A Case Study of Three Tourism-related Craft Marketing Cooperatives in Appalachia: Contributions to Community

Abstract

Many rural communities interested in cultivating tourism while maintaining local control are considering the cooperative form of development. Because this form requires little initial capital investment (which enables local control and self-development) and can be developed in a way that allows for non-economic goals, it can be an important element of sustainable tourism. This article uses qualitative case study analysis and in-depth interviews to examine if the various rationalities within three tourism craft marketing cooperatives in central Appalachia are manifest in their contributions made to the communities in which they are located.The study is theoretically framed by the Weberian concept of formal and substantive rationality. Formal rationality is based on economic goals only, while substantive rationality allows for non-economic goals like improved quality of life and cultural preservation. Results indicate the Weberian framework is a useful device for interpreting whether a tourism-related marketing cooperative organisation's internal goals and priorities are manifest in its external contributions to community. This study is especially useful to rural tourism practitioners interested in maximising often scarce resources in a sustainable manner that maintains local control and ideologies.