Quantitative and Qualitative Aspects of Sustainability of Ecotourism Industry (Case Study of Ilam Villages)

Traveling to Karbala and other religious sites in the last decade has made Ilam a tourist destination. Meanwhile, cultural and ecological attractions have led to nature tourism along with religious tourism. The purpose of this research is to study ecotourism in Ilam villages and its compliance with sustainable tourism. In this regard, the benefits and disadvantages of the residents of Ilam province are considered. The research method in this paper is based on the correlation-survey method. In order to evaluate ecotourism in Ilam, based on previous studies as well as field observations, 31 indices were compiled and 600 questionnaires were distributed based on cluster sampling and Cochran method in the targeted cities of Ilam province. The findings show that the development of nature tourism in Ilam is based on a combination of economic and developmental factors that lead to unequal power relations and reduced interactions between the human-host environment and the guest. The results show that from the viewpoint of the local people, ecotourism in Ilam has not been able to achieve the principles of ecological and cultural sustainability. The current approach has mainly affected the natural and cultural areas of the province's tourism target areas.