Factors affecting the sustainability of small enterprises in rural tourism destinations (Study area: Mashhad tourism influence area) abstract
In many countries, including Iran, one of the major development goals is to reduce
unemployment and promote employment-generating activities. The tourism approach provides a suitable opportunity for economic revitalization and the mobilization of human resources and labor in declining rural areas, leading to the development of rural employment. Therefore, the development of
small businesses in the tourism sector is considered one of the factors of rural development. The development of rural businesses and entrepreneurship can play a significant role in creating job opportunities and income and, consequently, improving the economic and livelihood conditions of rural areas. Therefore, the aim of this research is to identify and analyze the factors affecting the
sustainability of
small businesses in
rural tourism destinations. The research method is descriptive-analytical and applied in terms of its purpose. To identify the factors affecting the
sustainability of
small businesses in
rural tourism destinations, the fuzzy hierarchical Delphi technique was used. Accordingly, a researcher-made questionnaire was distributed to 30 experts in the field of tourism and university professors. The results of the research showed that familiarity with local, regional, and national markets and the identification of easy, suitable, and sustainable sales channels, a sense of social and ethical responsibility towards the community, the distribution, sale, and marketing of rural products, identifying the relative advantages of the region in various sectors and making appropriate use of the capacities of the internal environment of the village, the compatibility of tourism businesses with the workforce's expertise, and increasing innovation and creativity in business are the most important factors affecting the
sustainability of
rural tourism businesses.
