Small and Medium Businesses in the Shemiranat Tourist villages

One of the effective approaches to enhance the motivation of rural communities is to engage in entrepreneurial activities within the domain of rural tourism. In order to accomplish this objective, it is crucial to identify captivating destinations, evaluate the present condition of rural societies, and recognize the inherent talents and abilities of the rural inhabitants. The primary purpose of this study is to identify the prospects for the establishment of small and medium-sized enterprises focused on tourism within the villages of the Shemiranat region.

This descriptive-analytical research has a practical perspective in relation to its objectives. The statistical population comprises the villages situated in three rural districts, namely Lavasan bozorg, Lavasan Koochak, and Rudbar Qasran, which selected through the employment of spatial cluster sampling method. Furthermore samples were chosen based on their availability and utilizing the snowball method, resulting in a total sample size of 313 participants. Data collection was conducted using field studies and a researcher-made questionnaire. The reliability and validity of the data collection tools were determined using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and content validity method. The gathered data was subjected to analysis employing the T-paired test within the SPSS 22 software.

The findings of the study revealed the identification of 6 indicators and 84 components, which were recognized as potential opportunities for the advancement of small to medium-sized enterprises in the examined villages. These opportunities were assessed by means of a questionnaire. Following an expert review, the number of components reduced to 80. The questionnaire's validity was substantiated by the application of Cronbach's alpha coefficient, yielding a value of 0.85. Among the opportunities for tourism development, the following categories were deemed suitable: economic, social-cultural, infrastructural-opportunity, spatial, psychological, and attractive opportunities. Based on the T-paired test, the most crucial opportunities were determined to be the attractive, psychological, and infrastructural ones.

The villages of the Shemiranat region offer noteworthy prospects across multiple dimensions for the advancement of tourism. These opportunities possess the potential to serve as a catalyst for fostering economic expansion.