Identifying and Investigating Factors Affecting Sustainable Development of Rural Tourism (Case Study: Zarrabad Village, East Alamut Section of Qazvin)

Tourism is one of the most important activities that have played a special role in the economic development of some countries in recent decades. The expansion of tourism can lead to a fair distribution of income at the national level, especially in the countryside. This can also somewhat contribute to sustainable development in all parts of the country by filling the development gap between different regions of the country (especially in the villages). The purpose of this study is to identify factors affecting sustainable development of rural tourism in the Zorabad village in the eastern Alamut district of Qazvin. The statistical population of this study consists of 400 rural tourism activists. 112 individuals were selected using Cochran statistic and random sampling. In the present study, the main instrument for data collection was a questionnaire whose face validity was confirmed by experts and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.89). According to the results, five factors of rural potential, public participation, employment development, and governmental, cultural and social support for sustainable tourism development were identified.