Host–Guest Relations

Abstract

Cultural tourism comprises several heterogeneous activities.According to tourists’ interest in culture and their level of involvementwith the local population during the trip, segments of cultural tourismcan be identified. Regarding their characteristics and the place of thevisit, this chapter explores how cultural tourism can contribute to acountry like Iran. Based on the literature, the discussion begins bydescribing tourists’ profile while highlighting some features related totheir traveling behavior. In line with past studies on hostguestrelations and the current stage of development of the country asan international destination, potential impacts of opening the countryto international cultural tourists are analyzed.