Evaluation and Ranking the Effective Components in Rural Tourism Marketing with Marketing Mix (7P) (Case Study: Amol, Babol, Babolsar and Sari Provinces

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the present and desired rural tourism in Amol, Babol, Babolsar, and Sari provinces with marketing mix. In the present study, the under-investigation components of marketing mix consist of seven components (7P) of place, planning and management, evidences and physical facilities, publicity, people and staffs, price, and products. In line with this, field study and descriptive-analytic research method have been used, and the data has been collected according to researcher-made 48-question questionnaire in which the related items have been chosen regarding the features of geographical tourism. The staffs of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organizations and Municipality were the sample and all of them have been tested from among the experts at this issue (N=90). The data analysis has been carried out by SPSS Software, and Mean Tests, Chi-Square, Wilcoxon and Friedman. To measure the significant difference between marketing mix items in two present and desired conditions by Wilcoxon test is an indication of the difference between the two compared conditions. Friedman test has been used for ranking the amount of effectiveness of components in the development of rural tourism and the results show the high importance of propaganda, people, and product components regarding the testable in having influence on the development of rural tourism in Amol,Babol, Babolsar, and Sari provinces. Finally, it was found that the combination made of mixing the seven mentioned components with the significant level of 0/00 and the level of allowable error of 0/05 has the following capabilities; firstly, it shows the present condition of rural tourism marketing in the region well. Secondly, it results in the promotion of the level of rural development through expanding rural tourism in the studied region.