The Living Experience of the Poor to Participate in Activities Related to Nature Tourism in Selected Villages in the East of Semnan Province

Pro-poor tourism initiatives seek a direct link between tourism activities and poverty alleviation approaches with the aim of hearing the voices of the poor, paying particular attention to their needs and participating in the process of tourism development. Accordingly, the present study, through face-to-face qualitative interviews, seeks to explore the lived experiences of the poor in selected villages of eastern Semnan province to participate in nature-related activities. These three villages have become one of the most popular tourist areas in the country in recent years, but the statistics show that there are also many poor. The results of face-to-face interviews show that most participants face high growth in tourism in their villages in three ways: "trying to participate in formal jobs", "trying to participate in informal activities" and "trying to learn and enhance skills". They have sought to influence and participate in nature-related hiking activities in selected villages. But a number of them also have taken a passive approach to tourism growth, which has isolated them in their living environments.