Rural Tourism

Rural tourism is travel in non-urban areas. These experiences may involve farms, country settings, or forested areas as well as cultural events and centers. The focus is on avoiding tourist-heavy areas and enjoying nature away from cities and crowds.

History

Rural areas, often referred to as simply "the country," have traditionally drawn visitors from urban areas when city dwellers sought escape from summer heat in the centuries before air-conditioning was invented. Many railway systems around the world grew by laying track to lakes and other natural areas, where people living in the city could escape for a day or longer. More modern tourists are frequently traveling for recreation, including hiking and biking. Many seek the rugged Australian Outback, the mountains of the western United States, the extensive trails of New Zealand, the lakes and rivers of Canada, and the national reserves of Botswana, among other destinations around the globe.

During the late 1980s, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Tourism Committee began considering how rural communities around the world could benefit from tourism. The international organization examined the problems of rural areas, including loss of jobs and population and decreases in farms due to increased industrialization and urbanization. At the same time, tourism was enjoying a boost, and interest in environmental preservation and enjoyment were on the rise. The OECD sought to harness the power of tourism for rural development. The committee shared its analysis and recommendations, and tourism expanded. Local and national governments have found that rural tourism can benefit communities by increasing business, employment, and income.

Tourism Experiences

Rural tourism covers a wide range of experiences. Some travelers seek out farms and other agricultural destinations, an experience described as agritourism. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is an international organization that connects travelers and property holders who practice organic or sustainability principles. Farmers, gardeners, foresters, and vineyard owners offer room and board to visitors in exchange for about four to six hours a day of work. The visitors may help with milking, planting, harvesting, building fences, or help with making bread, cheese, mud bricks, or wine. They learn organic and sustainability principles and put them to work. The hosts benefit from having extra hands to help with the work, especially during busy times, such as harvest. WWOOF operates in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East.

Other types of agritourism focus on special events, such as county fairs and festivals, historic sites, and themed travel routes. Among the most popular themed destinations are vineyard tours. The United States, Canada, Spain, France, and many other countries include wine tours among travel itineraries. These businesses benefit by gaining exposure for their products through on-site samplings and often sell their wines.

Some regions find that bringing attention to local crafts and customs enables them to keep the local culture alive. For example, Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority, helps national, state, and local groups develop tourism in Ireland. Tourism partners include festival organizers, marketing boards, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Design & Crafts Council, Arts Council, and Rural Development Programme, among other organizations and groups. Fáilte Ireland provides financial support to music festivals, surfing competitions, film festivals, and many other events around Ireland. In 2016, the organization provided more than 1.8 million euros for national events and festivals. The minister of state for tourism and sport touted the value of such attractions in bringing tourists to Ireland every year and growing the country’s tourism industry. Many of these events and festivals take advantage of the abundant scenery, including the rolling hills of the countryside. In 2022, the organization was awarded 68 million euros by the European Union. The 2025 Ireland BikeFest Killarney, for example, is billed as Ireland’s largest free open bike festival. The festival in County Kerry, which was founded in 2006, draws motorcycle enthusiasts and riders from across Ireland. It organizes rides through Killarney National Park and along the west coast. The region features many of the attractions that draw tourists to Ireland—walking and hiking trails, golfing, fishing, horse riding, pubs, and picturesque ruins.

Many countries and regions around the world have capitalized on their wine industries to draw visitors to their tasting rooms. A survey of Napa County, California, wineries found that 45 percent of revenue came from direct sales to visitors. Nearby hotels, restaurants, bus lines, and tour organizers also saw revenue growth. Magazines publish articles and information about wine travel destinations around the globe, including various regions of the United States, Argentina, Australia, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Spain.

Scotland is among several countries promoting tours of whiskey distilleries. Many tours cover rural areas and include visits to local restaurants, castles, and golf courses. Like vineyards, distilleries seek to bring visitors in to sample the wares and select some to take home. The tourism industry also promotes a number of whiskey festivals as well as beer and gin tours and tastings.

Community Concerns

Of equal concern to organizing bodies at all levels is the issue of retaining the purity of the rural environment. Some groups work carefully to ensure tourism does not become an urbanizing influence on rural communities while stimulating growth.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (WTO) has established a Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. Article 3, "Tourism, a Factor of Sustainable Development," explains that the natural environment must be protected to ensure sustainable economic growth and preserve the area for current and future generations. The code addresses many issues including overcrowding, which can occur when visitor flow is unregulated, and infrastructure, which can damage sensitive ecosystems and communities—both humans and wildlife. WTO and other organizations stress the need to include the local communities in making decisions about tourism-related development.

Bibliography

"About Ireland BikeFest Killarney." Ireland BikeFest Killarney, www.irelandbikefest.com/. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

“Failte Ireland Allocated 68 Million on EU ‘Just Transition’ Funding For Tourism in Irelands Midlands.” Failte Ireland, 19 Dec. 2022, www.failteireland.ie/Utility/News-Library/Failte-Ireland-allocated-%E2%82%AC68million-EU-%E2%80%98Just-Trans.aspx. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.  

"Food and Drink: Distillery Tours in Scotland." Visit Scotland, www.visitscotland.com/see-do/food-drink/whisky/tours-tastings/. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

"Global Code of Ethics for Tourism—Article 3." Ethics and Social Responsibility. United Nations World Tourism Organization, www.unwto.org/global-code-of-ethics-for-tourism. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

"How It Works." WWOOF, wwoofinternational.org/how-it-works/. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Liu, Yung-Lun, Jui-Te Chiang and Pen-Fa Ko. “The Benefits of Tourism for Rural Communities.” Humaites and Social Sciences Communications, vol. 10, 31 Mar. 2023, www.nature.com/articles/s41599-023-01610-4. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.