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An attempt to develop ecotourism in an unknown area: the case of Nehbandan County, South Khorasan Province, Iran

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Abstract

This study is an attempt to develop ecotourism in Nehbandan County, in the South Khorasan Province, Iran, by representing unknown areas that have tourism potential. The most important obstacle in the development of tourism industry is the lack of strong marketing plans, tourism management, accommodations for overnight and long stays, and medical and health clinic in the desert. This is a qualitative, exploratory case study investigating the status of environmental, sociocultural, and economic impacts of ecotourism development on the native people’s livelihood in Nehbandan County in Iran. The methodology is based on field observations, secondary data sources, and field survey. It is an interpretive approach that avoids numbers but focuses on issues linked to culture and nature. In the present study, the grounded theory was used to perform data analysis. Based on the findings, ecotourism has undoubtedly proven to be an effective environmental conservation tool in the study site and enables local people to increase their livelihood security through employment in activities relating to ecotourism and the development of rural livelihood.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Tourism Management, Semnan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Semnan, Iran

    Amir Ghorbani

  2. Department of Regional Science, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary

    Hossein Mousazadeh

  3. Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    Fatemeh Taheri

  4. Department of Economic, Agricultural Extension and Education, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

    Shaghayegh Ehteshammajd

  5. Department of Geography, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    Hossein Azadi

  6. Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

    Hossein Azadi

  7. Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan, Mollasani, Iran

    Masoud Yazdanpanah

  8. Department of Geography and Rural Planning, Golestan University, Gorgan, Iran

    Alireza Khajehshahkohi

  9. Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Food of Ss. Cyril, Methodius University, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia

    Vjekoslav Tanaskovik

  10. Department of Engineering Management, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    Steven Van Passel

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  1. Amir Ghorbani
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  4. Shaghayegh Ehteshammajd
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Contributions

AG performed the study and developed the main text. AK and HM designed the study and assisted AG in the field work. HA and FT critically reviewed the manuscript and enriched the first draft. SE, MY, VT, and SVP helped the others address the reviewers’ comments and enrich the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Hossein Azadi.

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Ghorbani, A., Mousazadeh, H., Taheri, F. et al. An attempt to develop ecotourism in an unknown area: the case of Nehbandan County, South Khorasan Province, Iran. Environ Dev Sustain 23, 11792–11817 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-01142-w

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