Design Strategies for the Sustainable Development of Tourism Iranian Historic- Cultural Villages

In recent decade, tourism especially in rural area has important role in economic diversification and natural and historical- cultural heritage preservation. The available historical- cultural heritage importance in rural area as a civilization heritage has a special situation and it causes to attract many of tourists to these kind of potential destination. So, take advantages of these potential destination needs to design appropriate strategies and specific areas of the tourism planners and managers. Therefore, this study has aimed to develop strategy for the sustainable development of rural tourism and in this case study tried to answer the fundamental question that what is the appropriate strategy for sustainable tourism development in rural area where has historical -cultural potential? Accordingly, the present study by using of descriptive- analytic and survey methodology and SWOT technique, QSPM assessment matrix, has presented the appropriate strategies in three dimensions of rural community as participators, tourists and administrators in seven historical-cultural rural area. For data analyzing and presenting appropriate and comprehensive strategy for rural tourism development, had been use of SWOC analytic method. According to the obtained results from the sample communities, the defensive strategy had been selected as a central strategy for rural tourism development in case study of rural area.