2. Literature review
2.3. Sustainable tourism in rural destinations
2.3.4. Rural tourism development
“Rural tourism is a type of tourism activity in which the visitor’s experience is related to a wide range of products generally linked to nature-based activities, agriculture, rural lifestyle/culture, angling, and sightseeing. Rural tourism activities take place in non-urban (rural) areas with the following characteristics: (1) Low population density, (2) Landscape and land-use dominated by agriculture and forestry, and (3) Traditional social structure and lifestyle” (UNWTO, 2019b, p. 34).
Following this definition, specific aspects of rural tourism development can be derived and discussed. The following chapter provides an overview of common concepts, challenges, and opportunities.
Regardless of the industry, rural regions are often characterized by small and medium-sized enterprises (OECD, 2009). Regarding tourism, the small-scale supply structure is particularly evident in the Alpine region. In the Alps, about 90% (approx. 1.8 million) of the tourism businesses belong to small and medium-sized enterprises and are run as family businesses (Pichler, 2019; Zehrer, 2019). These SMEs face numerous challenges or specific success factors (Shaw, 2004). Tourism businesses also face these challenges, with industry-specific factors to consider. Rein & Schuler (2012, pp. 7–8) analyze rural areas according to strengths and weaknesses with regard to tourism (see Table 18). In general, however, it is undisputed that tourism can shape rural areas in the long term and ensure economic development (Zeiner &
Harrer, 2012, p. 25). Whether this is always positive remains debatable.
Table 18: Characteristics of rural tourism areas
Strengths of rural areas Weaknesses of rural areas
Tranquility, seclusion Often poor accessibility of tourist source areas Clean air, clean environment Poor public transport connections, inadequate mobility
services on site
Near-natural landscapes (scenery) The low density of tourist attractions/offers Preserved rural-village character (townscape) Hardly any lousy weather offers
Opportunities for landscape-related recreational activities
The relatively low cultural offer
Less traffic, low accident risk for children Sometimes insufficiently developed recreational trail networks (hiking, biking, horseback riding, water trails), signage
Variety of animals (agriculture, nature) Low willingness to provide services The mentality of the people Often rejection towards strangers Culture, customs, festivals
Interesting locations for parties
Source: Based on Rein, H., & Schuler, A. (2012). Tourismus im ländlichen Raum. In H. Rein & A. Schuler (Eds.), Tourismus im ländlichen Raum (4-10). Wiesbaden: Imprint Gabler Verlag.
Like tourism in general, rural tourism is subject to numerous social, economic, and environmental conditions, as Tröger-Weiß (2015) notes. As shown in Table 19, the customer is becoming a central focus of efforts in tourism development.
Table 19: Rural tourism-related developments
Social and socio-economic developments Demographic change Climate change Trends on the supply side
Displacement due to market saturation Professionalization
Diversification and specialization Buyer and demand market Shortening of product life cycles
Quality improvement and independence of location Leisure and tourism-specific developments:
Demand -ide
Duration of stay day trips and Short trips;
Length of vacation in general Leisure and tourism-specific developments:
New market segments
Health tourism; Mass-Adventure; High-Convenience; Mobile Information; Eco-Tourism; Accessibility; Culture as a trend;
Theme routes etc.
Leisure and tourism-specific developments:
New demand typologies
Creative Class; Generation-related issues; LOHAS; Golden Generation etc.
Source: Based on Troeger-Weiß, G. (2015). Freizeit und Tourismus in ländlichen Räumen. Trends - Entwicklungen - Steuerunsmöglichkeiten. In R. Freericks & Brinkmann Dieter (Eds.), Handbuch Freizeitsoziologie (pp. 233–254). Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
However, to develop precisely positioned offers and thus ultimately create fundamental added values for potential guests that are decisive for bookings, it is necessary for tourism offers to be distinguishable. Ultimately, it is the customer's point of view that decides which tourist offer is
preferred. However, it is crucial to awaken those associations in customers that most closely correspond to the respective preference (Grimm, Schmücker, & Ziesemer, 2012; Streifeneder, 2019).
For example, a significant point of discussion among tourism scholars is whether a tourism product can be classified under the definition of “rural tourism“ or “tourism in rural areas. “ In addition, there are various terms, such as a vacation in the countryside, vacation on the farm, village vacation, or even the topic of agritourism with its many different manifestations (Grimm, Schmücker, & Ziesemer, 2012). Chalets and huts on alpine pastures are the latest achievements of the tourism industry (Streifeneder, 2019, p. 70).
According to Streifeneder (2019), the classification of tourism in rural areas can be divided into
“authentic agrotourism” and “rural tourism”.
Table 20: Classification of tourism in rural areas
Tourism in rural areas
Authentic agrotourism Rural tourism
Producing farm
Structures / activities correspond to conditions of an active farm
Agricultural activities outweigh those of agrotourism Accommodation in buildings of the farm
Interaction possible
Tourism on inactive farm Tourism on producing farm
Farm offers tourist facilities
Activities for specific tourist purposes, without connection to the agricultural way of life and work
Visits to traditional, cultural, sporting or other events in rural areas
Source: Based on Streifeneder, T. (2019). Tourismus im ländlichen Raum. In H. Pechlaner (Ed.), Destination und Lebensraum: Perspektiven touristischer Entwicklung (pp. 61–71).
Wiesbaden: Springer Gabler.
