Study of Agricultural Ecotourism Impacts on Economic, Social and Environmental Development in Rural Areas of Sistan in Iran

Agricultural ecotourism tends to be a responsibility-based journey to natural and agricultural areas, their protect and the improvement of the lives of local people; in addition, paying attention to the natural and cultural capacities of villages plays an important role in revival of villages as well as creating employment and income for the rural people, protecting natural, historical and cultural heritage and ultimately, realizing an integrated and sustainable rural development. This study aimed at investigating the effects of agricultural ecotourism on economic, social and environmental development in rural areas of Sistan in Iran. It was a descriptive research, the data of which were surveyed through questionnaires and interviews. The statistical population included all the households and related experts in places with ecotourism capacity in the region, by distributing the questionnaires in a systematic sampling method. Validity of the questionnaire was calculated using experts' opinions and reliability of the instrument was calculated using Cronbach's alpha within the range of 0.742-0.953. The study results showed that the agricultural ecotourism improved the social, economic and environmental indicators as well as the quality of life in the region.