Participatory Governance and Sustainable Rural Tourism Development: A Case Study of Qalat Village, Fars Province
Keywords:
Sustainable tourism development, good governance, Qalat village, social participationAbstract
This study aimed to examine the role of participatory governance dimensions, particularly “participation” and “managerial effectiveness and efficiency,” in predicting sustainable rural tourism development in Qalat village, Fars Province. A descriptive-analytical quantitative survey design was adopted. The statistical population included 7,286 residents and stakeholders of Qalat village, from which 367 respondents were selected using stratified random sampling based on Cochran’s formula at a 95% confidence level and a 0.05 margin of error. Data were collected using a validated and reliable researcher-designed questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.87). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted using SPSS version 26. Pearson correlation results indicated a significant positive relationship between “participation” and sustainable rural tourism (r = 0.58, p < 0.001) and between “managerial effectiveness and efficiency” and sustainable rural tourism (r = 0.42, p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis revealed that both participation (β = 0.28, t = 4.50, p < 0.001) and managerial effectiveness and efficiency (β = 0.19, t = 3.10, p = 0.002) significantly predicted sustainable rural tourism, jointly explaining 34% of the variance (R² = 0.34). The findings highlight that strengthening genuine community participation and improving managerial effectiveness and efficiency form the foundation for achieving sustainable rural tourism. Leveraging local cultural and natural assets through participatory and efficient governance provides a robust framework for economic, social, and environmental sustainability in rural destinations.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Mohammad Sadegh Tadayoni Nezhad (Author); Samineh Bahadori Jahromi; Delshad Abdolhamid, Payam Paslari, Seyed Koorosh sarvarzadeh (Author)
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