Host Attitudes Toward Tourism: A Study of Sareyn Municipality and Local Community Partnerships in Therapeutic Tourism

Abstract

This study investigates residents’ perceptions of tourism development in a small tourist area in northern Iran named Sare’in, which is famous for its hot springs and therapeutic tourism. Tourism in this area is run under the municipality, primarily by the local community with limited intervention from the National Tourism Organization. The study’s findings show that even though local people strongly support current and further tourism development, they feel ambivalent to the impacts of tourism. It is suggested that certain expert assistance and better cooperation with the National Tourism Organization are required to ensure the sustainability of tourism development. tourism development; public sector; tourism attitudes; impacts of tourism; thermal (spa) tourism ; Sare’in (Iran).