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Rural Tourism: An Annotated Bibliography

by Dennis M. Brown Regional Economist Economic Research Service U.S. Dept. of Agriculture 1800 M St., N.W. Room N2187 Washington, DC 20036 Tel: (202) 694-5338; Fax: (202) 694-5664 E-Mail: dennisb@ers.usda.gov

The views expressed in this paper are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the position of the Department of Agriculture.Abstract This annotated bibliography summarizes studies on rural tourism. Primary emphasis is on studies dealing with the United States, but some international studies are also included. Topics covered include tourism planning and development, tourism marketing, tourism and rural development, tourism and sustainable development, economic and other effects of tourism, heritage tourism, nature-basedtourism/ecotourism, and agritourism. Keywords: Rural tourism, heritage tourism, ecotourism, agritourism.

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Contents

Summary Introduction Research on Rural Tourism Rural Tourism Strategies Annotated Bibliography Tourism Planning and Development Tourism Marketing Tourism and Rural Development Tourism and Sustainable Development Economic and Other Effects of Tourism Heritage TourismNature-Based Tourism/Ecotourism Agritourism Other Studies/Multi-Focus Studies

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Summary This bibliography summarizes studies dealing with tourism in rural America. Material is drawn from a wide range of academic disciplines, including economics, planning, geography, and history. Emphasis is given to those studies conducted since the early 1990’s.

Anumber of studies highlight the important role that tourism can play in rural development, with some authors describing the potential benefits in purely economic terms --- for example, by citing the impact of tourism on jobs created, income added, or local tax revenues. In contrast, other studies stress the positive effects that tourism can bring to quality of life issues, including a greater“sense of place” for rural residents, an upgrading of local cultural facilities, or an enhancement of regional conservation efforts. Frequent mention is made of different strategies employed in rural tourism, including heritage tourism, nature-based tourism/ecotourism, and agritourism.

Other studies caution that effective rural tourism requires careful planning and development and typically employswell thought-out marketing approaches. Even well-designed tourism strategies can have potential negative side-effects, including higher taxes for local residents, escalating real estate prices, increased sprawl, and a degradation of local natural resources. Frequently, effective rural tourism requires regional or State-level coordination since many rural areas, especially those that are moreisolated or more sparsely populated, lack the resources required to establish a successful tourism program.

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Rural Tourism An Annotated Bibliography

Dennis M. Brown

Introduction Rural America is a popular tourist destination. According to a recent study, nearly two-thirds of all adults in the Nation, or 87 million individuals, have taken a trip to a rural destination within the past threeyears (Travel Industry Association of America, 2001a). Almost nine out of ten of these trips were for leisure purposes. Overall, the travel industry is big business in America. Travel expenditures within the U.S. totaled nearly $564 billion in 2000, making the travel and tourism industry the third largest in the Nation (after health services and business services), and accounting for total directemployment of over 7.8 million (Travel Industry Association of America, 2001b).

Tourism has many potential benefits for rural areas (Frederick, 1992). Tourism can be an important source of jobs for nonmetro communities, especially for those that are economically underdeveloped. Because jobs in the tourist industry often do not require advanced training, local residents with few skills can...