Rural Development and Sustainable Rural Tourism

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, in numerous countries, rural tourism has grown from being a secondary commercial activity to establish itself as an independent sector. It is a growing activity, particularly in areas where agriculture is not especially competitive in economic terms. Rural tourism is largely a domestic phenomenon that is disparate in nature across countries and continents. This diversity explains why the current literature on rural tourism includes a significant number of case studies on countries and rural tourism attractions in different countries. We can identify two main lines of research in rural tourism: analysis of rural tourism as sustainable economic activity and its potential as a tool of development. Among the benefits of tourism, one can stress its ability to be more respectful of the rural environment than alternative forms of development, as well as its commitment to some degree of conservationism as a goal. Other benefits may be underscored, namely, the diversification of the local economy, creation of new companies, upkeep of local services, external contact with isolated communities, or repopulation. However, it is also true that potentially negative impacts exist that must be identified and countered, such as impacts on the natural and social environments. The magnitude of these impacts will depend on factors such as the volume of tourists, activities tourists perform, fragility of the natural environment, and robustness of the local culture. Rural tourism should respect and preserve the environment in which it is developed, while also supporting economic diversification in a viable way in the long term. Along these lines, this Special Issue will evaluate the capability of rural tourism to act as a tool for sustainable development. The issue will consider contributions based on applied studies that expand the current knowledge on the relationship between sustainable tourism and rural development. Hence, appropriate papers for this issue should deal with case studies, macroanalysis, and even theoretical studies that are able to provide an overview of the existing literature.

Dr. José María Martín Martín
Dr. Francisco Javier Sáez-Fernández
Guest Editors

References:

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• rural tourism
• sustainable tourism
• social sustainability
• sustainable development
• economic sustainability
• ecological sustainability
• economic diversification