ABSTRACT
Conflict among stakeholders is a central and inevitable phenomenon in rural tourism development. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze and evaluate the effects and consequences of these conflicts on the residents of rural tourism destinations in Torghabeh and Shandiz County.This research is classified as fundamental-applied and utilized a quantitative methodology. Data were collected via questionnaires from 392 residents across 19 tourism destination villages. Data analysis employed descriptive and inferential statistics (SPSS) and the PSI multi-criteria decision-making model.Stakeholder conflicts, often stemming from inefficient management, predominantly resulted in non-functional (negative) consequences. The key negative impacts included a reduction in well-being (specifically the loss of rural comfort due to congestion and traffic), negative perceptions of tourism, weakened social participation and relations, and environmental-physical degradation (such as natural environment destruction and excessive construction). Economic issues involved unequal income distribution and a reduced capacity for income diversification. Overall, the positive (functional) impacts of conflict were assessed as below average. However, spatial analysis revealed that villages like Azghad, Gang, and Gerakhak experienced functional conflicts, leading to environmental-physical dynamism and new employment opportunities.The study found the positive effects of conflict to be below average, with a significant predominance of negative effects, underscoring the necessity for immediate managerial intervention. Recommended strategies include regulating traffic flow, controlling construction, ensuring the fair distribution of economic benefits, and empowering the local community to manage dysfunctional conflicts and transform them into constructive ones.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
In recent decades, rural tourism has emerged as one of the keys, dynamic, and fundamental strategies in sustainable rural development documents, drawing the attention of planners, geographers, and policymakers. This development model, especially during periods of instability, recession, and economic uncertainty at both national and international levels, is regarded as a strategic tool for preserving, revitalizing, and regenerating the physical and economic structure of villages (Zhou et al, 2021). Rural tourism, by attracting idle urban capital, brings significant economic benefits to local communities and serves as a main driver for non-agricultural employment, reducing structural poverty, diversifying the local economy, and improving living standards (Yuxi & Linshenga, 2020). However, the multidimensional nature of this industry and the increasing, rapid, and unpredictable influx of visitors into sensitive, fragile, and traditional rural environments also bring about negative consequences and serious multidimensional challenges physical, environmental, economic, and socio-cultural. Among these structural challenges are the transformation of the physical, historical, and architectural identity of villages into tradable commercial goods; spatial segregation and separation between modern tourism constructions (villas and resorts) and the traditional fabric of the village; rapid and illegal changes in the use of agricultural and orchard lands; physical congestion and uncontrolled traffic in narrow rural passages; severe cultural conflicts between tourists’ behavioral norms and the lifestyle of local communities; and the imposition of local inflation and artificial, bubble-like growth in land and housing prices, all of which threaten the livability of host communities (Paymanfar, 2020: 20). Given the multiple, diverse, and sometimes conflicting functions of rural environments (such as residential, agricultural, recreational, and environmental roles), the overlap of spaces and the misalignment of interests among different groups, these negative consequences create a suitable ground for the emergence of conflict among various stakeholders. Conflict refers to a dynamic and interactive situation in which disagreement, opposition, incompatibility, or serious struggle arises regarding goals, needs, desires, economic interests, and value systems between two or more individuals or groups. In the existing theoretical and empirical literature, conflict is considered an inevitable and inherent phenomenon in the tourism development process, which can be regarded as a structural threat to individual and group relationships, especially in fragile local communities (Chien & Ritchie, 2018). The lack of management or inefficient management of these frictions leads to destructive and dysfunctional consequences such as a severe decline in local cooperation, polarization of the host community, retaliatory and hostile behaviors, weakening of cohesion and social capital, severe destruction of natural resources, and a reduction in the economic achievements and sustainability of tourism development (Cox et al, 2017). On the other hand, if principled, participatory, and competent management approaches are adopted, this phenomenon can become a natural, dynamic, and even constructive part of social life and an essential element for change, structural reform, and system dynamism, bringing about positive aspects (Wang & Yotsumoto, 2019). In this case, conflict, as a functional tool, leads to the clarification of hidden issues, strengthening of intra-group communications, increased social learning, enhancement of community-based participation, and the redefinition of norms and regulations in favor of local communities.
The rural areas of Torghabeh and Shandiz County, as the most important and popular summer, natural, and tourist hub in the northeast region of Iran and around the holy city of Mashhad, have, due to their unique natural, climatic, historical, and cultural attractions, for years become the main destination for second homes tourism, ecotourism, traditional restaurant businesses, and cultural tourism. The rapid influx of private sector investments, dense villa construction, and the increasing and massive arrival of tourists at the end of each week to this region, alongside limited economic benefits and their unequal distribution, have led to structural conflicts, deep dissatisfaction, and acute disputes among the host community, tourists, owners of tourism businesses, and governmental and authoritative organizations (such as the Department of Environment, Ministry of Cultural Heritage, and Housing Foundation). Improper management of these conflicts has not only weakened social cohesion and traditional bonds of the local community, but by shaping negative perceptions among residents regarding the costs of tourism, has severely reduced their support for the development of this industry. Although the research literature in the field of tourism management has sporadically examined stakeholder conflicts, there is a clear theoretical and practical gap regarding simultaneous, comprehensive, and spatial analysis of outcomes in two distinct spectrums of "functional" and "non-functional" impacts in rural geography of Iran. Therefore, this study aims to fill this research gap by identifying, analyzing, quantitatively evaluating, and spatially ranking the functional and non-functional impacts of stakeholder conflicts on the lives of rural residents in Torghabeh and Shandiz County, to provide an effective practical guide for sustainable regional planners.

