Small and medium-sized businesses in developing economies are considered the most dynamic investment sector and play a vital role in the socio-economic development of less developed regions. Rural tourism businesses are mainly categorized as micro-businesses and have the ability to create a suitable environment for sustainable economic growth and development by utilizing local resources. The aim of the present study is to investigate and analyze the economic challenges in the sustainability of rural tourism businesses. The present study is of an applied-analytical type and its statistical population is the owners of tourism businesses and local residents in the tourism target villages of Asara district. Two quantitative and qualitative methods have been used to collect the required data. So that in the first stage, the main axes were identified by conducting interviews and in the second stage, the interview findings were tabulated into a closed questionnaire. The results showed that the owners of tourism businesses in Asara district face numerous economic challenges in their development and maintenance, which can be referred to as the characteristics of the rural economy (vulnerability of the local economy, insufficient financing and investment, seasonality of tourism activities) and the inappropriateness of the tourism micro-business environment, such as the environment governing businesses in the economic dimension and the low riskiness of tourism micro-businesses. On the other hand, the results obtained from the quantitative analysis of the data from the closed questionnaire showed that, apart from the low riskiness index of tourism sector activities, other indicators under study were significant at the 99% level, and the indicators of "tourism business environment" and "local economy vulnerability" were considered the most important challenges to the formation, development and sustainability of rural tourism micro-businesses in the study area, with numerical average values ​​of 3.9595 and 3.4025, respectively.