Investigation of factors influencing the formation of conflicting relationship between agriculture and tourism sectors (Case study: Nowshahr and Chalous counties)

The relationship between tourism and agriculture has been a challenging liaison in the tourism development literature. The state of relationship between these two important industries varies through a two-poled spectrum in which conflict is on one end and growth on the other. Given that most tourism destinations of the world are faced with rapid changes, adjusting the relationship between the two industries to move from a conflicting stance into a compatible situation, is a challenge for spatial management and planning. Coastal areas of Caspian Sea are concurrently agricultural and touristic destinations. With the increasing changes of the area in the recent decades, the relationship quality between the two sectors has become a critical issue in planning and regional development. Being this a matter of great concern in the region, this paper aims to investigate the entity of relationship between tourism and agriculture, and to identify the factors affecting the manner of this relationship, and finally to suggest some solutions. A survey analysis was conducted upon a statistical population consisting of farmers, administrations, real estate agents, and lawyers from two different areas: mountainous region of Chalous and plain lands of Nowshahr County. Results indicated that the relationship between stated industries is of the winner-loser type, being conflicting and destructive; as a matter of weaknesses in land-use management mechanisms, grave weaknesses in agriculture sector, mushrooming of real-estate agencies all around the area, and farmers’ attitudes regarding welfare—not expecting it to be achieved by way of agriculture. Finally the followings are suggested: Effective support of strategic agricultural products by government, reformation of land laws and regulations, establishing coherent executive and use-management mechanisms, and formulation of a structural-strategic plan for the purpose of spatial development in the region.