Rural tourism feasibility and its effects on rural development: Kahman region case study

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of rural tourism in Kahman region, to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of tourism and to investigate its economic, environmental and social effects in this region. In the present study, the SWAT model and the survey method has been used. The findings of the study have shown that the benefits and limitations of tourism development in the region are almost identical. Moreover, it was found that although tourism has brought about very low income growth, it has been very effective in increasing construction and price of land in the village. Tourism, from a social dimension, has had very little effect on clothing types, types of ceremonies, the pattern of food consumption and improvement of education condition, but it has led to the expansion of external relations with neighboring areas and an increase in some problems. From a physical dimension, tourism has made some problems for the environment and reduced the diversity of plants and animals and also polluted the environment. But at the same time, it has increased the green spaces in the villages.