Identifying and analyzing key factors affecting the lack of development of pro-poor event-based tourism in rural areas (Case study: villages around Zrivar Wetland)

Tourism events, by promoting rural destinations and aligning with the demands of the profitable tourism market, represent a significant opportunity to alleviate rural poverty, given the proven impact of tourism development. This applied research, conducted using a descriptive-analytical method and data collected through both documentary and survey approaches, aims to identify the barriers hindering the effective participation of the rural poor in the development of event-based tourism in the Zarivar Wetland area. The study adopts a mixed-methods, inductive approach. In the quantitative phase, findings from the qualitative phase—focused on obstacles to the participation of the poor in the region’s tourism market—were validated and generalized. The research population includes a broad spectrum of tourism stakeholders: local tourism actors, private investors, development officials, scholars, and residents. Interviews were conducted purposively in the qualitative phase, while in the quantitative phase, data from local residents were gathered using Cochran’s formula, and purposive sampling was used for other groups. Qualitative data were analyzed through open coding, and quantitative data using Friedman’s path analysis and ranking test. The findings identified 65 influential variables, categorized into four main dimensions: weak planning and policymaking in economic and tourism development; an unfavorable business environment; specialized challenges in event tourism along the Zrivar Wetland axis; and issues related to regional rural poverty. Among these, inadequate planning and policymaking in economic and tourism development emerged as the most significant factor limiting the poor’s participation in event-oriented tourism.