Presenting a Pattern for Sustainable Development of Rural Tourism Destinations with Spatial Planning Approach; Case Study: East of Mazandaran Province

Spatial planning and sustainable development of tourism, due to having a common goal, for the concept of planning as organizing the future life of societies with regulations and designing social and economic relations in the future and careful use of physical space in order to achieve human welfare without destroying the environment, are considered as a kind of philosophical confluence. purpose of this study was to provide a Pattern for sustainable development of rural tourism destinations with spatial planning approach in the east of Mazandaran province. For this purpose, to present the research model, 14 indicators were identified using 14 indicators to investigate the spatial planning status of sustainable development of tourism among the four cities of the province. necessary data were collected through field visits by a questionnaire.The results show that spatial planning dimensions and indicators are effective in explaining the sustainable development of rural tourism destinations. The selected indicators, according to the conditions and requirements of rural areas, can be tested and operational at the level of similar villages. Therefore, the most important factor in the spatial planning process of sustainable development of rural tourism destinations in the first step is recognition of location capacities (environmental and physical) including diversity of natural attractions, quality of attractions, location of attractions, human (socio-cultural) dimension including cultural and political, participation of local people and education, activity dimension (functions) including accommodation services, catering, distribution of services and information, investment, employment and income.