The interviews revealed that villagers had an appreciation of the concept of sustainable rural tourism, but felt that it was not being practised by either private industry or government or, indeed, fellow villagers. While recognising some advantages popularity with tourists had brought to the village and its population, these appeared to be offset by fears of harmful consequences. Economic rewards were per- haps the most welcome, followed by the stimulation of socio-cultural and natural heritage awareness and conservation. The manner in which traditional society and culture was at risk from tourism was, however, a primary concern alongside the over-burdening of infra- structure and degradation of the fabric of the village and its physical environs. Unsurprisingly, vested interests exercised an influence and those who gained most from tourism were likely to be more enthusi- astic in its support. There seemed to be some resentment within the community about inequalities in how the financial returns from tour- ism were shared. It is also worth noting that many respondents were keen to set up tourism businesses and critical of official failure to help them do so. Dissatisfaction with government and its tourism strategy was a dominant theme of discussions and there was a divergence between the aims of rural tourism projects and the manner in
which execution had been attempted, stated goals proving elusive. It may be that unrealistic objectives were set by policy makers and planners who had insufficient experience and expertise and that the expectations of villagers about tourism's contribution to economic and social revitalisation were over-optimistic. Authorities appeared reluctant to communicate with local residents and take into account their needs, compounding any misunderstandings.
It would seem therefore that tourism cannot be seen in Iran as a key driver of growth for rural economies and an economic activity ap- proved by resident populations; rather, it is a supplementary source of income which assists in development while arousing strong criti- cism. Opposition and concern about tourism cannot be ignored and must be addressed if progress is to be made. While exhibiting interest in sustainable rural tourism, in common with governments world- wide, official policies for Iran's villages formulated to date have been incomplete and not properly integrated into wider plans. Re- sources are being damaged and depleted and locals excluded in a way contradictory to principles of sustainability. One of the chal- lenges for the future is to reconcile divergent viewpoints and devise effective sustainable rural tourism projects which actively involve in- habitants. However, further research is necessary to compare and contrast the experiences of Hawraman Takht with other villages. More thorough impact analyses can be conducted and interviews sought with authorities to better evaluate the dynamics of formal de- cision making. The results of such work would help cast light on rural tourism in general and the distinctive destination of Iran in particular.