Theoretical Underpinnings of Rural Community Participation in the Planning of Rural Tourism in Iran

Tourism in Iran is influenced generally by domestic tourism which is in turn dependent on rural tourism. For this reason, paying attention to the management of environment, local people participation, clear and strong laws, marketing, and realistic and systematic planning is quite necessary in rural tourism. In this paper the documentary research method was used to study the conceptual literature and theoretical underpinnings and then based on the characteristics of local rural tourism, a theoretical model appropriate to rural tourism planning in Iran was presented.