Sustainable Rural Tourism Research Articles

Tourist perceptions of tourism destinations choice and loyalty: A perspective on developing sustainable rural tourism in Bangladesh

Tourist perception refers to the emotional and psychological evaluations that tourists form as a result of their encounters with the destination, including its attractions, people, culture, and services. It can significantly influence tourism destination choice and loyalty, which means returning to the same destination or recommending it to others. The primary objective of this research endeavor is to investigate the perspectives held by tourists regarding their selection of destinations and their loyalty towards these destinations. The study specifically concentrates on the advancement of sustainable rural tourism within the context of Bangladesh. The study was based on quantitative methods, the study's premise, and many statistical measurements, such as descriptive statistics, validity, reliability, regression analysis, and the study's hypothesis. The results of the study indicate that the main determinants of tourist site selection and revisiting the tourist spots are based on the dynamic service qualities and availability of basic facilities at the tourist spots, as well as the higher propensity to reenter rural tourist places and localities. The implications for stakeholders encompass the necessity of allocating resources to develop quality services, enhance the basic facilities in tourist spots, and develop comprehensive marketing strategies aimed at promoting rural areas as attractive tourist destinations. This research makes a valuable contribution to the creation of effective strategies for sustainable development in the rural tourism industry of Bangladesh by examining tourist attitudes.

Exploring inclusivity perceptions among residents: insights from rural tourism destinations

Rural destinations are experiencing a boom in demand from tourists. However, the sustainability of rural spaces as tourism destinations is also challenged by a lack of diversity, including cultural homogeneity, and discrimination against underrepresented groups. Addressing this gap, we used social identity theory to examine how residents’ social identities shape their perceptions of inclusivity in rural destinations. We employ a multimethod qualitative study that includes in-depth interviews with residents from four rural destinations. Supplementing these interviews, we ask rural tourists to answer an open-ended questionnaire about their perception of diversity at rural destinations. This study finds that the sustainability of rural destinations is adversely influenced by the processes of social categorization, expressed through intimidation and historical revisionism, and social comparison involving performative allyship that perpetuates covert racism. While linked identity, a crucial pathway within social identification, is vital for fostering inclusive rural tourism environments, complexity rises when residents navigate intragroup conflicts stemming from multiple group identities. This study’s originality lies in its in-depth focus on how destination residents construe and contest their rural identity regarding inclusivity and expand on fluidity and intragroup conflict within sustainable rural tourism.

Local Insights into Rural Tourism: A Study of Heeloya in the Knuckles Mountain Range

With its natural attractiveness and cultural prosperity, the Knuckles Mountain Range presents an exclusive opportunity for rural tourism, which Heeloya, a village nestled within this biodiverse area, has begun to embrace. This article investigates the local community's perceptions and attitudes towards tourism, examining the meaning of tourism in their traditional lifestyle, economy, and environment. Employing a mixed-methodological approach, the study integrates qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys analyzed through qualitative descriptive analysis and descriptive statistics. The qualitative descriptive analysis enabled the emergence of concepts underlying rural tourism. These concepts were further validated with selected quotations. A concept map created using Leximancer further substantiated these underlying conceptions and clarified the interconnectedness between the concepts. The findings suggest that the community is thoughtfully optimistic about the potential of rural tourism, encouraging a participatory approach to tourism development and engagement to ensure that it remains in congruence with Heeloya’s cultural essence and the grand Knuckles Mountain Range. This research contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable rural tourism, providing valuable insights for policymakers, stakeholders, and communities considering tourism as a pathway for rural development.

