Nomad tribal women and tourism development: the Khamseh tribes, Iran

Abstract

Despite an estimated 1,5 million nomads from over 100 different nomadic tribes, in the past years nomad and travelling lifestyles in Iran have been rapidly declining. While the role of Iranian authorities is still not clear, with some signs of the Iranian Academy of Arts pointing to the priority of cultural preservation, nomad tribes in the country are increasingly the object of the tourist gaze. This research is based on detailed fieldwork conducted in 2007 in Bavanat, a county in the Fars province, Southwest Iran. By looking at the nomad tribes of Khamseh, which have registered over 4500 visitors in the past three years, we attempt to examine the changing role of women within the tribe, and the ways in which the recent development and growth of tourism is transforming their social and cultural practices. At the same time we also analysed the perceptions and experiences of tourists on nomadic tourism in Bavanat. Interviews, Focus Group with nomadic women and guestbook analysis were used.