community culture;
 Hunting animal  Stimulate host
 A barrier for better  Disturb social order
species; community to incite
investment; and rural interactions;
 Disturbing wildlife; illegal actions within
 Rising inflation and  Increase in prostitution;
 Extinction of some political scopes;
increasing costs;  Culture reluctance and
animals;  Failure to perform
 High costs of services; promoting partial
 Removing the administrative tasks;
 High expectations; cultures from guest
landscapes;  Insecurity in the area
 Property and land cultures;
 Development of from aliens;
speculation;  Social problems among
environmental  Impose political demands
 Disturbing people living; villagers;
pollution; of host community to
 Promoting a false culture of  Disturbing ethical
 Environmental guests from lack of
consumerism; codes of host
pollution and increase awareness;
 Lower purchasing power of community;
human wastes;  Interaction of political
villagers;  Away from culture of
 Destruction of natural entrenchments;
 Obstruction of economic native culture;
structures;  Dividing the village by
benefits by local entities;  Weaken adherence to
 Accelerate soil non-native staffs of
 A gap between rural local customs
erosion; public/private
communities from income  Lack of self-esteem;
 The loss of trees and institutions.
distribution as well as level  Imitations from tourists
forests surrounding
and distribution of tourism by youths and
the area;
increasing urban luxury
 Pollution of water
goods.
resources.

Tourism activities have adverse influences such implications on tourism were investigated in natural,
as natural, economic-cultural, social and political economic, social and political phenomena in which
implications on the host community which given long the economic and natural one are the most important.
term negligence, can be converted to a crisis (Tab. 1). With regard to the results, followings are
8. Conclusions and proposes for the future proposed:
Rural tourism is one of different forms of  Taking consideration for infrastructures and
sustainable development in which available rural providing services for tourists and
resources are utilized. The results from current study construction of public sanitation, restaurant,
illustrate rural tourism problems in Chaharmahal and hotel, motel and also tourist market place;
Bakhtiari Province and especially Atashgah village  Construction of appropriate connection
with priorities as follows: routes and supervisory security forces to
No consideration for infrastructural facilities increase safety in the area;
devotes the most important (28%) problem in rural  Construction of parking lots;
tourism in the study area which needs special notice.  Considering health and residence or public
Then, no suitable programming is positioned by 15% clinics to provide services for medical care
of problems. Also, other problems are prioritized and outpatients;
sanitation problems (9%), low education (7%) and  Environment conservation and preventing
supports by the government (7%), unanimity with cutting trees for warming or cooking by
tourism problems (6%), Special culture in the area tourists;
(5%) and seasonality (5%). Also, negative effects and

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