Why the future of sustainable tourism might be rural

The people of Batu Puteh, Malaysia combine conservation
efforts with tourism. (Photo Credit: UNWTO)

Rural tourism can help support rural communities by encouraging community-based tourism and creating economic opportunities in areas that currently experience “employment droughts” that lead many people to move into cities for better employment opportunities.

Sustainable tourism is becoming not only a much-needed trend within the global travel and tourism industry, but also a necessity. From hotels taking steps to measure and reduce their energy, waste and plastics consumption to tour operators becoming certified B corporations, there’s no shortage of opportunities the industry is taking to become better for everyone.

Yet as the industry continues becoming more thoughtful about its impact on the world, there’s one growing method to combat overtourism, encourage completion of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and support local economies and traditional ways of life: rural tourism.

Rural tourism, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) new publication, “Tourism and Rural Development: A Policy Perspective,” is defined as “a type of tourism activity in which the visitor’s experience is related to a wide spectrum of products linked to nature activities, agriculture, ways of life and rural cultures…Rural tourism activities take place in non-urban settings with the following characteristics: 1. low population density, 2. landscapes and land use planning where agriculture and forestry prevail, and 3. Social structures and traditional ways of life.”

Why might rural tourism become a disrupting force for good in the industry?

Supporting the Common Good

Rural tourism can help support rural communities in a few ways, but especially so by encouraging community-based tourism and creating economic opportunities in areas that currently experience “employment droughts,” a systemic lack of jobs that lead many people to move into cities for better employment opportunities.

“People in rural areas are twice as likely to be in informal employment as those in urban areas. By 2050, the percentage of people living in rural areas will be less than half of 1950. The labor force participation rates for women are significantly lower than for men in rural areas,” said Sandra Carvão, Chief of Market Intelligence and Competitiveness at the World Tourism Organization.

“...Tourism can help rural development as a proven tool for economic diversification and benefits sharing throughout the value chain and as a major employment engine with a multiplier effect on other sectors that contribute to rural development,” she continued. “Tourism in rural areas can particularly benefit traditionally disadvantaged groups such as women, youth and Indigenous Peoples.”

But how would an increase in tourism in rural areas help the people who live there?

It’s simple: more tourism means more job opportunities for both men and women and, on the local scale, to create community-based tourism initiatives that ensure they retain the power and agency over the industry.

Community-based tourism is a way for rural communities to directly own and manage the tourism industry in their region. One great example of this is the UNWTO’s Best Tourism Village of Puqueldón, Chile, in which the community operates sixteen lodges for travelers and offers immersion experiences like the Native Potato Route, in which travelers can learn about the importance of the root vegetable from the women who cultivate it.

Generating more job opportunities and revenue streams for rural communities also allows for greater development in areas where there has traditionally been a lack of resources, such as education or conservation.

 

Combatting Overtourism

In cities and destinations across the globe, overtourism can take a detrimental toll on the local population and environment.

We’ve all read the headlines about Venice’s efforts to combat overtourism in the popular Italian city. Yet it’s not just an issue in Venice: Portugal recently passed a law limiting the number of homes that foreigners can purchase to turn into vacation rentals, after the trend began pricing out the local population.

And in 2018, Thailand’s famous Maya Bay closed after its ecosystem collapsed from the 5,000 tourists that visited the destination each day. The destination reopened in 2022 following the planting of new coral and infrastructure upgrades, but with a largely reduced daily capacity limit to ease the stress tourism had placed on local wildlife.

By encouraging rural tourism, travelers will be interested in visiting less-visited destinations. The UNWTO’s Best Tourism Villages offer unique — and more responsible — alternatives to the world’s most popular destinations.

 

Fostering Sustainability

Lastly, growing rural tourism across the globe can also foster sustainability on a local scale.

This can happen in a few different ways. Communities located within or around beautiful natural resources, biodiverse regions of the world or already established parks or reserves are encouraged by travelers’ interest in visiting them. In this way, tourism has a symbiotic relationship with preservation initiatives.

“...Our Best Tourism Village Batu Puteh in Malaysia is a fine example of community-participation being indispensable to rural tourism,” said Carvão. “In the protected forest reserve around the village, a group of youth from the Batu Puteh community are involved in conserving and promoting the ecosystem and local culture, including language and traditional knowledge, music and dance.”

Another, broader example, of rural tourism enhancing sustainability is in Rwanda, which has gained international recognition for its effort. The country has not only expanded its protected areas, but encourages the communities near protected areas to participate and value conserving its rich biodiversity, including its famous gorilla population. Additionally, the expansion of these parks has grown employment opportunities for locals as park rangers and guides.

Tourism in rural areas can also support their sustainable development in sectors like infrastructure. Communities can use funds generated by tourism to fund renewable energy projects, for example, decreasing reliance on fossil fuels.

 

But Will The People Come?

We think yes, but not all travelers will hop on board.

Issues of accessibility and infrastructure will always deter travelers who are daunted by transiting between one destination to another in a foreign country, or who desire their familiar creature comforts.

Likely, it’ll be the adventurous travelers, the ones more interested in immersive travel experiences unlike any other and those who feel like they’ve already seen it all and want something off the beaten path who will help build this important travel sector.

“An increasing number of people are seeking sustainable, authentic, unique travel experiences and local lifestyles,” said Carvão. “They want to experience natural, unspoiled landscapes and stay in authentic accommodation as they seek to travel with a purpose and meet local people. This is beneficial for our rural communities as they can provide travelers with these experiences, which in turn create new jobs, improve livelihoods and help fight depopulation in rural areas.”

The UNWTO now offers a list of recognized destinations, called Best Tourism Villages, where communities are already participating in rural tourism initiatives. Travelers can search the website to find villages from Spain to Malaysia and beyond, and read about what they offer the discerning traveler who chooses to visit.

A man from Batu Puteh works on a conservation project
to protect the local environment. (Photo Credit: UNWTO)

Tour operators are the ones leaning into rural travel more so than most other travel sectors. Companies like Intrepid Travel and G Adventures have created their entire ethos around travel that does good for local communities, and many of their tours offer a combination of popular destinations mixed with more unique, community-centric or rural-based tourism offerings, ranging from sharing a traditional meal with locals in Egypt to supporting a women’s pottery initiative in Mexico.

Rural tourism is not just an antidote to overtourism: it’s sustainable, immersive, community-based tourism at its best, and we can’t wait for travelers to experience it for themselves.

*Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) Email: info@mekongtourism-mtco.org