Evaluation of ecotourim potentials in the Urmia Lake basin with emphasis on local community

The present study seeks to identify the potentials of the development of ecotourism in the view of condition of local community. Urmia Lake is one the largest lakes in Iran which plays an important role in the socio-economic and environmental sectors in this region. However, due to the fact that the lake has shrunk substantially, it brought about national and international concerns.
The study with focus on qualitative methods employed semi-structured interviews in persons and groups and some observations. The study population consisted of all stakeholders concerning the revival of the lake and the potentials of the development of ecotourism in the area. Purposive sampling with snowballing method was used to find the informants. The techniques of SWOT, IEA, and QSPM were employed for strategic evaluations. Based on the results of external and internal factors, it was found that the most appropriate strategy for the development of ecotourism in the basin would be adaptive strategy. Among the identified strategies, the strategy of the formation of integrated management with the function of inter-province for the restoration of Urmia Lake was suggested as the most appropriate strategy for sustainable development of the ecotourism in basin.