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Advances in Sustainable Rural Tourism: Methods, Strategies and Practice

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Social Ecology and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 16786

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ramona Mariana Ciolac

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Faculty of Management and Rural Tourism, University of Life Sciences "King Mihai I" from Timișoara, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
Interests: rural tourism; agritourism; sustainable rural development; rural tourism entrepreneurship
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Tiberiu Iancu

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Management and Rural Development Department, University of Life Sciences "King Michael I" from Timisoara, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
Interests: rural economy; agrarian economy; agritourism; rural development; bioeconomy; ecological agriculture
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Prof. Dr. Gabriela Popescu

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Guest Editor

Management and Rural Development Department, University of Life Sciences "King Mihai I" from Timisoara, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
Interests: consumer behavior; agritourism; rural development; entrepreneurship
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Tabita Cornelia Adamov

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Guest Editor

Management and Rural Development Department, University of Life Sciences "King Mihai I" from Timisoara, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
Interests: rural economy; agrarian economy; agritourism; rural development; entrepreneurship; bioeconomy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In modern societies, consumers are visibly reorienting towards ecological products; this reorientation also includes the tourism field, highlighting the interest in the rural environment, whose characteristics give it individuality, specificity and authenticity, and its resources, which are the "main strong points" of rural areas, are at the same time the "must haves" that tourists are increasingly demanding, in this way guaranteeing the obtainment of ecological tourist products as well as products with a high degree of originality. Rural tourism activity can also ensure the preservation of the viability and stability of rural localities because the phenomenon of depopulation and the abandonment of old households and land is present and evident in many areas.

The meeting between the rural environment, a particularly fragile environment, and the dynamism imposed by the tourist phenomenon generates certain risks. The sustainable development of the rural environment and the capitalization of local resources through tourism activities requires a smart holistic approach of the economy, society, and the environment, through different methods and techniques, the final effect of this approach being the achievement of strategies that generate competitiveness and development with a focus on sustainability, so as to generate an alternative for agriculture problems and ensure the improvement of the life quality of local communities by diversifying the economy and maintaining economic stability.

Therefore, the interest of Special Issue, entitled “Advances in Sustainable Rural Tourism: Methods, Strategies and Practice”, is oriented towards original research/studies and focuses on concrete proposals regarding the capitalization stage of specific resources of the rural environment through rural tourism, specific strategies intended to highlight the role of rural tourism in ensuring sustainable development, case studies exploring different methods and strategies applied in different areas for the development of rural tourism, the proposal of strategies for capitalizing on local community resources with an emphasis on sustainability, etc.

For this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Case studies regarding the development of rural tourism activity in a particular area;
Proposing concrete directions/strategies for capitalizing on the resources of the rural community through rural tourism;
Studies to analyze the impact of rural tourism on the local community using specific methods;
Analysis of the openness of local communities towards rural tourism activity;
Presenting/proposing examples of sustainable rural tourism entrepreneurship;
Innovative proposals for "branding" the rural environment through rural tourism.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Ramona Mariana Ciolac
Prof. Dr. Tiberiu Iancu
Prof. Dr. Gabriela Popescu
Dr. Tabita Cornelia Adamov
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

rural tourism
smart development strategies
sustainability
rural resources and community development
branding methods for rural environments

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

38 pages, 3320 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rural Tourism: A Factor of Sustainable Development for the Traditional Rural Area of Bucovina, Romania

by Cristina Simeanu, Vasile-Cosmin Andronachi, Alexandru Usturoi, Mădălina Alexandra Davidescu, Olimpia-Smaranda Mintaș, Gabriel-Vasile Hoha and Daniel Simeanu

Sustainability 2025, 17(8), 3604; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17083604 - 16 Apr 2025

Viewed by 489

Abstract

This paper explores an important issue, namely rural tourism, by analyzing the supply and demand of tourism in three rural regions (Gura Humorului, Câmpulung Moldovenesc, and Dorna) in Bucovina, Suceava County, as an alternative economic development for rural areas. The statistical data on tourist traffic in the three regions of Suceava County were taken from the website of the National Institute of Statistics of Romania and analyzed over a period of 10 years (2014–2023). The analysis of the total number of tourist accommodation facilities recorded increases of over 200% in all three regions analyzed. Dynamic analysis of the accommodation capacity in operation, the number of tourists and overnight stays, and the average length of stay was carried out by calculating the absolute and relative indicators with fixed and chained base and average indicators. Despite the increase in the number of tourists and overnight stays, the average length of stay remains relatively low. The calculation of the net utilization rate of the accommodation capacity in operation shows an efficient use of the accommodation facilities in the three regions analyzed. The importance of the research and the originality of this research are closely related to understanding the dynamics of tourism in the rural regions analyzed for the formation of future strategies for sustainable rural development in Bucovina. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Rural Tourism: Methods, Strategies and Practice)

