Ecotourism Development with an Emphasis on Local Communities’ Participation (Case Study: The Village of Janat Rudbar, Ramsar County)

Purpose: Janat Rudbar is one of the important tourist destinations in rural areas of Ramsar in Mazandaran. The purpose of thisstudy is to investigate the attitude of the local community towards the development of ecotourism, its effects and consequences,their level of support, and the factors affecting it.Method: The method is survey and cross-sectional. The sample of the study consists of households of Janat Rudbar in Ramsar,Mazandaran. Research data was collected by applying census method.Findings: The results of the research showed that, firstly, the attitude of the local community towards ecotourism is positive;secondly, the local community is aware of the socio-cultural, economic, and environmental impacts of the rural developmentprojects; and, finally, the level of support of the local community of ecotourism development is relatively high. Moreover, theresults of the research have shown that there is a relationship between local community supports from ecotourism developmentprojects and socioeconomic components.Practical Solutions: The approach towards ecotourism is effective in its success in terms of improving the quality of life both forlocal people and their environment. For this reason, alternative ecotourism, which aims to empower (e.g., economic,psychological, social, and political empowerment) people is utilized. The process of local augmentation is a gradual processstarting from small experiences.

Keywords:

Ecotourism , Residents attitudes , Impacts and consequences of ecotourism development , Supporting ecotourism , Jannat Rudbar