Methodology
The present study is classified as fundamental-applied research in terms of its objective, and as quantitative research in terms of its methodological nature. Data collection was conducted using a researcher-made questionnaire. To this end, initially, the effects and consequences of conflict were extracted from the existing theoretical literature in two groups positive and negative effects as dimensions and indicators for measuring the impact of stakeholder conflicts on various aspects of the lives of residents in rural tourism destinations. Subsequently, a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of 48 items on a 5-point Likert scale, was designed and completed by 392 residents from 19 rural tourism destinations located along three main tourism axes in Torghabeh and Shandiz County (Shandiz District, Abardeh Rural District with four villages, Torghabeh District, Jaghargh Rural District with five villages, and Torghabeh Rural District with ten villages). The sample size was determined using Cochran’s formula (error 0.05) and selected through stratified random sampling (allocating the sample size in each village proportional to its population), with participants chosen based on their awareness and informational knowledge relevant to the study topic. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive and inferential statistics. Additionally, for spatial analysis of conflict effects and ranking the studied villages in terms of their susceptibility to positive and negative outcomes, PSI model was used. This model, without the need for subjective weighting methods, can simultaneously, directly, and objectively calculate the weights of indicators and rank the options from the initial decision matrix, thus eliminating researcher bias. The validity of the questionnaire was assessed using two methods: comparison with a criterion and the pre-test method. Therefore, the indicators and questions were extracted and designed based on previous studies, and then the accuracy, comprehensiveness, and relevance of the designed indicators to the research topic were confirmed by the opinions of 17 rural experts and experienced specialists. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, which showed values above 0.78 for all dimensions, indicating strong internal consistency and high reliability of the questionnaire.