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30 pages, 24139 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Furniture Design for Rural Tourist Accommodation Inspired by the Heritage of Istria

by Danijela Domljan, Nikola Lukež and Zoran Vlaović

Sustainability 2025, 17(4), 1415; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17041415 - 9 Feb 2025

Viewed by 1082

Abstract

Rural tourism is closely linked to a local’s tradition, identity, and cultural heritage. When staying in a specific tourist destination, a modern tourist expects a complete experience of the destination. Experience is necessary in rural tourist accommodation where guests can feel the local culture, nature, gastronomy, environment, and heritage. However, what about the interior design of the accommodation facility and the furniture design that will provide a rural and at the same time modern atmosphere? The paper aims to explore the traditional heritage, culture, indigenous elements, and ornamentation of rural artifacts of Istria, a region in Croatia, to propose a conceptual design of functional contemporary furniture for furnishing the living room in tourist accommodation. The furniture collection, with visual and artistic elements, surface treatment, construction, and selected sustainable materials and ornamentation, aims to brand the indigenous rural Istrian heritage, while at the same time combines an innovative contemporary expression. The research is divided into two stages: the first stage was conducted during field research using photography, observation, and interview methods, and the collected data from this stage served as inspiration for designing a furniture collection in the second stage. The second stage uses the cyclical method of the creative process to design new sustainable furniture concept, consisting of a table, stool, chest of drawers, and coffee table, which form a collection in the tourist interior environment. This furniture design model that uses original heritage to brand the rural environment and increase the attractiveness of accommodation in rural areas could be applied to other locations so tourists can fully experience the rural area they visit and achieve experiential, relaxed holidays and amenities, thus supporting the sustainable development of rural tourist destinations. The practical implications of this research have yet to be confirmed. It is desirable to investigate the impact and satisfaction of users in such designed interiors and confirm such a concept. This will require the engagement of architects and designers and hotel accommodation owners, as well as and the support of economic entities, local authorities, and the government, who need to systematically change the ways of branding rural values to achieve a holistic approach to the tourism offer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Rural Tourism: Methods, Strategies and Practice)

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28 pages, 14661 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Adaptive Incremental Approaches to Enhance Tourism Services in Minor Centers: A Case Study on Naro, Italy

by Elvira Nicolini, Antonella Mamì, Annalisa Giampino, Valentina Amato and Francesca Romano

Sustainability 2025, 17(1), 338; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17010338 - 5 Jan 2025

Viewed by 1060

Abstract

Over the past few years, minor centers have attracted interest from the scientific community and beyond as places to be re-inhabited. They have started being regarded as places of healthy and wholesome living, places that have kept resilience to anthropic actions as well as a sensitive architectural and landscape heritage that can act as a driver for the socioeconomic regeneration of their territories if enhanced. Several initiatives network small neighboring municipalities and link them to various types of tourism (cultural, mountain, experiential, etc.), depending on the areas’ traditions and specific characteristics. However, minor centers are often still unprepared to welcome tourists and struggle to implement services, especially due to the economic deficit resulting from years of abandonment and depopulation. The research described here returns possible expeditious solutions for improving the condition of tourism-related services. Starting from the historical and urban analysis and knowledge acquisition of a specific case study—the Municipality of Naro, in Sicily—we reflected on solutions to be repeated in similar contexts to improve the accessibility and use of the historic center. The aim of the research is to outline a place-based design to improve mobility, water and waste management services, affecting places’ attractiveness. The proposed interventions are modular, increasable in small steps, with budgets suited to the economic possibilities of small centers such as the examined one. This method, due to its incremental and adaptive nature, is working ‘on’ places and ‘for’ places, as well as functions as a possible tool and stimulus for the self-construction of a ‘sustainable society’ that helps the governance of these centers toward a vision of urban valorization. Territories like Naro represent a large part of Italy. They are endowed with resources lacking in heavily urbanized areas yet involved in numerous revitalization policies, including international ones. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Rural Tourism: Methods, Strategies and Practice)