SUSTAINABILITY AS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN RURAL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

Day by day sustainability is becoming more and more important, but as the current trends show, the role of sustainability has especially grown in rural tourism, where there are good opportunities to implement smart and energy-efficient technologies. The main purpose of the paper is to analyze what are the challenges of rural tourism, what are the trends now and what is the role of sustainability, which guarantees new opportunities and gives a competitive advantage to the regions. According to qualitative and quantitative research methods, the article highlights and studies the importance of sustainability in the context of rural tourism. The main idea of the article is to study what sustainable rural tourism means and why is it important, and it also studies the sustainable rural tourism concept itself and sustainable rural tourism experiences in Georgia and other foreign countries. To summarize, it can be said that sustainable rural tourism is one of the important trends of modern tourism and it can have a positive impact on regional development, too.

The Impact of Air Quality on the Tourism Industry: Measuring Stakeholder Subjectivity in Mures Country Using the Q Methodology

Abstract This study examines the perceptions of stakeholders regarding air quality and how it influences the tourism industry, exploring the relationship between air quality and travel decisions, the impact of air pollution on tourism demand, sustainable rural tourism development, and the level of air quality awareness in tourists' home countries. Utilizing the Q Methodology, based on Stephenson's theoretical concept of operative subjectivity, subjective perceptions and opinions of stakeholders in Mureș County regarding the impact of air quality on the tourism industry were measured. Data were collected through the Q-sort tool from a heterogeneous sample of 20 participants (P-sample) socio-demographically. The research highlights significant concern about air pollution and its impact on tourism and the environment, particularly in Târgu Mureș. The results reveal strong disapproval among the stakeholders, suggesting a common, homogeneous understanding of the importance of environmental protection and the need for a sustainable approach in the tourism industry and beyond. Three relevant factors were identified, including unfavorable perceptions regarding (1) the impact of pollution, (2) consensus on the importance of environmental conservation in sustainable tourism, and (3) diversity of perceptions regarding the impact of pollution on tourism demand and tourist satisfaction. The findings underscore the necessity of a balanced and genuine approach to promote sustainable and responsible tourism, considering similarities and differences in perceptions regarding the impact of pollution on tourism demand.

Empowerment model by Village Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) realizing sustainable village tourism in Malang Regency

This research aims to describe the role and empowerment model of BUMDes in realizing sustainable village tourism, serving as a reference for policymakers in harnessing the potential towards effective governance. The data in this study is primarily collected through an in-depth analysis of purposively selected, relevant informants. Subsequently, the qualitative data obtained is analyzed using the Miles, Huberman, and Saldana model. The research findings reveal that empowerment, characterized by three indicators: conscientization, community organizing, and resource delivery, is not effectively carried out by BUMDes. Local communities respond to the presence of Cafe Sawah tourism independently, initiating businesses and trade within the Cafe Sawah area. BUMDes efforts to maintain the existence of Cafe Sawah tourism involve training and education for employees on rural tourism development, improving marketing management through enhanced social media promotion and conventional institution outreach, ensuring visitor comfort, delighting with natural scenery, providing local cuisine, and enhancing overall visitor experience. This study sheds light on the importance of BUMDes in fostering sustainable rural tourism while highlighting opportunities for improvement and development in their empowerment strategies

Service attributes for sustainable rural tourism from online comments: Tourist satisfaction perspective

While there have been many tourism studies exploring business opportunities from online comments, research in the context of sustainable rural tourism is rare. In particular, practitioners involved in rural destinations are usually transformed from farmers who are relatively new to information technology and therefore unable to understand the voices of tourists in a timely and effective manner. Aiming to expand the literature on sustainable rural tourism, this study cuts from tourist satisfaction and proposes a mixed methodology to investigate insights for sustaining rural destinations from online comments. Specifically, the KMeans clustering algorithm is first utilized to discover service attributes that visitors value; then Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA), an effective satisfaction analysis tool, is adopted to understand tourist satisfaction; to develop specific sustainable strategies, using an advanced opinion extraction technique this work identified dissatisfaction factors of visitors. 5832 online comments of two adjacent rural destinations (i.e. Hongcun and Xidi) were crawled to validate the proposed methodology. Results show that five service attributes were discovered, including Natural environment, Price, Food, Hospitality, and Culture & heritage; Hongcun's Natural environment and Price require urgent measures, and its Food and Hospitality are at a competitive disadvantage compared to Xidi; detailed factors dissatisfying visitors were identified through opinion extraction technique, based on which specific sustainable strategies are generated for authorities and practitioners. By excavating business opportunities from online reviews via big data analysis and text mining techniques, the proposed methodology advances the academic understanding of promoting rural tourism.

