Rural tourism: a virtual image or a real pattern in rural planning

Although “rural tourism” is a new term in tourism industry, its root and origin goes back to the first travels of man. This is because of his rural life after cave dwelling and nomadic life. When man became conscious of his free time, started traveling and paved the way for rural tourism. Tourism industry in Iran is still at its beginning stages. There are still a lot of plans and strategies to be applied in this industry. Tourism industry in Iran became the center of attention after the change in the system of the country and setting directions towards socio-economical development plans of the country. Concerning the Islamic governmental system of the country and the declaration of many authorities, tourism in Iran is a religious, cultural and historical one. In order to have a comprehensive rural tourism planning, the following issues should be considered; advertisement and promulgation of the original and virgin areas, classification of the tourists who enter the country based on their incentives and training local guides. The success of each rural plan depends on the long term plans, programs and dedication of budgets to the related organizations.