1. Introduction
Nowadays, the tourism industry is ranked among the world's high-revenue, clean, and low-cost industries. In recent decades, tourism has become one of the fastest-growing industrial sectors globally (Bahrami Nia et al, 2023). According to statistics, this industry accounts for approximately 10.4% of global GDP, 5% of total investments, and 7% of the world's exports. Furthermore, one in every ten jobs in the global economy is related to tourism (Roxas et al, 2020). Tourism has become one of the growing sectors in today's world, and its impact extends far beyond economic and business aspects. With the ever-increasing demand for travel and the transformation of the tourism industry into one of the largest industries worldwide, each country must strive to develop its socio-economic infrastructure and growth to attract potential tourists (Bagheri et al, 2024). Tourism plays a significant role in the new urban-rural agenda and achieving sustainable development goals regarding the creation of inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities, villages, and human settlements. Urban-rural settlements are highly important in terms of tourism activities for several reasons, such as being destinations, transit routes, and service providers for tourists. Tourist destinations encompass a wide range of attractions, accommodation centers, and other tourism facilities (Azhari & Rezvani, 2025). Theories of development and tourism have grown in parallel since World War II and share many common points. Initial research on tourism as a development tool was conducted by planners and economists working for organizations such as the United Nations, the World Bank, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). During the 1960s, tourism necessarily aligned with development, which was considered part of the modernization paradigm. In this regard, it is believed that tourism increases foreign currency and jobs, and tourism expenditures, with multiplier effects, stimulate the local economy (Akbarian Ronizi, 2015).
Today, tourism plays a notable role in the economic development of various regions. In addition to its economic aspects, this industry can bring about significant cultural and social changes at destinations and, through income distribution, job creation, and poverty reduction, contribute to social development and progress, creating public welfare and health. The underlying approach currently used in tourism planning and other types of development is the approach of achieving sustainable development (Taghvaei & Safar Abadi, 2021).
The rural areas of Mazandaran Province, due to their numerous capabilities and potentials including fertile land and vast plains, suitable climate, and sufficient water resources are considered one of the most important agricultural hubs in the country. This province is also recognized as one of the most important and most visited tourist destinations in Iran. However, the dominant forms of tourism in this destination are casual and accommodation-based tourism, while the region, due to its numerous potentials and capacities, is conducive to developing countless types of special interest tourism, including agricultural tourism. The growing urban population and their interest in experiencing traditional livelihood methods, as well as the desire to escape everyday life and connect with nature, have also created the best opportunity for this type of tourism in rural areas (Pourfaraj & Naghavi, 2022). Therefore, given the importance of the issue, this study seeks to investigate the factors affecting sustainable agricultural tourism from the perspective of experts.
 
2. Methodology
The present study is applied in purpose and, based on its paradigm, employs a mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative) research design with an exploratory approach. It aims to identify the factors influencing the development of agricultural tourism and its role in the sustainable development of rural communities. Due to the breadth and multidimensionality of the topic, the factors affecting agricultural tourism in the context of sustainable development must be identified based on collective wisdom. Therefore, the fuzzy Delphi method, alongside content analysis, served as the foundation of this study. This approach not only facilitated effective engagement with experts in the field and rapid consensus-building but also, by utilizing fuzzy numbers instead of crisp numbers, enabled the achievement of results closer to reality. Accordingly, the research method was designed in three stages.
The Delphi technique is a powerful process based on a group communication structure that is used in cases where incomplete and uncertain knowledge is available, with the aim of achieving group consensus among experts (Kenny et al, 2001). In the classical Delphi method, the opinions of experts are expressed in the form of definite numbers, while experts use their subjective competences to express their opinions, which indicates the probability of the uncertainty prevailing in these conditions. The probability of uncertainty is compatible with fuzzy sets. Therefore, it is better to obtain data from experts in the form of natural language and analyze them using fuzzy sets (Latifi et al, 2018). For this purpose, a proposal was made to integrate the traditional Delphi method with fuzzy theory under the name of the fuzzy Delphi method (Marie et al, 1985). In this method, membership functions are used to represent the opinions of experts (Kardaras et al, 2013).
An important point in implementing the Delphi technique is the size of the expert panel. There is no consensus regarding the size of the panel required for traditional Delphi and fuzzy Delphi (Molen, 2003). However, the typical size of the expert panel is between 8 and 12, or between 10 and 18 people. In the present study, the expert panel members were a group of university professors, researchers, managers, and experts in agritourism, rural tourism, and rural development, including 18 people nationwide, who were identified and selected based on four characteristics: knowledge, experience, willingness, and sufficient time to participate in the Delphi stages using a purposive or judgmental sampling method.
In the third stage, a researcher-made questionnaire was used to analyze the effects of factors influencing sustainable agricultural tourism. At this stage, the questionnaire items were designed based on the qualitative phase of the research, utilizing a five-point Likert scale (ranging from "Very High" to "Very Low"). The statistical population of this stage consisted of farmers who were the destination of agricultural tourism in Mazandaran Province. Accordingly, four counties with higher potential for agricultural tourism were selected as the sample: one county from the west of the province (Tonekabon), two counties from the center (Amol and Babol), and one county from the east (Sari). Simple random sampling with proportional allocation was employed, with a total sample size of 320 individuals. The precision of the indicators and items in the questionnaire, or face validity, was confirmed by experts. To examine the reliability of the research instrument, the questionnaire was distributed to a number of farmers, and the results yielded a Cronbach's alpha of 91%, which is an acceptable value. In this stage, a one-sample t-test was used to analyze the effects of factors influencing sustainable agricultural tourism.
 