Results and discussion
The results of the one-sample T-test for the indicators and dimensions of conflict impacts showed that, overall, the negative impacts of conflict on residents (mean 3.097) were significantly greater than the positive impacts (mean 2.797). This finding indicates that due to inefficient management, conflicts among stakeholders have mainly led to dysfunctional rather than functional outcomes, which is consistent with previous studies (Yang et al, 2013; Beekman et al, 2017; Gross et al, 2022) that identify conflict as a factor reducing cooperation and community welfare, as well as research that considers environmental damage (Hjalager, 2020) and spatial degradation (Loperena, 2017) as the result of land use conflicts and reduced cooperation and welfare in local communities, and the negative perceptions of residents regarding the costs of tourism development (Teng, 2019; Gascón, 2012) as a result of inefficient management. Among the most significant dysfunctional consequences are: loss of comfort, tranquility, and privacy for villagers due to increased crowds and congestion (3.83), increased structural conflicts and misunderstandings between local and external stakeholders (3.63), decreased sense of public, social, and moral security in the village environment (average: 3.50), increased behavioral conflicts and cultural clashes between tourists and residents (3.49), reduced motivation for local and traditional economic activities in the tourism sector (3.49), emergence of disputes, physical and verbal altercations, and legal cases (3.41), development of negative attitudes, pessimism, and aversion among the local community toward tourism development (3.35), and environmental-physical consequences (average: 3.83) such as destruction of the natural environment (including littering, water pollution, damage to vegetation) and excessive construction (including unauthorized buildings and land use changes). In contrast, functional (positive) consequences were generally evaluated as lower than the theoretical average. However, the average of some indicators was higher than the mean, indicating that under certain circumstances, conflict can have constructive effects such as: revitalization of the village environment (3.41), creation of investment opportunities (3.20), increased sense of place attachment (3.15), and increased intra-group cooperation (3.14). The positive average for "energizing the rural environment" shows that in some villages, conflicts over environmental-physical issues have led to collective action and improved management. Also, the above-average score for "increasing sense of place attachment" indicates that conflict may sometimes strengthen the identity and desire of residents to protect their place of living. Furthermore, the results from the PSI decision matrix showed that the spatial distribution of conflict consequences across the 19 studied villages was by no means homogeneous, and based on this, the villages are divided into three major spatial categories. a) Villages with predominantly non-functional (destructive) conflict: Mayan Olya, Tajer, Maj, Moghan, and Abardeh Sofla villages scored highest in non-functional consequences. In these villages, due to managerial abandonment and lack of infrastructure to respond to the massive influx of tourists, the nature of conflicts has become entirely destructive, exhausting, and anti-development, resulting in a severe decline in social capital and destruction of environmental resources. b) Villages with Predominantly Functional (Constructive) Conflict: The villages of Azghad and Garakhak fall into this category. In these locations, the presence of cohesive local institutions and the high awareness of residents have turned stakeholder conflicts into opportunities for physical-environmental dynamism, precise identification of problems, attracting government funding, and creating new and sustainable job opportunities. c) Villages with Dual Status: Prominent and large villages such as Jaghargh, Kong, Abardeh Olya, and Noghondar are polarized between functional and non-functional effects; that is, they simultaneously experience the highest rates of economic income (functional) and the most severe traffic, illegal construction, and behavioral conflicts (non-functional).

Conclusion
The findings of the research indicate that although the existing conflicts in the studied destinations have the potential to become opportunities (functional conflicts), due to inefficient management, lack of simultaneous attention to the interests of all stakeholders, and insufficient participation of local communities, the existing conflicts among stakeholders act as dysfunctional conflicts. Instead of contributing to the sustainable development of rural tourism, they have led to the weakening of local community welfare and the intensification of environmental and cultural problems. The main root of the negative consequences of tourism is not the conflict itself, but its ineffective management. Therefore, to reduce negative impacts and also to enhance the positive effects of conflict, it is recommended to formulate and implement regulations for managing tourist flows to address overcrowding and traffic and restore residents’ comfort, control construction and land-use changes, and promote responsible tourism through educating stakeholders on sustainable management principles and raising tourists’ awareness. Furthermore, ensuring the fair distribution of economic benefits and providing opportunities for rural residents to participate in tourism decision-making and activities to reduce local dissatisfaction, empowering the local community through specialized training programs especially for women and youth to manage dysfunctional conflicts and turn them into constructive ones, and investing in the restoration of historical buildings and the development of infrastructure by relevant institutions (such as the Cultural Heritage Organization) for cultural revitalization and physical development of villages, are also recommended.

Funding
There is no funding support.

Authors’ Contribution
This article is derived from the first author's doctoral dissertation (review of scholarly literature, data collection, and data analysis), conducted under the supervision of the second and third authors (development of the research methodology framework and contribution to the final report).

Conflict of Interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.