This is a structured, edited book of nineteen Chapters which provides, from an inter-disciplinary perspective, latest thinking on, and practical case study exemplification of rural tourism and sustainable business development from Europe, North America, Australasia, the Middle East and Japan.

Rural tourism is not a new phenomenon in many parts of the world, but it has only recently received increased attention from researchers, politicians and managers as a result of new market trends, the recognition of the “rural crisis” and the urge to solve it. However, there is also evidence that rural tourism is not a miraculous antidote for this crisis, certainly not in all places and under all conditions. Despite some recent studies examining the critical factors of success for rural tourism, there is still a need for a deeper understanding of the rural tourism phenomenon, the nature of the tourism experience and how it could be optimized to the benefit of all, while making the best use of endogenous resources and competences, yielding sustainable destination development. This book contributes to the debate, focusing on the tourist experience, here conceptualized as “co-created” between hosts and guests, based on destination-specific elements of “countryside capital” and aiming at sustainability. It contains both conceptual and empirical chapters, with diverse and new perspectives, methodological approaches and cases from several countries.

Written by leading European practitioners and researchers, this book examines both the theory and practice of rural tourism. It outlines how to both conceptualise and implement rural tourism in a sustainable way and will be of interest to tourism researchers and students of tourism, economics, geography, planning and sociology.

Rural Europe is a highly developed tourism region, representing advanced tourism experience and supposed modern approaches to this industry. That said, it remains highly sensitive and fragile in terms of environmental, social, economic and cultural impacts. This volume focuses on rural Europe as a fascinating example of how tourism development impacts on the communities and the environment of rural regions and offers insights into how long term sustainability could be achieved in this specific region and correspondingly in other rural parts of the world. Sustainable Tourism in Rural Europe contains contributions from leading international scholars that review and analyse the concept and practice of sustainable tourism in this region through a multidisciplinary approach that embodies the view that sustainable tourism warrants a holistic approach in terms of its impacts and development potential. Divided into three sections: Key Themes and Issues; The State and Development; The Local Community and Development, this book addresses contentious and vital issues through theory, detailed research and case studies, offering real world approaches to sustainable development, showing problems including local politics which challenge abstract models. It introduces cutting edge research dealing with contemporary developments throughout Europe and consequential lessons/implications for other rural parts of the world. This volume will be of interest to students, researchers and academics in the areas of Tourism, Geography and Environmental Studies.

Sustainable Tourism VI contains the proceedings of the sixth International Conference in this successful series on Sustainable Tourism. Tourism has become a major international industry, with many countries all over the world relying on the income it produces. Its economic advantages as a major source of finance and employment frequently leads to its active promotion by governments and other institutions, independent of the consequences on the environment, ecology and social structure of affected regions. Issues concerned with achieving environmental social and economic sustainability of tourism alongside the governance mechanisms needed to support sustainable tourism are highlighted. Also discussed is how new resources ought to be employed to avoid the errors committed in the past and propose remedial actions when required. This book takes a broad view of this sophisticated and complex industry, and examines the practice of sustainable tourism from global travel trends through to destination and site management. Innovative solutions, including ecological tourism, as well as cultural initiatives that will lead to better approaches to tourism with the objective of preserving the diversity of our planet. The demands of tourism can contribute to the destruction of the natural and cultural environment upon which it depends. The natural and cultural landscape’s capacity to accommodate the local and worldwide effects of tourism and the implications for the human economy and society constitute very important study objectives. To protect the natural and cultural landscape new solutions need to be developed which minimise the adverse effects of tourism. This can be achieved through new strategies involving the active collaboration of society as a whole. Topics covered include: Tourism strategies; Environmental issues; Emergent strategies for tourism development; Community issues; Climate change; Safety and Security; Tourism as a tool of development; Art, architecture and culture; Heritage tourism; Special interest tourism; Marine and coastal areas tourism; Sport tourism; City tourism; Tourism impact; Tourism and protected area; Rural tourism; Transport and tourism; Education and training; Theme parks; Destination management; Planning and development; Simulation models; Social and physical infrastructure.