Awakening Uniqueness: Branding Strategy of Undisan Rural Tourism in Bangli Regency Through Eco-Experience

This research article explores the branding strategy of Undisan Rural Tourism in Bangli Regency, with a focus on its success in winning the 3rd Places of Tourism Village Award through an eco-experience. The study utilizes a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis to identify and evaluate key factors that contribute to the village's branding strategy. Undisan Rural Tourism embodies a unique blend of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and sustainable practices, making it an exemplary case study for rural tourism development. The research methodology involves qualitative approaches. Primary data is collected through interviews, surveys, and participant observations, while secondary data is gathered from relevant literature, reports, and online sources. The SWOT analysis framework is applied to assess the internal and external factors that influence the branding strategy of Undisan Rural Tourism. The findings of the study reveal several strengths that have contributed to the success of Undisan Rural Tourism. These include its pristine environment, rich cultural heritage, authentic local experiences, and strong community engagement. Additionally, the village has capitalized on opportunities such as increasing demand for sustainable and eco-friendly tourism experiences. However, the research also identifies certain weaknesses and threats that need to be addressed, including limited infrastructure, inadequate marketing efforts, and competition from neighboring tourism destinations. Based on the SWOT analysis, this article proposes strategic recommendations to further enhance the branding strategy of Undisan Rural Tourism. These include improving infrastructure and facilities, expanding marketing efforts through digital platforms, fostering partnerships with local stakeholders, and implementing sustainable practices to preserve the environment. The study concludes that Undisan Rural Tourism's success in winning the 3rd Places of Tourism Village Award can be attributed to its unique branding strategy, which highlights the village's distinctive characteristics and eco-experiences. By addressing the identified weaknesses and capitalizing on existing strengths and opportunities, Undisan Rural Tourism can continue to thrive as a leading destination for sustainable rural tourism, setting an example for other tourism villages in the region

Sustainable rural tourism from the perspective of triple bottom line scientific framework

ABSTRACT This review examines sustainable rural tourism's impact on economic, social, and environmental development pillars. The study analysed 250 high-ranking journals across disciplines such as economics, business, anthropology, sociology, and ecology, apart from tourism journals, from 2019 to February 2023. Few contributions were found in economics and sociology journals, while anthropology and ecology had more. A cross-disciplinary theoretical framework was proposed based on the reviewed articles. It includes value propositions, local context, goals, managerial actions, supporting activities, and desired outcomes of sustainable rural tourism from non-tourism perspectives. It was found that the essential roles of pluriactivity as a concept that departs from social anthropology in explaining rural tourism, the importance of delineating tourism goals on the three pillars based on time dimensions, and the use of power parity as the ultimate goal for rural tourism development.

Environmental change impacts and inclusive rural tourism development on the livelihoods of native societies: evidence from Musina Municipality, South Africa

PurposeThis study aims to explore the latent potential of alternative-responsible tourism and ecotourism leadership in sustainable tourism and the sustenance of rural communities in Musina Municipality in Limpopo Province, South Africa. It also sought to compare this potential with other African pastoral areas and to integrate it with various rural sites elsewhere abroad.Design/methodology/approachNarrative literature, document reviews, interviews and focus group discussions were used to garner relevant data and were analyzed through cross-tabulation analysis and manually. On this account, probable climate change-bound environmental consequences, rural, tourism, farming and ecological administration issues came to the forefront.FindingsThe examination correlates the potential position of proper ecotourism exercises and responsible tourism as an agreeable path to promote sustainability in rural localities. Subsequently, upon apparent countryside products, ecotourism and farming exercises glimpsed in the study area, environmental degradation poses a conceivable hazard to natural resource governance. Hereafter, it aggravates the possibilities for climate change effects and poor subsistence.Originality/valueThe rich biodiversity in the study area provides platforms for sustainable rural tourism enterprises and addresses any pertinent concerns. Thus, the study has manifested a demand for a creative tourism approach and innovations against environmental change outcomes and to capacitate Musina Municipality residents and probably others elsewhere on the continent to engage in ethical tourism initiatives and sustainable livelihoods.

