Authors
Associate Professor, Faculty of Geography and rural planning University of PNU, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
In the process of tourism development, the structure of good rural governance plays a very important role in creating of effective coordination and interaction in various sectors which are active in tourism. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of good governance in sustainable rural tourism development. In order to study the good governance in the villages of the region, first, one sample t-test was used to test the extent of each of the nine indicators of good rural governance and finally, by combining them, the overall situation of the villages was analyzed. Pearson correlation test was used to find out the relationship between good rural governance and sustainable rural tourism which Pearson correlation coefficient (0.955) indicates a direct, positive and highly significant relationship. The results of the VIKOR model (ranking of villages in terms of sustainability) and the COPRAS model (ranking of villages based on good governance indices) are completely consistent. The villages of Lasjerd and Biabank rank first in terms of good governance indicators and sustainability indicators. In order to test hypotheses and measure sustainability indicators of rural tourism development in Sorkheh Township, at first, the degree of sustainability of each of the environmental, socio-cultural and economic dimensions were tested by using one-sample t-test. The average status of environmental (0.457), socio-cultural (1.039) and economic (0.652) indicators indicates the stability of these indices. Then Pearson correlation test was used to analyze the correlation that there is a direct, positive and strong relationship between the variables of rural governance (total) and the variables of economic sustainability, socio-cultural sustainability and environmental sustainability.
Keywords: Rural Good Governance, Rural Tourism, COPRAS model, VIKOR model, Sorkheh Township
Extended Abstract
Introduction:
Rural tourism is a major force in improving the economic growth of the villages and by creating productive job opportunities based on the available potential in the villages, it increases the level of welfare, living standards, income, security, population preservation, Maintaining of ecological balance and natural resources, traditional texture and cultural characteristics of the villages. The best rural management approach for tourism development is exploiting all the potential of tourists attracting and creating a competitive environment in the tourism market in the rural environment. Traditional rural management methods characterized by lack of rural participation, exclusivity, lack of creativity and innovation in development plans and the uncertain status of rural management in the planning process then It cannot be a good response to the needs of people and tourists, the participation of all Beneficiaries in the planning of tourism development and good service. Therefore, the establishment of a participatory environment and sustainable investment in the rural tourism Economic sector by villagers, local institutions and the private sector, it Can contribute to the sustainability of development in the rural tourism sector, in addition to providing good services to tourists, creating a healthy competitive environment, forming diverse economic activities related to tourism. The villages of Sorkheh Township have many historical, cultural and natural attractions and Due to the development of tourism in the region and the increasing number of visitors, this study seeks to analyze good governance in sustainable development of rural tourism in Sorkheh Township. It seeks to answer the question, "Can the realization of a good rural governance approach contribute to the sustainable development of tourism in the region?" From the beginning of the research, the authors have taken into consideration the following three hypotheses: 1) Sorkheh Township is in good condition in terms of good rural governance indicators; 2) Sorkheh Township is in good condition in terms of sustainable rural tourism development indicators; 3) There is a significant relationship between good rural governance and sustainable rural tourism development in Sorkheh.
Methodology:
This research is an applied research in terms of purpose, and based on the nature of the data, is a Mixed-method research. In this study, Delphi method was used to identify the importance of each of the effective factors in analyzing the position of good governance in rural tourism development sustainability. The statistical population of the study was non-native tourists who visited Sorkheh Township in autumn 2018, Therefore, the sample size was selected from 170 statistical population (when the total size of the statistical population is unknown and the variance of the statistical population is also unknown). 170 non-native tourists were selected at random. Data gathering tool is a researcher-made questionnaire. The variables of this research in the field of governance are: participation, transparency, rule of law, justice, accountability, Responsiveness, supervision, Efficiency, and Professionalism. Data analysis was performed by using SPSS software and one-sample t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient and COPRAS and VIKOR technique.
Findings:
The results of the VIKOR model (ranking of villages in terms of sustainability) and the COPRAS model (ranking of villages based on good governance indices) are completely consistent. The villages of Lasjerd and Biabank rank first in terms of good governance indicators and sustainability indicators. In order to ensure good rural governance situation in the region, the research indices were combined and they were measured by using one-sample t-test and the study area is in desirable condition. In order to measure sustainability indices of rural tourism development, first, the sustainability of each dimension was tested by using one-sample t-test that the result of the test shows the stability of these indicators. Pearson correlation test was used to determine the relationship between good governance and rural tourism and to determine the direction and intensity of this relationship that shows a direct, positive and very strong relationship. Pearson correlation coefficient test shows that there is a positive, direct and significant relationship between the variables of total rural governance with economic sustainability, socio-cultural sustainability and environmental sustainability.
Conclusion:
The existence of a framework for the governance in rural tourism is essential Due to the strong dependence of rural tourism to the natural and human resources of the village and the lack of optimal use of these resources and Influence of economic, socio-cultural and environmental situation of the village from tourism. The results show that there is a very weak relationship between accountability and Responsiveness with economic, socio-cultural and environmental sustainability variables. Respondents believed that responsibility and accountability of officials could help improve the conditions for rural tourism development in the region. Since good rural governance means the relationship between government actors and non-government Beneficiaries then the necessary conditions must be provided for private sector investors and People's participation in various stages of planning and implementing of tourism projects. Accountability is one of the mechanisms for achieving social justice and it is proposed to provide mechanisms to address the demands of people and investors in rural tourism to promote social justice and create equal opportunities for the population. Therefore, the presence of accountable formal institutions is essential in the structuralism of management. Good rural governance requires fair legal frameworks to be implemented impartially and According to common values of society, all the people and active institutions in the field of rural tourism to be equal in law. No person or institution should use rent to carry out rural tourism projects. In order to develop rural tourism in the region with respect to the variables of rural governance, it is suggested to document tourism capacities and potentials in the villages of the study area; Coordination between government agencies, Township and villages authorities and the private sector in attracting credit and developing infrastructure; Increase People's participation and private sector participation in all stages of tourism development planning and finally, Utilize the capacity of indigenous peoples in the process of rural tourism development, including eco-tourism homes, infrastructure improvements, and justification education classes Due to the high percentage of university graduates in the area.
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