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21 pages, 3513 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence Analysis of Different Factors from the Tourism Sector on Rural Gross Value Added: Cross-Section Analysis at the EU Level

by Raluca Andreea Ion and Ionut Laurentiu Petre

Sustainability 2024, 16(20), 8997; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16208997 - 17 Oct 2024

Viewed by 1440

Abstract

This article investigates the impact of rural tourism on the economy and on sustainable development in rural areas of EU member states. Rural tourism is a distinct form of tourism carried out in rural areas, which attracts tourists interested in authentic experiences, nature, and local culture. The article explores the multiple ways in which rural tourism influences the economy of rural areas. This paper seeks to identify factors that can enhance economic development in rural areas through the tourism sector. Therefore, various indicators of rural tourism and businesses operating in the accommodation sector will be analysed in order to determine their influence on gross value added. The analysis used the linear multiple regression method to determine the influence of these factors on gross value added. The analysis of the data identified that the founding countries of the European Union have a developed rural tourism activity, with the most nights spent as a tourist occurring in rural areas in France and the most rural accommodation establishments occurring in Italy. At the same time, Germany recorded the highest number of employees in the accommodation sector in 2021. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Rural Tourism: Methods, Strategies and Practice)

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13 pages, 2040 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Neural Network for Sky Darkness Level Prediction in Rural Areas

by Alejandro Martínez-Martín, Miguel Ángel Jaramillo-Morán, Diego Carmona-Fernández, Manuel Calderón-Godoy and Juan Félix González González

Sustainability 2024, 16(17), 7795; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177795 - 6 Sep 2024

Viewed by 1098

Abstract

A neural network was developed using the Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) model to predict the darkness value of the night sky in rural areas. For data collection, a photometer was placed in three different rural locations in the province of Cáceres, Spain, recording darkness values over a period of 23 months. The recorded data were processed, debugged, and used as a training set (75%) and validation set (25%) in the development of an MLP capable of predicting the darkness level for a given date. The network had a single hidden layer of 10 neurons and hyperbolic activation function, obtaining a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.85 and a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 6.8%. The developed model could be employed in unpopulated rural areas for the promotion of sustainable astronomical tourism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Rural Tourism: Methods, Strategies and Practice)

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16 pages, 725 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Sustainable Development Model of China’s Tourism-Based Poverty Alleviation Industry: Analysis of the Configuration of an Active Government, an Efficient Market and a Caring Society

by Wei Luo, Shanxiang Zuo and Changgui Li

Sustainability 2024, 16(13), 5792; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135792 - 8 Jul 2024

Viewed by 1890

Abstract

Tourism-based poverty alleviation strategies have played an important role in China’s efforts to eliminate poverty. In the post-poverty-alleviation era, the mechanism by which the government, market and society jointly promote the sustainable development of the tourism-based poverty alleviation industry requires further research. Based on data from 33 tourism-based poverty alleviation demonstration counties in China, this paper uses the fsQCA method to explore the role positioning and function of the three major entities of government, market and society. The results show that no single condition can promote the long-term development of tourism-based poverty alleviation. Four modes are proposed: government financial support, resource endowment, ecosystem tourism and multisubject coordination. The government provides a diverse and sustainable “haematopoietic” mechanism by focusing on different elements in each path. In addition, public tourism services are crucial to the long-term mechanism of tourism-based poverty alleviation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Rural Tourism: Methods, Strategies and Practice)

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19 pages, 6321 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Influencing Factors of Cultural and Tourism Service Quality in Huizhou Area

by Xin Wang, Zimeng Yang and Yanlong Guo

Sustainability 2024, 16(13), 5535; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135535 - 28 Jun 2024

