Tourism and the Livability of Rural Space (A Comparative Study in Peri-Urban settlements of Birjand)

Subject Areas : Rural and nomadic studies

Mohammad Hajipour ¹ , Fatemeh Khosravi ² , mahmood falsoleyman ³

1 - Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran
2 - M. A. student, Department of Geography, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran
3 - Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran

Received: 2023-09-16 Accepted : 2023-12-11 Published : 2023-12-11

Keywords: Birjand, Sustainable Tourism, Sustainable rural development, livability, peri-urban,

Abstract :

Introduction: Rural and non-urban settlements have long been confronted with structural challenges and functional issues. Presently, their "instability" has emerged as a major challenge for the space planning and management system. "Tourism development" is regarded as an indispensable strategy in many countries to promote sustainability and enhance livability in rural and peri-urban areas.Research aim: The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of tourism on the livability of tourist destination settlements in Pirasher Birjand and compare it with a number of control villages (non-tourism villages) with a comparative approach.Research methodology: This is a documentary and survey research with an applied nature, and its method is a combination of descriptive and analytical methods. The tool for collecting information at the level of the studied settlements is a questionnaire, which has been used after checking and confirming its validity and reliability. The studied settlements include fourteen tourist destination villages in Pirasher Birjand and seven Shahid villages.Results: According to the findings, the livability status of the tourist destination villages in Birjand Pirasher has a significant difference with the control villages, and the overall livability index was higher in the tourist destination villages. Also, there is a significant difference between the four dimensions of livability (social, environmental, physical and economic). In general, it can be concluded that tourism has a positive effect on livability in peri-urban areas, and this effect takes place directly through the mechanism of changes in the employment status and income of residents of peri-urban settlements. The impact of tourism on the livability of rural areas has "spatial and geographical nationality".Conclusion: Finally, diversification of business fields in rural areas, especially Pirasher, can play a key role in changing and improving the livability of settlements.