Rediscovering the Rural as a Tourist Destination in Pandemic Times

Author(s):  
Susana Silva ◽  
Paulo Carvalho

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the global tourism sector in an unprecedented manner. After the relaxation of lockdown measures, there was an expectation about the chosen tourist environments and how rural tourism would be positioned. This chapter starts from a theoretical framework on rural tourism in Portugal and analyses how this segment has been impacted by COVID-19 from a quantitative perspective and the choices of summer season environments by Portuguese tourists through a questionnaire survey applied to almost 700 Portuguese tourists. The results show that demand increased and that rural environments strengthened their position relative to pre-COVID-19 planning. This was mainly motivated by the notion of safety conveyed thanks to low population density which leads to the perception that rural areas offer a lower risk of transmission. This information provides a relevant support tool for rural territories, since they now have an opportunity to be creative, to re-invent themselves, and to promote a more sustainable tourism.

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 553
Author(s):  
Marcelo Sánchez-Oro Sánchez ◽  
José Castro-Serrano ◽  
Rafael Robina-Ramírez

The objective of this research is to obtain and analyze discursive information on the problems and solutions of the tourism sector in an eminently rural region, such as Extremadura, based on the opinions of stakeholders, in order to incorporate them into the evaluation and tourism planning of the region. More specifically, on the situation of the sector, perceptions on profitability and return on investment, the problem of overnight stays, and coordination between tourism agents and training demands, in order to make a sustainable tourism sector in a rural region. The research starts from the following premise: for tourism to be sustainable, stakeholders must participate in the strategic decision-making process. This paper aims, on the one hand, to clarify sufficiently the state of the art regarding the validity of focus groups and their analysis as a research methodology, explaining how to address the main challenges implied by this technique by reviewing a selection of research works that we consider relevant in this field. On the other hand, an analysis of the tourism sector in Extremadura is carried out based on these group dynamics. The main result, after analyzing the discourse of six focus groups, is that the different opinions of their members reveal, despite everything, that the training of human capital in the tourism sector in rural environments is a pending issue.


2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-41
Author(s):  
Nina Baković

AbstractAn approach to sustainable tourism through clusters is considered an appropriate strategy in less-developed rural areas of tourist-oriented countries, such as Croatia. This paper clarifies the key challenges of the development of tourism clusters in the region of Gorska Hrvatska and provides new data for an approach to sustainable rural tourism development. Using available secondary data from governmental bodies, non-governmental organizations, protected areas of Gorska Hrvatska, and primary data of the Lika Destination Cluster, the paper explores the key challenges of developing a cluster of tourism and selective forms of tourism. Most tourism clusters in Croatia have remained in the first phase of development for years, even though this approach has failed to to achieve significant results. The key benefits of networking and branding in rural areas are identified and defined, but these potentials are still largely underutilized. The objective of this study is to provide practical recommendations to the Croatian tourism industry on how to learn from the suggested best practices and how to implement them effectively. For that purpose, the case of sustainable tourism located in the Gorska Hrvatska region, called the Lika Destination Cluster is analyzed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Ni Putu Evi Wijayanti

Rural tourism is one tour package that is highly desirable for foreign tourists, especially European tourists. Rural tourism has an important role and provides many benefits in the tourism sector for rural communities. When tourists travel to rural areas, they indirectly help local communities in developing rural areas and living standards. Furthermore, homestay is one of the criteria for a tourist village. Homestay is a product of the tourism industry where tourists can meet directly with local residents. Tourists who stay at the homestay and given an offer of rural tour packages, can be an opportunity for the community to attract tourists to stay longer by enjoying a variety of natural and cultural activities in the tourist village. This study aimed to determine the perceptions of European tourists on rural tour packages at D’Karang Homestay. The benefit of this research is to add references in tourism studies especially about the perceptions of European tourists on rural tourism packages. The research methods used were observation, interview, questionnaire and documentation. This research revealed European tourist perceptions of the rural tour packages offered by D’Karang Homestay but there are still shortcomings that need to be corrected.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 34-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Александр Трухачев ◽  
Aleksandr Trukhachev

The phenomenon of rural tourism is known for a long time, now it holds a strong position in the global tourism industry. At national level the phenomenon of rural tourism takes a variety of forms, in which different approaches to the appropriate tourism product development and its integration with additional services are implemented. The study conducted by the author demonstrates that the success of rural tourism development depends on the efforts of national and regional regulatory agencies, as well as local government entities. The article presents established practices of support and regulation of rural tourism, summarizes scientific approaches to the formalization of the rural tourism state regulation and grouping of its functions. It is proved that the phenomenon of rural tourism appears at the intersection of three management objects: regional policy in terms of development of rural areas, tourism development policies, especially in diversification of the tourism product, as well as agriculture development policies, promotion of technologies and products. Based on the research results the author presents interpretation of the types of the rural tourism development public policies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 239
Author(s):  
Ana Nieto Masot ◽  
Nerea Ríos Rodríguez

The appearance of new trends and models of tourism consumption has allowed the proliferation of rural tourist facilities in northern Extremadura. This article analyzes the economic, social, and heritage (natural and cultural) variables to relate them to the tourism offer and demand in these areas. The present study used geostatistical techniques such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and their spatial location through Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to determine the distribution and degree of incidence of these variables in the territories. The results obtained confirm the existence of imbalances in the tourism sector, which made it possible to determine which tourist territories have implemented the best lines of action to receive visitors, increase economic income, and preserve the population in rural areas with deficiencies in their tourism development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 230
Author(s):  
Gheorghe Epuran ◽  
Bianca Tescașiu ◽  
Alina-Simona Tecău ◽  
Ioana-Simona Ivasciuc ◽  
Adina-Nicoleta Candrea

The purpose of this research is to find if the stakeholders involved in rural tourism (primary producers of ecological goods, tourism service providers, and tourists, as carriers of demand for tangible products and ecological services) are concerned with integrating principles and values of sustainable tourism through permaculture and downshifting, and how these two phenomena might become sources for sustainable development in rural areas. To achieve this purpose, qualitative research was conducted among tourism producers, intermediaries, and tourists from the Brașov region–one of the most important touristic areas of Romania and, also, an important region with rural tourism destinations. The results revealed that there is a particular preoccupation regarding permaculture and downshifting, and they might contribute to the local development of rural tourism areas. The novelty elements brought by this research are synthesized in a matrix where permaculture and downshifting were presented as important sources for the sustainable development of tourism in rural areas.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Fesenko ◽  

The goal of the work was to identify awareness-raising measures and prospects for the development of rural tourism in Ukraine. The following research methods are used to achieve this goal: historical - when studying the origins of the tourist industry in Ukraine; analysis and synthesis - in the study of the dynamics of tourism activities; abstract-logical - at generalization of theoretical, methodological and practical aspects of the problem being investigated. The article examines the current state of Rural Tourism and the tourism industry of Ukraine as a whole. A number of functions have been analysed and highlighted that the tourism industry performs in the national economy. The concept of rural tourism is based on a theoretical synthesis and rural areas, agro-tourism and ecotourism. It has been determined that all types of tourism can be developed in Ukraine but this potential is under-exploited and, as a consequence, the development of the tourism industry isn`t dynamic and doesn`t grow rapidly. Analyzing the current state of rural tourism in Ukraine, a number of disadvantages and advantages were identified. The prospects for the development of the tourism sector in Ukraine, including through the popularization of rural tourism, are revealed. Rural tourism is motivated by the desire to change load due to urban hypodynamy of the urban pace of life and desire for privacy and recreation in nature, the rejection of social constraints, introduction to the national characteristics of everyday life; use of environmentally friendly products in food, clothing, cosmetics. It is determined that in rural areas it is appropriate to jointly develop areas of ECO - and agro-tourism, based on the ever-increasing interest and need for environmentally friendly recreation areas and environmentally friendly products. During the study of this problem, a number of main components of rural tourism are identified and promising directions for the development of rural tourism are proposed. The practical significance lies in the fact that the proposed measures can be used in the development of regional strategies for rural development and during the popularization of rural tourism among the population of Ukraine and abroad.


Author(s):  
Y. Zinko ◽  
M. Malska ◽  
M. Ivanyk ◽  
S. Blagodyr

This paper contains of the question of the impact of mass forms of tourism and recreational classes on the environment Ukrainian Carpathians. Analysis of the environmental aspects of ecotourism initiatives in the region. The ways of minimizing the negative impact of tourism and recreational classes on the environment. In the context of the Protocol on Sustainable Tourism Carpathian Convention, the recommendations for national parks and rural areas of the region. Key words: Ukrainian Carpathians, tourism and leisure studies, sustainable development, ecotourism, rural tourism.


Patan Pragya ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (02) ◽  
pp. 155-163
Author(s):  
Malati Kaini

This paper has focused upon the rural tourism in Nepal and the impacts of COVID-19 on its development. In Nepal tourism mostly occurs in rural environments and involves rural experiences. Wonderful rural cultures and traditional farming are attracting tourists in the rural areas. The villages of Nepal have their own unique natural and cultural dimensions. The fresh environment, natural and cultural artifacts, and the lifestyle of the local people are the main things to experience in the villages. Greatest potential benefit of rural tourism is its ability to generate money, which can translate into numerous positive economic opportunities for locals and their communities. But the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant adverse impact on most businesses including rural tourism. Before COVID-19, rural tourism had become one of the most important activities to generate income in some rural areas of Nepal. But now all activities of rural tourism are in coma. Thus, in the post COVID-19 scenario, the very survival of the rural tourism industry will become the biggest challenge because there was no specific preparedness strategy in case of any crisis of this scale. Some measures are suggested to address the challenges and help prepare the strategy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Pablo Gordo Gómez

Specific farm policies have not revitalized Castile and Leon rural environments, whose physical and structural characteristics limit their productive possibilities in the EU competitive market. Faced with this situation territorial polices for rural developments have been considered adequate for enhancing competitiveness by helping restructuring, diversifying economic activities emphasising endogenous potentialities, maintaining population in rural areas, and increasing quality of life in them. An assessment of the results obtained within the LEADER framework in the last two decades indicates that rural tourism has benefited, and that there has been a boost for the farm activities, especially trade and marketing activities, which small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have started and that have led to employment gains. However, the benefits have been located in few places, only those that boast high sizes, and have not achieved a visible reduction of rural inequalities nor have translated in an active participation in European networks of multinational cooperation.


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