Rural tourism is widely recognized as one of the most effective strategies for promoting economic development, contributing significantly to employment generation, income growth, and value creation in local communities. Despite the rich natural, cultural, and economic resources of the rural areas in western Mazandaran, the absence of a value chain–based management approach has limited the efficient utilization of these capacities. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the rural tourism value chain and examine its effects on the economic development of rural areas in western Mazandaran, Iran. This research is applied in terms of purpose and adopts a descriptive-survey design with an analytical approach. The statistical population consisted of tourists, tourism stakeholders, and local entrepreneurs, from which a sample of 384 respondents was selected using Cochran’s formula. Data were collected through a researcher-developed questionnaire and analyzed using the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) measure, Bartlett’s test of sphericity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that six key dimensions of the rural tourism value chain—destination marketing and branding, infrastructure and accessibility, accommodation and hospitality services, local products and handicrafts, community participation, and institutional support—collectively explained 74.4% of the total variance. Furthermore, all value chain dimensions had positive and statistically significant effects on the economic development of rural areas. Among these dimensions, local products and handicrafts exerted the strongest influence on regional economic development, with a standardized beta coefficient of 0.35. Based on Porter’s Value Chain Model, strengthening the integration between primary and support activities, improving infrastructure, enhancing tourism services, promoting destination marketing, and supporting local production can substantially increase value added, generate sustainable employment, and foster the economic development of rural communities in western Mazandaran, Iran.