Nowadays diversification of the rural economy through entrepreneurship development is considered by planners and researchers. Tourism industry is one of these new economic opportunities that are quickly growing because of increasing global needs. The rural area, because of its tourism potential and beautiful nature, can be considered as one of the tourist centres. Among available tourism opportunities in the rural area, natural attractions (rivers, mountains, plain and deserts) original landscapes and appropriate weather improve the conditions for the development of different types of ecotourism in rural areas, rather than the other aspect of tourism, that valley ecotourism is one of the most attractive of them. This phenomenon becomes more important especially in the peripheral rural areas of the big cities. Therefore, a variety of ecotourism opportunities in these spaces is the source of new employment opportunities and also provides the provisional places for avoiding a machined urban life. It will be the powerful procedure for sustainable economic efficiency, without any environmental destruction, and for improving vital resource protection in rural areas, based on an entrepreneurial approach. It may be cause to economic development and sustainability of peripheral rural area of big cities and empower Inter-regional relationships between rural and urban spaces for attracting the urban over income and opportunities into rural. Thus, the recognition of tourism entrepreneurship opportunities through a qualitative methodology in the peripheral rural areas of Iran metropolises from tourism enterprise owners is the main purpose of this study. Based on results, ecotourism creates the entertainment, service, production, and commercial new opportunities in peripheral rural areas.

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