The influence of second home tourism on social capital (Case study: Siyavaraz and Lirehsar villages in Tonekabon, Iran)

The impact of second home tourism is divided into three categories: economic, social and environmental. The main focus of this paper is the social impact of second home tourism. The study analyzes social capital by comparing two rural areas. To collect the data, a research are made questionnaire with Chronbach Alpha reliability of 0.78 was used. Stratified random sampling was used to select the sample which consistied of 228 people settling in Siyavaraz (with second homes) and Lirehsar (without second homes) for at least 15 years. The results showed that social capital in one village was not significantly different from the one in the other village. However, details showed that the level of formal social participation, social trust and institutional trust was higher in Lirehsar (without second homes) than in Siyavaraz (with second homes). On the other hand, level of literacy and rate of income were higher in Siyavarz than in Liresar. The study suggests further research in this area as second homes with positive economic effects and negative social effects seem contradictory.