The Spatial Mechanism and Predication of Rural Tourism Development in China: A Random Forest Regression Analysis

Rural tourism has long been recognized as a significant strategy for promoting rural revitalization in China. Excessive development has had a number of negative consequences for rural tourism. As a result, there is a growing need to optimize the developmental framework of rural tourism in order to ensure its sustainable growth. This study focuses on key tourism villages and employs geostatistical analysis and the random forest methodology to elucidate the spatial mechanisms underlying rural tourism and identify potential areas for its development in China. The research findings reveal several important insights: (1) Key tourism villages exhibit a concentrated spatial distribution, characterized by pronounced regional disparities. (2) The intrinsic characteristics of rural areas and the conditions conducive to tourism development play pivotal roles in shaping rural tourism. Notably, cultural resources, tourism resources, rural accessibility, and tourism potential are identified as the primary influential factors. (3) Predictive modeling using random forest analysis indicates that densely populated areas in the eastern region retain the highest level of suitability for rural tourism. In contrast, the development of rural tourism in western and border regions encounters certain constraints. Additionally, the northern region encompasses larger expanses with high suitability, whereas the southern region is generally moderate. This comprehensive nationwide investigation provides valuable insights into the key aspects of rural tourism development and offers practical guidance for achieving sustainable rural tourism practices in China.

Participatory governance of intangible heritage to develop sustainable rural tourism: the timber-raftsmen of La Pobla de Segur, Spain

ABSTRACT Rural areas face the challenge of managing intangible heritage in ways that avoid problems such as the loss of authenticity linked to over-tourism, or living heritage becoming disconnected from the local community due to overprotection. This study explores an innovative method for promoting a participatory governance process for intangible heritage currently managed on a non-participatory basis, in that the local community establishes a consensual model of sustainable tourism development that promotes both the rural renaissance of the area and the preservation of its Intangible Cultural Heritage. This research explores the case of the ‘raiers’ (timber-raftmen) of La Pobla de Segur, an ancient trade of transporting timber by river, recently awarded Intangible World Heritage status by UNESCO. Methods include participant observation, interviews, and discussion groups. The local community felt empowered to find a consensus on how to manage this Intangible Cultural Heritage by focusing on sustainable tourism development that preserves heritage while contributing to the rural renaissance of the area. The local community eagerly engaged by putting forward proposals, indicating the importance of agreements and new initiatives.

Beauty and tourists’ sustainable behaviour in rural tourism: a self-transcendent emotions perspective

Tourism can contribute to the sustainable development of a rural destination, but tourists’ sustainable behaviours often determine the extent of impact. Thus, exploration of the factors that affect the sustainable behaviours of tourists participating in rural tourism may facilitate the development of sustainable rural tourism. Using self-transcendent emotions as a primary lens, our study proposes a theoretical framework to unpack the relationship between engagement with beauty, self-transcendent emotions, and sustainable behaviour. Based on questionnaire data collected from 437 tourists in Luanchuan, China and analysed using Mplus, results show that engagement with beauty (natural beauty, artistic beauty, and moral beauty) can stimulate tourists’ self-transcendent emotions. The stronger the perception of engagement with beauty, the stronger the self-transcendent emotions, which promote sustainable behaviour. This study offers a theoretical understanding of the sustainable development of rural tourism, showing that beauty of destination attractions can affect sustainable behaviours through the experience of self-transcendent emotions. It also provides management suggestions for the development of rural tourism. By optimising the management of tourists’ engagement with beauty and self-transcendent emotions, rural communities can guide tourists’ behaviour to improve sustainable tourism in rural communities.

