Qualitative Analysis of Damages and Strategies for Ecotourism Development OF Rural Areas in Corona

The purpose of this study is to identify the harms caused by the corona crisis on ecotourism business in Mazandaran province and strategies to increase resilience against it. This research has been done with a qualitative approach and with interview tool. The statistical population includes all owners of ecotourism resorts in Mazandaran province. With 13 interviews theoretical saturation was performed. In relation to the consequences and solutions, in general 81 basic concepts were obtained. These concepts were included 2 main categories of causal conditions, 4 main categories of underlying conditions, 5 main categories (economic damages), 2 categories Main (social damages), 3 main categories (psychological damages) were included. Also, the strategies were divided into four main categories: economic and professional strategies, social strategies, individual strategies and cultural strategies. Reduction of income was the most important economic damage and reduction of indicators of guarantee and reliability of tourism services and the reputation and image of the residence were the most important occupational damages. The most important strategies were social and executive strategies.