Introduction

In recent decades, rural areas have been exposed to a wide range of economic, social, and environmental transformations and shocks, resulting in increased livelihood vulnerability, fragile local economic structures, and reduced adaptive capacity in the face of crises. Market fluctuations, structural changes in the economy, migration, environmental hazards, and particularly crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the weaknesses of rural economies dependent on limited and mono-functional activities. Consequently, the need to reconsider rural development approaches and adopt resilience-oriented strategies has become increasingly evident. Within this context, economic resilience has emerged as a key component of sustainable development, emphasizing the ability of local systems to resist, adapt to, recover from, and even transform in response to external shocks.

In recent years, tourism has been recognized as an important strategy for diversifying rural economies. However, empirical evidence suggests that conventional and quantitatively driven tourism development, when lacking innovative, participatory, and sustainable approaches, may intensify economic dependency and vulnerability rather than enhance resilience. Therefore, greater attention to alternative tourism models that simultaneously generate local value added and strengthen economic resilience is essential. In this regard, creative tourism and the development of creative tourism businesses—emphasizing creativity, experience-based activities, active community participation, and the utilization of cultural and natural assets—have been introduced as transformative approaches within the rural development literature.

The aim of this study is to explain the role of creative tourism business development in strengthening the economic resilience of rural areas, with a particular focus on Gilan Province. The central research question addresses the mechanisms through which these businesses can reduce economic vulnerability, enhance livelihood diversification, and improve the adaptive and recovery capacities of rural economies.

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Methodology

This study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive–analytical in nature, adopting a qualitative research approach. Data were collected through a systematic and analytical review of معتبر national and international academic literature related to economic resilience, creative tourism, rural development, creative entrepreneurship, and sustainability. Relevant articles, books, and research reports were identified through searches in major academic databases and selected based on defined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Data analysis was conducted using qualitative content analysis and conceptual analysis. Key concepts and core components were first extracted, followed by the identification and categorization of relationships among them. Ultimately, an integrated conceptual framework was developed to explain the role of creative tourism businesses in enhancing the economic resilience of rural areas. Gilan Province was selected as the spatial focus of the study due to its diverse natural and cultural assets, alongside persistent structural challenges in its rural economy.

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Findings

The findings indicate that the development of creative tourism businesses can enhance the economic resilience of rural areas through a set of interconnected mechanisms. The most significant mechanisms include diversification of local economic structures, reduced dependence on mono-functional activities, increased labor market flexibility, strengthened social capital, and enhanced local institutional and financial capacities.

The results further demonstrate that creative tourism businesses, by relying on innovation in products and services, tourism experience design, and the use of digital technologies and innovative marketing strategies, create diverse and complementary income streams for rural households. This process contributes to the development of multi-skilled local labor, facilitates occupational mobility, and shortens economic recovery periods during times of crisis.

Moreover, the findings reveal that the impact of creative tourism businesses on economic resilience is not linear or direct, but rather operates within an interactive and feedback-based cycle. Improvements in infrastructure, social capital, local networks, and supporting institutions mutually reinforce one another, ultimately leading to the cumulative enhancement of economic resilience in rural areas.

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Discussion and Conclusion

The results of this study suggest that creative tourism and the development of creative tourism businesses can play a role beyond that of a supplementary economic activity, functioning instead as a structural driver for the reconfiguration of rural economies. Unlike traditional tourism approaches that primarily focus on increasing visitor numbers and short-term revenues, creative tourism emphasizes innovation, local participation, and sustainability, thereby offering substantial potential for strengthening economic resilience across multiple dimensions.

Within this framework, creative tourism businesses contribute to reducing vulnerability and enhancing adaptive and recovery capacities in rural economies by promoting economic diversification, increasing labor market flexibility, strengthening social capital, and improving institutional capacities. Gilan Province, given its rich natural and cultural diversity, holds significant potential for the development of such businesses, provided that rural development policies and planning processes adopt integrated, participatory, and resilience-oriented approaches.

The main innovation of this study lies in the presentation of an integrated conceptual framework that focuses on the analytical unit of creative tourism businesses and identifies the mediating mechanisms through which these businesses contribute to the economic resilience of rural areas. The proposed framework provides a scientific basis for future quantitative research, rural development policymaking, and the design of practical interventions grounded in creative and resilience-based tourism.