Numerous other forms of rural tourism flank this more agriculture-oriented approach. Lane and Kastenholz (2015, pp. 1137–1138) name numerous other forms of tourism in the countryside.
Besides the classic “farm tourism“ or “agrotourism“ they name “wellness tourism“, “activity tourism“, “adventure tourism“, “sports tourism“ (e.g., mountain biking, cycle tourism),
“cultural and heritage tourism“, and “food and wine tourism“ as possible forms of tourism that can be consumed or offered in rural areas. Binder & Friedl (2018) describe viticulture as a potential driver for sustainable health tourism.
Lane and Kastenholz (2015) further argue that the following points are essential to the development of tourism offerings in rural areas:
• The supply and demand sides of rural experiences are equally significant and are influenced by local conditions.
• Personal contact is vital in rural areas.
• The interplay between physical activity in the natural environment and the interaction between people that accompanies it.
• Random cooperation between regional actors enables new products and attractions.
• Rural areas are also under pressure to develop innovations on an ongoing basis (Lane
& Kastenholz, 2015, p. 1138).
Smeral (2013) sees similar measures as essential in the development of tourism offerings in rural areas: (1) investment in human capital, (2) promotion of year-round tourism through innovative product development, (3) targeted development and promotion of product-market combinations for international source markets, (4) consideration of older and older people in product development, (5) development of efficient destination management, (6) orientation of destinations towards competitiveness, (7) homogenization of core competencies with market messages, (8) promotion of digital marketing, (9) development of quality infrastructure and services concerning environmentally friendly use of resources.
The RURALQUAL Index can map the quality development mentioned by Smeral (2013).
Table 21: RURALQUAL dimensions
Professionalism The rural lodging food is well presented and flavorsome.
The rural lodging employees have a clean, neat appearance.
The clients are treated cordially and affably.
Personalized attention is provided to each client.
Reservation Arrival schedules are established but are pretty flexible.
Room reservation is easy to make.
The reservations are confirmed in the most convenient way for the client; other information of interest is also forwarded (e.g., access map).
Tangibility The rural lodging facilities are in good condition.
The rural lodging facilities and rooms have comfortable furniture.
The rural lodging has a pleasant temperature.
The rural lodging facilities and rooms are clean.
Complementary Benefits The decoration uses materials and objects of local tradition.
Access to rural lodging is easy.
The lodging offers easy parking.
Rural and Cultural Environment
The clients are integrated into the region’s rural lifestyle.
Typical gastronomy of the region is included in the menu.
Access to cultural, recreational, and/or sports activities is facilitated.
In the surrounding region, there are fairs, local festivities, and other forms of cultural interest.
Basic Benefits The lodging employees are aware of their duties.
The lodging architecture has a regional style.
The lodging is in an area of outstanding natural beauty.
The lodging is in a calm place.
Source: Correia Loureiro, S. M. (2012). Tourism in Rural Areas: Foundation, Quality and Experience. In M.
Kasimoǧlu (Ed.), Visions for global tourism industry: Creating and sustaining competitive strategies. Rijeka:
InTech. https://doi.org/10.5772/37483
Similar to the SERVQUAL12 Index, the RURALQUAL Index describes parameters that make the quality of rural tourism offers measurable and thus developable (Correia Loureiro, 2012, p. 449; Parasuraman, Zeithaml, & Berry, 2008).
In the future, questions concerning guests' mobility will be seen as a central challenge for tourism in rural areas. In addition to air traffic, the advancing climate change also brings the massive exhaust emissions of passenger car traffic into the spotlight of media attention (Gühnemann, Kurzweil, & Mailer, 2021; Neger, Prettenthaler, Gössling, & Damm, 2021).
Arrivals generate around 56% of all tourism in Germany in rural regions (not including day arrivals). Of these, around 83% of guests travel by car (Pinnow & Kersten, 2020, p. 5). By increasing the use of public transport, enormous emission savings could be achieved here.
Pinnow and Kersten (2020) propose the following recommendations for action to make public transport more attractive:
• “Consider tourist mobility and communicate its benefits.
• Forge alliances and enter cooperative ventures.
• Create a balanced relationship between push and pull measures.
• Create multimodal, intuitive, and convenient mobility offers.
• Refining mobility for tourism and thinking ‘public transport-first’.
• Monitoring of tourist mobility and its demand.
• Create a legal basis for innovative concepts.
• Expand mobile data across the board.
• Convert vehicle fleets.
• Market environmentally-friendly mobility” (Pinnow & Kersten, 2020, pp. 36–39).
When rural areas are easily accessible, they can act as a kind of retreat for harried city dwellers looking to escape urban stress (Osti, 2019). However, this is only successful if the central aspects of sustainability are considered. In addition to (1) mobility, Baumgartner (2021) identifies the following other challenges for sustainable tourism development: (2) climate change, (3) sustainable food production, (4) overtourism, (5) working conditions and, (6) accessibility. In general, the development of rural tourism offers is closely linked to the development of sustainable tourism (Doug Ramsey, Jesse Abrams, Jill K Clark, & Nick J Evans, 2013; Dower, 2005; Marzuki & Khoo, 2012; Oliveira Fernandes & Olivetti, 2020; S.
Kantar & K. Svržnjak, 2017). For example, Binder et al. (2020) show how a small village can implement an event with over 6,000 guests and produce only about 240 liters of residual waste.