Abstract
ABSTRACT Many European Union countries face a significant challenge: rural residents are migrating to cities, causing a growing socio-economic lag in shrinking rural areas. Various regional political measures and supportive place marketing have been employed to counteract this trend. The purpose of the article is to study the possibilities and challenges of migration-targeted rural place marketing in Estonia; this is done through qualitative methods. Drawing on in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, the authors argue that rural place marketing aimed at supporting counter-urbanization is often ineffective. The main findings are that strategic choices of marketing and difficulties in implementing adequate follow-up measures are often among critical reasons for this ineffectiveness. The authors conclude that local authorities should pay more attention to specific community-based target groups, such as life-style migrants, who are more likely to adapt to rural traditional communities and contribute effectively to the social and economic development of rural areas.
Published Version
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