Analyzing the Economic and Social Challenges of Women's Entrepreneurship in Tourism Using Grounded Theory: A Case Study: Tourism Target Villages in the East of Guilan Province

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Jamshid Einali
Hossein Farahani
Fariba Abbasi
Mahdi Cheraghi
University of Zanjan
10.30470/jrdes.2026.2085534.1139
Abstract
Rural tourism plays an important role in rural development and women's empowerment by creating new job opportunities.The purpose of this study is to explore the challenges of women's entrepreneurship in tourism target villages in eastern Guilan province.The present study is developmental-applied in terms of its purpose and belongs to the qualitative research group in terms of its paradigm, and it has used grounded theory in terms of its method. The present study is developmental-applied in terms of its purpose and belongs to the qualitative research group in terms of its paradigm, and it has used grounded theory in terms of its method. The statistical population of tourism experts and women entrepreneurs is seven villages targeted for tourism in the east of Guilan province.The sampling method was carried out using the snowball (31 people) until theoretical saturation was reached. By linking codes (open coding), concepts (axial coding), categories (selective coding) and validating the concepts obtained from the research using the expert focal method, the conceptual model of the research was drawn and the confirmation of the experts' opinions also gave validity to the model.The results of the research show that women entrepreneurs in the target villages of eastern Guilan province face social challenges (weak individual capabilities, lack of awareness-training, information network, harm to the host community, lack of participation) and economic challenges (challenge of non-acceptance, weak law, poor technical business knowledge, lack of market recognition).
Keywords
Rural tourism
entrepreneurship barriers
grounded theory
Guilan Province

  • Receive Date 15 February 2026
  • Revise Date 25 April 2026
  • Accept Date 28 April 2026
  • Publish Date 28 April 2026