Essay On Tourism And Rural Development

Globally, rural areas encounter unprecedented difficulties and rapid modifications. For example, the movement of dynamic community members to cities and towns causes severe depopulation of the rural areas. Additionally, food production control by various multi-national corporations minimizes the agricultural incomes of farmers in rural areas. Rural economies have become increasingly fragile due to elements that vary among countries. For example, the rural challenges in Western Europe typically result from the reduction in European Union’s agricultural subsidies, whereas diseases and natural disasters are the primary threats to rural societies. Furthermore, there is increasing concern that globalization might adversely affect the rural food producers. Remarkably, opposition to the process of globalization has emerged primarily from rural interest groups, particularly the peasant movements in France. The various rural threats have established significant interest among rural communities and governments in sustainable rural development. Consequently, there is unanimous agreement that rural progress requires a holistic approach aimed at integrating the different components of rural economy towards a particular objective. In particular, tourism is among the different elements of rural economy that are crucial to sustainable development.
Regrettably, tourism has been viewed as a remedy for rural problems in many countries. As a result, the perspective has dismissed the reality that tourism is merely one of the multiple aspects of the rural system that should be balanced to ensure sustainable progress. Therefore, other elements such as education, agriculture, housing, and manufacturing industries should also be incorporated in the rural development scheme. In terms of rural progress, tourism is less polluting than other industries and can be developed relatively faster. Typically, tourism’s capital costs are less than the expense of business development in other industries. Properly developed tourism also brings various benefits to the local community and helps to ensure farms’ viability. Additionally, rural tourism can establish jobs for various community groups, particularly the young people that may otherwise struggle in search of gainful employment in rural areas.
Nevertheless, tourism often brings problems such as traffic congestion, overcrowding, and rapid social modification to the rustic areas. Such effects are typically difficult to assimilate in the highly conservative cultures of many rural communities. However, multiple entrepreneurs and governmental organizations continue to invest heavily in tourism to promote rural progress. Consequently, rural tourism has been described using numerous terms such as agro-tourism, farm tourism, and green tourism, which hardens the process of establishing a lasting definition of tourism in rustic areas. It is crucial to recognize that although some objectives of rural tourism include the achievement of comprehensive rural development, rustic tourism is often merely a private venture used by particular individuals to increase their earnings.
France, Cyprus, and Ireland are examples of countries that have focused on promoting rural tourism as an approach to sustainable rural development. France is a significant pioneer of modern tourism in rustic areas and has the clear objective of employing tourism as a tool for rural development. The French Government has established Gites, which are converted farm buildings used for touristic purposes. The government designed the initiative to offer low-cost dwellings for urban tourists and, hence, provide extra revenue to farmers. The concept eventually led to the development of nearly 45, 000 gites including specialist gites for fishermen, horse riders, skiers, children, and nature walkers.
Recently, the term 'agro-tourism' has become increasingly popular in Cyprus, although it is often difficult to describe its meaning. Frequently, however, the term appears to describe small hotels in rural areas, as well as self-catering accommodation in villages. Ireland is another key player in the development of rural tourism and has employed efficient methods of utilizing the European Union funding. In particular, the Irish Government has been keen to employ tourism as a method of promoting the reduction of rural depopulation. Consequently, several local agencies have been established to co-ordinate the development of rural tourism. For example, the EU LEADER program has been used extensively for promoting tourism in rustic areas. In West Cork, numerous projects have also been funded through multiple initiatives to improve the rural tourism infrastructure.