Structural analysis of the effect of handicrafts value chain on rural tourism development in 2020 Case study; Metkazin village in Mazandaran Province

Handicraft value chain is an economic system consisting of a set of actors and business activities whose business, along with each other, leads to the development and trade of the product, from primary producers to final consumers, and for each network operator, economic value. Creates. On the other hand, the tourism industry is the closest industry to handicrafts that can play a vital role in creating and expanding the handicraft market. Because buying souvenirs is one of the most important and popular activities of tourists and about 33% of the total travel time is spent on shopping and on the other hand, souvenirs in the form of handicrafts are very popular with tourists, especially high-income tourists. the purpose of this study is to create opportunities for local people and enable them to participate in the tourism sector and help local producers to provide the necessary goods and services and reduce the number of imports of those products. This applied research has analyzed the value chain structure of handicrafts in Metkazin village by documentary and field method in 2020. Data processing and analysis was performed using SPSS V.23 and Smart PLS V.3 software. This study is divided into 4 general sections; 1- Preparing a questionnaire to determine the value chain of handicrafts on rural tourism. 2- Completion of the questionnaire by experts (professors, experts of related organizations, craftsmen). 3- Analyzing data and 4- Identifying the most effective factors on rural tourism development; Done. The hypothesis of the effect of handicraft value chain on rural tourism development was confirmed with a regression coefficient of 0.749. The results show that the two actors of this chain, namely producers and government facilitators, have the highest direct and positive impact on the development of rural tourism, and the two activities of raw material supply and completion (packaging) have negative and inverse effects on the development of tourism economy. According to the results, the impact factor of the two levels of wholesalers and retailers is small and low value, which in fact the physical presence of merchants and physical and virtual stores, permanent and local markets and distribution networks in the region are low. The products are limited to seasonal exhibitions and partial orders, and the need to use new technologies and e-commerce to develop the market is obvious and necessary. Until now, similar studies that have shown the causes and factors affecting rural tourism and assess the impact of each of them, have not been conducted in this area.