Rural Tourism Impact in Local Economies - Proportional Income, The case of Iran

One of the case study areas in this study, Douro in northern Portugal, offers a potent symbol of how tourism can develop in rural economies. Amoung others a British travel firm offers exclusive river cruises up the Douro valley. The advertising images relate almost exclusively to the cultural landscape of the region of terraced valley sides, viticulture and rural buildings. Thus the landscape provides an essential component of the experience but only occasionally on the trip does the visitor enter this landscape physically when he leaves the cruise ship. The benefits accruing to the providers of that landscape are minimal. Neither do the providers of this holiday experience provide significant indirect or induced benefits to the rural economy, for almost all their requirements of inputs are satisfied in Porto, a major urban centre outwith the region. The travel firm's behaviour represents an entirely justifiable attempt to exploit a market opportunity by the firm but, at another level, provides a classic illustration of the parasitic nature of much rural tourism.

Rural Tourism, Impact in Local Economies, Proportional Income, Iran