Posted by the TravelPulse, on 18 June 2023

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.”

To read the full report, visit the following link.