Prioritizing SWOT strategies by using QSPM in order to realize rural tourism development (a case of: Western Alvand Village in Hamedan Province)

the purpose of this research is to study the rural tourism situation in the western Alvand rural district of Hamedan province and present its development strategies. Semi-structured interview with experts from Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization has been used for data collection. SWOT technique has been used to develop development strategies. To prioritize according to the importance of each participant's views, the coefficient of importance between zero and one is considered for them. This technique operates on the basis of qualitative analysis. In this research, the QSPM strategic planning matrix was used to plan and formulate more effective strategies following the steps taken. The results of the SWOT analysis indicate that the area in question is invasive (SO) and appropriate strategies should be in this area, and then, competitive strategies (ST), defensive (WT) strategies can be applied in the end, also conservative (WO) strategies. Also, QSPM matrix-based prioritization showed that the strategies that can be prioritized in order of importance are S01-ST1-WT1-WO1-ST2-S02-S03 strategies.