The Living Experience of the Poor to Participate in Activities Related to Nature Tourism in Selected Villages in the East of Semnan Province

Document Type : Thesis Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Rural Planning, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Professor, Department of Human Geography, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

3 Associate Professor, Department of Human Geography, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Pro-poor tourism initiatives seek a direct link between tourism activities and poverty alleviation approaches with the aim of hearing the voices of the poor, paying particular attention to their needs and participating in the process of tourism development. Accordingly, the present study, through face-to-face qualitative interviews, seeks to explore the lived experiences of the poor in selected villages of eastern Semnan province to participate in nature-related activities. These three villages have become one of the most popular tourist areas in the country in recent years, but the statistics show that there are also many poor. The results of face-to-face interviews show that most participants face high growth in tourism in their villages in three ways: "trying to participate in formal jobs", "trying to participate in informal activities" and "trying to learn and enhance skills". They have sought to influence and participate in nature-related hiking activities in selected villages. But a number of them also have taken a passive approach to tourism growth, which has isolated them in their living environments.

Keywords


Adiyia, B., Vanneste, D., & Van Rompaey, A. (2017). The poverty alleviation potential of tourism employment as an off-farm activity on the local livelihoods surrounding Kibale National Park, western Uganda. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 17(1), 34-51. doi: 10.1177/1467358416634156
Anderson, W. (2015). Cultural tourism and poverty alleviation in rural Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 13(3), 208-224. 
Ashley, C. (2006). Participation by the poor in Luang Prabang tourism economy: Current earnings and opportunities for expansion: Overseas development institute (ODI).
Ashley, C., Boyd, C., & Goodwin, H. (2000). Pro-poor tourism: putting poverty at the heart of the tourism agenda. 
Ashley, C., & Mitchell, J. (2009). Tourism and poverty reduction: Pathways to prosperity: Taylor & Francis.
Ashley, C., Roe, D., & Goodwin, H. (2001). Pro-poor tourism strategies: Making tourism work for the poor: A review of experience: Iied.
Croes, R. (2014). The role of tourism in poverty reduction: an empirical assessment. Tourism Economics, 20(2), 207-226. 
Dent, M. J., & Peters, B. (1999). The crisis of poverty and debt in the third world: Ashgate Publishing.
Hall, C. M. (2007). Pro-poor tourism: who benefits?: perspectives on tourism and poverty reduction (Vol. 3): Channel View Publications.
Hanjra, M. A., & Culas, R. J. (2011). The political economy of maize production and poverty reduction in Zambia: analysis of the last 50 years. Journal of Asian and African studies, 46(6), 546-566. 
Harrison, D. (2008). Pro-poor Tourism: a critique. Third World Quarterly, 29(5), 851-868. doi: 10.1080/01436590802105983
Harrison, D. (2015). Pro-poor Tourism: Is There Value Beyond ‘Whose’ Rhetoric? Tourism Recreation Research, 34(2), 200-202. doi: 10.1080/02508281.2009.11081592
Hatfield, R. (2005). Economic value of the Bwindi and Virunga gorilla mountain forests: African Wildlife Foundation.
Jiang, M., DeLacy, T., Mkiramweni, N. P., & Harrison, D. (2011). Some evidence for tourism alleviating poverty. Annals of Tourism Research, 38(3), 1181-1184. 
Mowforth, M., & Munt, I. (2015). Tourism and sustainability: Development, globalisation and new tourism in the third world: Routledge.
Poverty Report in Iran. (2017). from Imam Khomeini Relief Committee https://portal.emdad.ir
Rezavani, M. R., Badri, S., Torabi, Z., & Malekan, M. (2016). Sustainable Rural Tourism in the Margins of Tehran Metropolis (From the Perspective of Ahar). Journal of Rural Research, 7(2), 286-299. 
Saayman, M., Rossouw, R., & Krugell, W. (2012). The impact of tourism on poverty in South Africa. Development Southern Africa, 29(3), 462-487. doi: 10.1080/0376835x.2012.706041
Scheyvens, R. (2011). Tourism Entrenches Poverty. Tourism and Poverty, 23, 48. 
Scheyvens, R. (2012). Tourism and poverty: Routledge.
Scheyvens, R., & Momsen, J. H. (2008). Tourism and poverty reduction: issues for small island states. Tourism Geographies, 10(1), 22-41. 
Scheyvens, R., & Russell, M. (2012). Tourism and poverty alleviation in Fiji: Comparing the impacts of small-and large-scale tourism enterprises. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 20(3), 417-436. 
Schilcher, D. (2007). Growth Versus Equity: The Continuum of Pro-Poor Tourism and Neoliberal Governance. Current Issues in Tourism, 10(2), 166-193. doi: 10.2167/cit304.0
Sharpley, R., & Naidoo, P. (2010). Tourism and poverty reduction: The case of Mauritius. Tourism and Hospitality Planning & Development, 7(2), 145-162. 
Snyman, S. L. (2012). The role of tourism employment in poverty reduction and community perceptions of conservation and tourism in southern Africa. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 20(3), 395-416. 
Torabi, Z.-A. (2018). Designing a pattern of pro-poor eco-tourism  (a case study of Villages of selected East Semnan province). (Doctoral dissertation), University of Tehran, tehran.   
Torabi, Z.-A., Rezvani, M. R., & Badri, S. A. (2019). Pro-poor tourism in Iran: the case of three selected villages in Shahrud. Anatolia, 30(3), 368-378. 
Tourism development plan of Shahrud. (2017). From the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage & Tourism (RICH). Retrieved from http://www.richt.ir/Portal/Home/Default.aspx?CategoryID=7c540136-0e7f-4e06-ab5 
Truong, V. D., Hall, C. M., & Garry, T. (2014). Tourism and poverty alleviation: Perceptions and experiences of poor people in Sapa, Vietnam. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 22(7), 1071-1089. 
Zhao, W., & Ritchie, J. R. B. (2007). Tourism and Poverty Alleviation: An Integrative Research Framework. Current Issues in Tourism, 10(2), 119-143. doi: 10.2167/cit296.0