Factors in the development of smart villages regarding tourism in the Baltic states

PurposeThis study aims to examine the nature of smart villages and the factors in their development in relation to the tourism industry in the Baltic states.Design/methodology/approachThis research employed theoretical literature analysis to conceptualize the factors contributing to smart village development, discourse analysis (analysis of good smart village branding practice), a qualitative approach and descriptive analysis to analyse semi-structured expert survey e-questionnaires to identify the nature of smart villages, as well as to analyse factors in the development of smart villages in relation to tourism in the Baltic states. Specialists who represent tourism, other businesses and the discipline of economics were chosen as experts.FindingsThe experts indicated that the development of smart villages can contribute to essential and important factors in the development of tourism such as the growth of a creative economy, the development of community culture, values, traditions and symbols, the production of local food, the establishment of unique natural, cultural and recreational objects, as well as improvement in infrastructure and the introduction of new technologies.Originality/valueThe study contributes to an understanding of the development of smart villages, given the important factors that were examined. The smart village approach is a relatively new approach to sustainable rural development and tourism promotion. In Europe, it is a better-known approach to developing local areas and tourism, yet each region has its own distinctive features.

Strategies for Sustainable Rural Tourism Innovation: Evidence from Hanoi, Vietnam

Rural tourism is an important driving force for developing rural areas that often face many challenges regarding economics, society, and the environment. Innovation in sustainable rural tourism is the basis for enhancing regeneration in tourism, meeting the goals of sustainable development, satisfying the needs of tourists, and enhancing economic, social, and environmental efficiency for rural areas. The research provides an in-depth understanding of sustainable rural tourism innovation. Therefore, it contributes to a better understanding of sustainable rural tourism innovation, which has not been extensively studied by researchers. Furthermore, it provides a typical case study of rural tourism innovation in a central urban area of developing countries, contributing to a better understanding of innovation in rural tourism destinations in developing country urban areas. The research also provides managers and policy-makers with insights that can be considered when building and implementing future rural tourism destination innovation policies.

Sustainable Rural Tourism Practices From the Local Tourism Stakeholders' Perspectives

Purpose: The paper presents empirical evidence of sustainable practices adopted by rural tourism stakeholders. It explores the concept and meaning of sustainable practices and what motivates rural tourism stakeholders to adopt sustainable tourism practices as well as recommendations to enhance sustainable rural tourism practices. Design/methodology/approach: This paper describes an exploratory qualitative research project designed to investigate sustainable tourism practices of the rural tourism stakeholders. An inductive approach was adopted to address the research objectives. Specifically, this paper focuses on individuals' subjectivity and understanding of sustainable tourism practices in terms of meaning, motivations, and areas of improvement. The respondents' opinions were collected through semi-structured interviews. A total of 29 rural tourism operators participated in the data collection from the two rural tourism associations in Sabah, Malaysia. The data collection was held at Kota Marudu and Kuala Penyu from April to May 2022. Findings: The findings revealed that sustainable tourism practices relate to conservation and preservation, economic benefits, collaboration and protection, environmental impact, future growth, awareness, knowledge, and improvement. Interestingly, the meaning of sustainable tourism practices is strongly connected to the term “fairness”, to competitive products and quality attractions, and to meeting tourists' needs. This implies the meaning of sustainable tourism practices is not limited to economic, environmental, and sociocultural impacts; it also relates to quality tourism products and the needs of tourists. Key drivers for sustainability practices include economic, social, environmental, and government support. Relevant approaches for improving sustainable rural tourism practices include greater participation and collaboration among rural tourism operators, conservation and preservation, destination uniqueness, long-term growth, and 3Rs practices (reduce, reuse, and recycle). Research limitations/implications: Findings implicate sustainable rural tourism destination management and the rural tourism stakeholders to adopt and enhance the sustainability of the rural sites and destination. It also extends the scope of existing literature on the meaning, motivation and sustainability practices of rural tourist destinations. Originality/value: This study focuses on the importance of sustainability in rural tourism in Sabah, Malaysia, an area on which limited empirical research has been done. The study provides an in-depth understanding of the meaning and drivers of sustainable practices from the rural tourism operators' perspectives. Additionally, it proposes sound strategies for sustainable rural tourism practices. Such practices and development are attributed to an individual's understanding of the concept of and motives for adopting sustainable development practices, government support, and core infrastructure. Finally, this study offers practical implications for sustainable development of rural tourism.

