Rural Tourism: An International Perspective - Hardcover

"Rural Tourism: An international perspective is a very promising title. After going through the chapters it is pleasantly surprising to actually see that the book covers rural regions and areas [and] instead of repeating old theories it actually focuses on contemporary, under-researched areas for rural tourism such as the growth, impact, issues and scope of this phenomenon and how globalization changed the way it is perceived in 2014. [...] It is an excellent choice though to support courses on special interest tourism, tourism landscapes and current issues in tourism." Irena Erbakanova Varna University of Management, Bulgaria European Journal of Tourism Research, 14 (2016) "Katherine Draper [sic] provides a valuable insight into the diversity and complexity of rural tourism that is rarely found in one publication. This book truly offers an international perspective, with case studies from 18 countries and all continents." Susan L. Slocum George Mason University Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, 8: 1 (2016)

Rural regions are experiencing fundamental challenges to their ways of life and social fabric, as traditional land-based occupations are in decline and younger and better-educated rural residents migrate to cities for greater work, social and cultural opportunities. Rural tourism offers a possible solution to the problems associated with lost economic opportunities and population decline that accompany the waning of agriculture. Many governments and regional authorities have embraced rural tourism as an opportunity to bring new money into rural regions, stimulating growth, providing employment opportunities and thus beginning to halt rural decline. However, the possibilities of rural tourism to promote rural regeneration have been criticised for being over-stated and unrealistic. Rural tourism has frequently been found to under-deliver in terms of expected economic benefits and job creation, and may sometimes exacerbate local hierarchies and inequalities. This edited collection questions the contribution tourism can and does make to rural regions. Drawing on a range of geographically diverse, research-driven case studies, the book is thematically organised to explore a variety of issues relevant to rural tourism, from the perspectives of local communities, businesses, government/policy makers and the tourists themselves.