Rural Development and Tourism Development

Today, the colossal tourism industry, especially domestic tourism, has a special place in the countries and has an active and effective role in promoting the economic, social and cultural structure of the countries, especially in the developing countries. In this regard, rural tourism is also part of the tourism industry, which can play an important role in empowering local people and diversifying their economic growth as well as creating new employment opportunities in close connection with other economic sectors. Rural tourism is one of the relatively good rural development grounds that can provide opportunities and facilities especially for rural employment and income, and have an effective role in the revival and renovation of rural areas. The optimal utilization of rural tourism potential as a complementary strategy for rural development can be considered as a sure step for the promotion and development of rural spaces of the country in all economic, social, cultural and environmental dimensions. Therefore, the present paper illustrates the potentials of rural areas for rural tourism and the impact of tourism on rural development.