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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Sustain. Tour.
Sec. Social Impact of Tourism
Volume 3 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/frsut.2024.1404013
This article is part of the Research Topic Tourism Development, Sustainability, and Inclusion View all 4 articles

Breaking Barriers: How the Rural Poor Engage in Tourism Activities without External Support in Selected Iranian Villages

Provisionally accepted
Zabih-Allah Torabi Zabih-Allah Torabi *
  • Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study investigates the participation of the rural poor in tourism activities in selected villages in Shahrud, Iran, addressing the lack of research on their direct involvement in formal and informal tourism businesses. Through qualitative methods and face-to-face interviews, the experiences of disadvantaged individuals in Qalae Bala, Abar, and Reza Abad villages are examined. Findings suggest that despite minimal external support, the rural poor actively engage in tourism by seeking formal employment, participating in informal activities, and acquiring relevant knowledge and skills. The study highlights the potential for informal tourism businesses to increase opportunities for people experiencing poverty. These insights contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the field, and the implications for policy and practice are discussed. The study emphasizes the importance of considering both formal and informal tourism activities when exploring the role of tourism in poverty alleviation and the need for targeted interventions to support the rural poor's participation in the tourism sector.

    Keywords: Rural poor, tourism and poverty reduction, formal and informal businesses, selected villages, Iran

    Received: 20 Mar 2024; Accepted: 19 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Torabi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Zabih-Allah Torabi, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

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