Feasibility Study of Developing Eco-Friendly Tourism in Hyrcanian Forests
Subject Areas :
Mohsen Javanmiri pour
1
,
Neda Mohammadkhani
2
1 - Department of Forestry and Forest Economics, University of Tehran
2 - University of Guilan ,Faculty of Natural resource
Keywords: Forest Basins, Hyrcanian Forests, SWOT, Eco-Friendly Tourism,
Abstract :
Ecological tourism has turned into a fundamental economic, social, cultural, and symbolic matter for many managers, officials, and planners in today’s world. From among many attractions existing in Northern Iran, the Caspian Sea, the Hyrcanian forests, and the Alborz mountain range have created magnificent landscapes, making them a great asset to eco-friendly tourism. Therefore, this study sought to conduct a feasibility study on the ecological tourism development in Hyrcanian forests. To this end, six watersheds in four groups were taken into account, covering an area of 148,971 square meters. The watersheds included Chelchai in Golestan province, Beliran in eastern parts of Mazandaran province, Duhezar- Sehezar neighboring basins in the west of Mazandaran province, and the Zilkiroud-Fariroud bordering basins in Gilan province. To collect the required data, the study used the findings of library studies, field studies, consultative workshops, and the knowledge and experience of experts and specialists working in the field of eco-friendly tourism. Moreover, some consultative workshops were organized with the participation of the main stakeholders of each region, where the necessary details were collected through group discussions using the SWOT. Furthermore, a questionnaire was administered to collect data concerning the perspectives and ideas of individuals and interested groups. Accordingly, the results of the SWOT analysis performed on environmental, infrastructure, cultural, and traditional categories for each region and local community revealed that Duhezar-Sehezar and Zilkiroud-Fariroud enjoyed better conditions for the development of eco-friendly tourism, indicating the great potential of the regions in this regard.