3. Results
According to the results of this study, several factors play a role in the development of agricultural tourism, and these factors themselves contribute to the sustainable development of rural communities. The results of the fuzzy Delphi of experts showed that the highest level of agreement regarding these factors and the role that these factors play in the sustainable development of rural communities include the possibility of participating in agricultural and livestock activities (direct experience of agricultural activities), being considered as an agricultural hub in the region, and the level of attention of the (local) government to planning and investing in the tourism sector. The lowest level of agreement among experts was related to providing facilities for cultivating new agricultural and horticultural products and medicinal plants, the excessive growth of second homes in villages, and having a historical opportunity.
The results of the one-sample t-test showed that all four identified factors significantly impact sustainable agricultural tourism. These factors have a positive and significant relationship with sustainable agricultural tourism at a 99% confidence level.
4. Discussion
Based on the findings, farmers' environmental The results of the study showed that the highest level of agreement regarding the factors affecting agricultural tourism and the role that these factors play in the sustainable development of rural communities included the possibility of participating in agricultural and livestock activities (direct experience of agricultural activities) (S=0.85), being considered as an agricultural hub in the region (S=0.85), and the level of attention of the (local) government to planning and investing in the tourism sector (S=0.84). The lowest level of agreement among experts was related to providing facilities for cultivating new agricultural and horticultural products and medicinal plants (S=0.69), the excessive growth of second homes in villages (S=0.71), and having a historical opportunity (S=0.71).
 
5. Conclusion
The aim of this study was to investigate the factors affecting agricultural tourism and the role of agricultural tourism in comprehensive local sustainable development. Over time, rural tourism, which has been influenced by the structure of mass tourism, has failed to provide what was expected of it as a solution to improve living conditions in rural settlements, because, like mass tourism, it is based on centralization and lack of participation of the host community in its growth and development process. For this reason, today, paying attention to specific forms of tourism in the process of rural development planning in the world with an emphasis on the sustainability axis is increasingly being considered. Tourism that does not harm the cultural and social values of the host community is called specific or alternative tourism. Alternative tourism can actively try to restore respect for cultural realities through education and organized treatment of tourists (Mahmoudi Chenari, 2020).
One of the most popular and thriving types of alternative tourism is agricultural tourism. Agricultural tourism is an activity to attract tourists to a region in order to diversify agricultural activities and host tourists on the farm. Agricultural tourism, as an alternative strategy, can contribute significantly to sustainable rural and agricultural development (Anabestani and Mozaffari, 2018). This has received more attention, especially in countries and regions that have limited options for development (Matiee and Heydari, 2012). Based on these experiences, since on the one hand, most of the rural areas of Iran, especially the northern rural areas of the country where agriculture and rural life are more prominent, are not in a very good condition, and on the other hand, given that they have been highly sought after by tourists in recent years, it can be a platform for the development and prosperity of agricultural tourism activities, under the name of agricultural tourism, which can provide the basis for diversifying the rural economy and improving the quality of life of farming households.
 
Author Contributions
In the preparation and writing of this article, all authors (first, second, and third) have contributed equally and jointly. All stages of the research, from study design and data collection to analysis of results and final writing of the article, are the result of collaboration and collective agreement of all authors.
 
Data Availability Statement
Data available on request from the authors.
 
Acknowledgements
We are very grateful to everyone who assisted us in conducting this research.
 
Ethical Considerations
All authors affirm that this research was conducted in accordance with ethical standards, with no data fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism.
 
Funding
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
 
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest