Illuminating rural tourism: A bibliometric approach

Abstract

During the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, rural tourism in developed nations provided an exhilarating and pioneering field to delve into, whether one was a scholarly researcher or a visitor immersing oneself in the countryside environment. This type of tourism emerged as a novel and distinctive option, challenging the traditional and, in some cases, rapidly expanding beach and coastal resorts that dominated the tourism industry after the Second World War. Rural tourism was not a completely new occurrence in advanced countries during that period. It had already been set up, for example, in many distinguished and charming areas throughout Europe and North America since the end of the 19th century. The research examines the responses to the growth and transformation of rural tourism by analyzing articles published in Scopus, specifically exploring the subject categories and geographic distribution of these publications. By identifying patterns and making predictions based on these articles, this study aims to classify and investigate key research advancements and divisions in rural tourism. Additionally, it explores the research gaps in this field and synthesizes the findings to establish a solid framework for future investigations. The study also delves into the marketing research aspect of rural tourism and rural locations, highlighting the value of rural tourism journals for businesses and examining the emerging research trends and future opportunities in tourism organizations, as well as critical indicators for business performance. Finally, the article suggests that the capability framework can be utilized to identify new avenues for marketing research in the area.