Enhancing Brand Equity Through Sustainable Tourism Marketing: A Study on Home-Stays in Malaysia

This study examined the antecedent and consequent relationship between sustainable tourism, marketing, and brand equity in the Malaysian rural community-based homestays (RCBHs) perspective. A self-administered questionnaire method was employed to collect data. Homestay operators from three Malaysian states, namely Kuala Lumpur/Selangor, Pahang, and Pulau Pinang participated in the study. In order to test research hypotheses, a structural equation modelling approach was used. The findings of the study suggested that the antecedent (sustainable tourism marketing), the consequent (brand equity), and moderator (political support by local authorities) have a significant relationship. Additionally, it was found that sustainable tourism marketing (STM) promotes rural community-based tourism. As a branding tool for sustainable rural community-based tourism. This study provides a unique contribution to the tourism body of knowledge by introducing political support by local authorities (PLA) as a moderator in STM and brand equity relationship. RCBHs can employ tailor-made promotion policies for the development of homestay business brands; likewise, policymakers can apply undifferentiated promotion policies for the holistic expansion of sustainable homestay market.

Rural Tourism Development in Gujarat:views of the Stakeholders

Purpose: Sustainable Tourism development in the rural region has become a must which includes the interests of all stakeholders, along with tourism promotion and tourism growth. This study aims to identify the opinion of stakeholders to achieve sustainable rural tourism development. Design: Exploratory Research and descriptive research. Methodology & Approach: Qualitative and Quantitative. Primary data was collected through in-depth interviews and surveys. A structured questionnaire was used as an instrument. The non-probability sampling procedure is used. The sample size of the Community is 262 and of Tour operators is 167. Findings: It has been found that there should be the development of a regional tourism workforce and infrastructure, the introduction of home stay policy, the promotion of a tourism-friendly atmosphere, showcasing Gujarat beyond God and spirituality and the creation of multiple activities in rural areas.

Investigating the Impact of Environmental Graphics on Local Culture in Sustainable Rural Cultural Tourism Spaces

Investigating the Impact of Environmental Graphics on Local Culture in Sustainable Rural Cultural Tourism Spaces

Gastronomy as a tool for rural tourism development - the case of Casa Carnasciali Winery

This paper focuses on the development of sustainable rural tourism, considering gastronomy as a tool. It examines the dynamics that occur between tourism and gastronomy, focusing on the valorization of gastronomic traditions and food regionality and highlighting them as motivating elements of tourism. Its specific objective is to analyze the relationship between gastronomy and rural tourism at the Casa Carnasciali Winery and Gardens, located in in Apucarana-Paraná, through the application of a case study. The exploratory-descriptive analysis was based on the concepts of rural tourism and sustainable development and on the relationships between tourism and gastronomy, therefore a case study was the chosen as the most suitable research method. A technical visit was made to the site, to observe the dynamics that occur between gastronomy and rural tourism, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with the owner and the chef responsible for the gastronomic offer of the enterprise. It was found that the offer of gastronomic services on the property helps bring financial sustainability to the business, with impacts on the dissemination of the food culture.