The Role of Beach Tourism in Sustainable Living of Rural Families: A Study in Mahmoud Abad Township, Iran

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the role of beach tourism in sustainable living of rural families of the Mahmoud Abad Township that this study from the manner of goal is applicable-developmental and is based on the descriptive-survey method. The required data in this research regarding the type of method, is collected as a questionnaire that the people under study in this section are the total families inhabiting the beach villages in the area that the volume of the people under study has been selected using the Cochrane formula as 369 individuals and the field data were collected by the standard questionnaire. The results gathered were analyzed using the statistical examinations of Freedman, one-sided Chi-square, Wilcoxon, spearman, Kendal and Kramer. In the economic analysis section regarding all aspects we have come to this point that beach tourism has influenced the economic aspect of the lives of inhabitants and has improved their economic condition up to a point. Regarding the social and cultural state and with evaluation of related issues to this section, the state of being effected from non-native cultures and the culture of inhabitants being influenced has been evaluated and in relation with environmental circumstances regarding the observations and the state of the area and utilizing the statistical examinations of Wilcoxon results, it should be stated that environmental changes has occurred in a negative way in beaches after tourists’ arrival.


Introduction and Problem Statement
The sustainable living approach, in the 2000 decade, was presented as a title of a new approach in subject of rural development and with the goal of eliminating rural poverty. This approach has emphasized on a general and solid way of thinking about decreasing poverty and rural development, and researchers and colleagues soon made an interest in this matter (Comey &Litivnoof: 1988: 6). The new approach, states poverty as one of the circumstances of insecurity and vulnerability against tension and shock and not only lack of wealth. Nevertheless, in the foundation of living, poverty is accumulated not only in lack of wealth but also incapability in collecting of it, but not selecting the counter approaches not only makes them to survive, but also does not help to improve the state of the poor (Shen, 2009: 122). In rural section, families may not have cash or savings, but it is possible that the acquire other properties or capital such as health and curing, knowledge and skill, friends and family, and natural resources, etc. that are around for them in order to survive and a method to improve their lives. This approach also believes that the capabilities and properties should be preserved and increased in present and future while natural resources are not weakened (Che Soh and Omar, 2012: 608). The sustainable living approach is a method to think about decreasing poverty, poor people's life style, development of villages and regarding the foundational and structural problems which are evolving (Ashly and Crney, 1999: 55). Based on this fact, the purpose of the present study is also evaluating the rate of effectivity of tourism on sustainable rural lives in Mazandaran Province. In this regard the research has been conducted with the goal of influence of the role of beach tourism on sustainable lives of rural families in Mahmoud Abad Township and the role of tourism alike strategies in creation of living diversity and sustainable development in rural families' lives' resources and its effects were evaluated in different aspects of development od village and is seeking to answer these problems that the arrival of tourists would how much increase the diversity of non-agricultural economic activities and these activities would how much increase the rate of social and economic welfare of the families in this villages and this matter would how much decrease vulnerability of poverty in rural families. Answering the presented questions could reveal a clear image from the rate of tourism attraction t villages of this township and the effectivity of this section from activities on the economy and lives of rural families of this area. For accessing the point of this research through the descriptive-analytic method that it has been done based on documental and survey findings and the people under study were all of the family guardians of the rural families of the Mahmoud Abad township and for accessing the goal of the research as soon as possible, the researcher based questionnaire was utilized. It is needed to be noted that this questionnaire is an abstract from the conceptual model below which is extracted from the theoretical principal.

Area under Study
Mahmoud Abad township is located between 36 degrees and 31minutes to 36 degrees and 41 minutes of northern latitude and 52 degrees and 11 minutes up to 52 degrees and 29 minutes of eastern longitude from the Greenwich meridian.

Descriptive Findings
This part is excluded to the individual and social characteristics of individuals who were evaluated, which the table below represents the people under study:

Analytic Findings
In order to access the goals of the research and regarding the present indicators in economic, social-cultural principles, the un-parametric examinations of freedman, Wilcoxon, spearman were used and the results are given in the table below. Table 2. Un-parametric freedman examination in order to evaluate the rate of effectivity of tourists on improvement and economic, social and cultural welfare of the families As it is observed, the level of meaningfulness was 99 percent for indicators of economic and social-cultural principals that this matter indicates the positive effect of the beach tourists' arrival on economic growth and improvement of social welfare and cultural increase of rural families in every aspect and regarding the average rate of indicators, no similar importance was seen amongst them, and regarding the data given in the table we must say that private sector investments in tourism expansion has the most effectivity and the least effectivity is excluded to justice for accessing job opportunities between men and women in the social and cultural realm. From the results of the Wilcoxon examination and according to the negative and positive grades of each scale and the level of meaningfulness it is possible to say that the majority of scales have a level of 99 percent of meaningfulness that indicates that the arrival of tourists in the area has resulted in alteration of economic state of the inhabitants in the area. Of course it is possible to say that the arrival of tourists to the coastal area and paying tuition against the received services and in some cases construction of villa houses or paying the rent of the hotels or local houses or such cases that results to making income in the host society has led to alterations in the financial status and economic state improvement of the natives and also it must be said that the arrival of the tourists has changed the cultural-social characteristics of the area in a manner that it has caused significant differences on such as replication of traditional customs and growth of personality and blooming of talents and jsd.ccsenet.org Journal of Sustainable Development Vol. 9, No. 6;2016 also improvement of health services and security of the host society before and after the arrival of tourists. Based on the table above that discussed about the consent of the natives of tourism development in the region towards economic and socio-cultural variables, due to the significant amount, it can be argued that satisfaction of natives than the most of factors affecting, have no significant that reflects the very low level of native's satisfaction about coastal tourism development, so it should be noted that only three economic variables, the impact of tourism on job creation in region, the natives tend to sell land to tourists (non-native) and the impact of private sector investment in tourism development has a significant level of 95% which reflects the satisfaction of the natives of the impact of tourists on these three variables and so however requires systematic planning and management authorities and provide efficient mechanisms to enhance indigenous content via increasing dramatically impact the tourism economy due to the region's potential and due to the expectations of natives in order to increase revenue to be felt, and it is visible in social and cultural dissatisfaction with the result of negative influence of tourist arrivals in all components. In order to achieve the objectives of the study and according to the type of environmental components in the index of one-sided chi-square and Wilcoxon non-parametric tests were used, that the result of them recounted in following table.  Due to the one-sided chi-square test results must be said in the components of 282/0 percent increase awareness of residents about the natural environment and respect and protection of natural habitat with 195/0 and improving the management of sanitation and garbage collection shows a significant lack of 240/0 percent This achievement means that due to the increased growth of tourism in the region, there is no communication components listed, It must be said though that the arrival of tourists in some positive environmental aspects has been fruitful but residents' awareness and protection of the natural environment is not yet the degree of influence which will improve the cleanliness management and having environment free of any waste and environment waste And increasing in tourist arrivals had no positive impact on the components that mentioned, and the other components to a level of 99 percent was significant that show the positive effect of increased tourist arrivals on the environmental elements and also findings, all indicators have no equal importance And according to the coefficient obtained square, the impact of tourism on create incentives for management planning of the natural environment with correlation coefficient 050/123 allocated greatest impact and minimal impact with a correlation coefficient 050/5 is related to increasing awareness of residents about natural environment. jsd.ccsenet.org Journal of Sustainable Development Vol. 9, No. 6;2016 201  The interpretation of the results from the table above to find out whether there are differences of geography After the arrival of tourists to come or not, we used the Wilcoxon test, According to the positive and negative ratings of each criterion and achieved a significant level, We can say that the most significant criteria is 99% Which indicates that tourist arrivals in the region's geographical area is changed in different directions and It can be said that tourist arrivals induces changes in all aspects of the natural area but unfortunately, these changes are in negative direction and under the influence of the low awareness of tourists to behave with environment Which is why adverse environmental impacts have to follow.

Conclusions and Recommendations
Located Mahmoudabad city and villages in Caspian Sea coastline and having perfect weather and proximity to beautiful forests caused many beach tourists enter to this region. Accordingly, due to the location of this region, it need more attention and planning relevant authorities to raise the level and also fix problems require regional facilities. These sections presents the results of research findings and approves or disapproves hypotheses and then provide guidelines for improving the conditions. The first hypothesis presented about beach tourism on sustainable rural live is beach tourism have effect on improving economy and Social-cultural welfare of coastal villages of Mahmoudabad township. The hypothesis is related to different aspects of sustainable livelihoods affected by economic and socio-cultural conditions. According to the results of tests and analyzes that presented, we should have said in the economic, to high level caused positive effects on live of natives and about socio-cultural factors have negative impact in some indicators but the bad effect of it causes no serious disorders in community, However, this hypothesis can be confirmed with high confidence level. It is suggested that careful planning should have done in investment and monitoring on participation and transfer of the land as well as construction. And holding festivals to raise awareness of natives in protection of culture and tradition, concerned by responsible people. And in the second hypothesis, it seems that the tourism has caused a change in the prevailing environmental conditions that based on the result from tests, we can conclude that tourists arrivals could make changes in environmental conditions that these changes have been more in negative direction. Accordingly, the second hypothesis is confirmed and entrance of tourists to the area, causing a negative impact on the environmental conditions of the region that need to plan for the participation of administrators and officials that related to tourism in order to protect the environment and prevent land degradation and change them, should be considered and implementation of integrated coastal management in the Northern District of coastal area management in order to avoid the ravages of tourism And preservation of natural resources and government support and funding to protect and beautify the coastline is ahead of other solutions.