Reverse innovation and digital sustainability in rural destinations: evidence from Iran's Hawraman

Zabih-Allah Torabi, Pantea Davani, Parastou Jalilian · 2026 · Frontiers in Sustainable Tourism

Summary. This study examines how entrepreneurs in two rural Iranian heritage villages adopt digital technologies despite infrastructural constraints. Through interviews with 21 entrepreneurs, researchers identified five interconnected dimensions of digital entrepreneurship: infrastructural liminality, identity-functional duality, collective-relational agency, re-adaptive cycles, and contextual spirituality. Infrastructure limitations actually spark reverse innovation and collective resilience, enabling culturally embedded technological adaptation that supports sustainable heritage preservation.

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@article{torabi-2026-reverse-innovation-digital-sustainability-rural,
  title   = {Reverse innovation and digital sustainability in rural destinations: evidence from Iran's Hawraman},
  author  = {Zabih-Allah Torabi and Pantea Davani and Parastou Jalilian},
  journal = {Frontiers in Sustainable Tourism},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.3389/frsut.2026.1745982},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.3389/frsut.2026.1745982}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Reverse innovation and digital sustainability in rural destinations: evidence from Iran's Hawraman
AU  - Zabih-Allah Torabi
AU  - Pantea Davani
AU  - Parastou Jalilian
JO  - Frontiers in Sustainable Tourism
PY  - 2026
DO  - 10.3389/frsut.2026.1745982
UR  - https://doi.org/10.3389/frsut.2026.1745982
ER  - 

Details

DOI

10.3389/frsut.2026.1745982

Countries

Iran

Categories

broadband-and-digital, entrepreneurship, regional-innovation-systems

Added

2026-04-28