The role of responsible tourism on quality of life in rural Areas of Gorgan, Iran

Responsible tourism is a new approach which ensures that local communities have a fair share of benefits in developing tourism. It aims to create better tourism destinations and provides a more enjoyable experience for tourists. This approach can have different economic, social and environmental effects on the host community. By contributing to the local economy, respecting the customs and traditions and protecting the environment, responsible tourists can affect the villagers' quality of life. For this purpose, the status of responsible tourism and its effect on the quality of life of the villagers in Gorgan, Iran were investigated. In this study, a statistical population of 410 villagers and 100 tourists visiting 14 rural tourism destinations were surveyed. The results showed that from the view point of the villagers and tourists the mean responsibility index for tourists was 2.78 and 3.6 (based on the Likert spectrum). Furthermore, the regression analysis revealed that 41% of the change in quality of life was related to the responsible tourism index. Finally, it was found that economic responsibility, followed by socio-cultural and environmental variables, was the most important variable affecting the quality of life of the villagers.