Viewed by 1664

Abstract

This study investigates the elements that influence the quality of cultural and tourism services in the Huizhou region, seeking to improve the region’s tourism competitiveness and revive the growth of the local rural tourism industry based on the background of cultural and tourism integration. This article builds an evaluation index system for the influencing variables of culture and tourism service quality by choosing 20 indicators from three categories: public service quality, cultural service quality, and tourism industry performance. The entropy weight Topsis method is employed to assess the service quality of three districts and five counties in the Huizhou area, which serves as the research object. Research has shown that (1) the number of five-star hotels, the number of A-level scenic spots, and the number of overseas tourists received have a significant weight, and these have become important factors affecting the effective supply of high-quality rural tourism; (2) there is a significant difference in the quality of cultural and tourism services in different areas across the Huizhou region, with Tunxi District and Yi County having the highest level of service quality, while Qimen County and Jixi County have the lowest level; (3) The overall quality of cultural and tourism services in Huizhou region is relatively high, with six districts and counties rated medium or above, accounting for about 75% of the total. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the infrastructure construction, improve the quality of public services, maintain the local and regional culture, accelerate the integration of culture and tourism, and enhance the high-quality development of regional tourism in Huizhou. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Rural Tourism: Methods, Strategies and Practice)

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26 pages, 5490 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ecological Legacies and Ethnotourism: Bridging Science and Community in Ecuador’s Amazonia

by Fausto O. Sarmiento, Mark B. Bush, Crystal N. H. McMichael, C. Renato Chávez, Jhony F. Cruz, Gonzalo Rivas-Torres, Anandam Kavoori, John Weatherford and Carter A. Hunt

Sustainability 2024, 16(11), 4664; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16114664 - 30 May 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2622

Abstract

This paper offers paradigmatic insights from an international workshop on Ecological Legacies: Bridge Between Science and Community, in Ecuador, in the summer of 2023. The conference brought together foreign and local scholars, tour operators, village community, and Indigenous leaders in the upper Amazonia region of Ecuador with the goal of developing a vision for a sustainable and regenerative future of the upper Amazon. The conference offered three epistemological contributions to the existing literature in the emergent field of Montology, including addressing issues of (a) understanding the existing linguistic hegemony in describing tropical environments, (b) the redress of mistaken notions on pristine jungle environments, and (c) the inclusion of traditional knowledge and transdisciplinary approaches to understand the junglescape from different perspectives and scientific traditions. Methodologically, the conference bridged the fields of palaeoecological and ethnobotanical knowledge (as part of a wider conversation between science and local communities). Results show that local knowledge should be incorporated into the study of the junglescape and its conservation, with decolonial approaches for tourism, sharing language, methodology, tradition, and dissemination of the forest’s attributes. Our research helped co-create and formulate the “Coca Declaration” calling for a philosophical turn in research, bridging science and ethnotourism in ways that are local, emancipatory, and transdisciplinary. We conclude that facilitating new vocabulary by decolonial heightening of Indigenous perspectives of the junglescape helps to incorporate the notion of different Amazons, including the mountainscape of the Andean–Amazonian flanks. We also conclude that we can no consider Ecuador the country of “pure nature” since we helped demystify pristine nature for foreign tourists and highlighted local views with ancestral practices. Finally, we conclude that ethnotourism is a viable alternative to manage heritagization of the junglescape as a hybrid territory with the ecological legacies of the past and present inhabitants of upper Amazonia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Rural Tourism: Methods, Strategies and Practice)

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13 pages, 268 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding Romanian Generational Preferences and Travel Decision-Making When Choosing a Rural Destination

by Andra Ramona Poruțiu, Anca Monica Brata, Diana E. Dumitras, Olivia Paula Oros and Iulia C. Muresan

Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4074; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104074 - 13 May 2024

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1989

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered consumer behavior and reshaped the tourism industry, particularly impacting travel destination choices. Pre-pandemic, travelers prioritized experiences and adventure, often overlooking health and safety concerns. However, during and after the pandemic, health, hygiene, and the COVID-19 situation emerged as crucial factors in choosing a rural destination, alongside economic considerations. The current study analyzed the tourists’ preferences in the North-West development region of Romania when choosing a rural destination. An online survey was conducted, and 563 questionnaires were validated in the end. The principal component analysis used to analyze the collected data led to a two-factor solution: “sanitary and administrative” and “economic and social”. Comparative analysis based on age showed significant differences in education, income, and family composition between Generation Y and Generation Z. Preferences for domestic destinations and participation in festivals were higher among Generation Z, while interest in international travel was comparable between the generations. These findings provide insights into the evolving travel behaviors and preferences of different age groups in the wake of the pandemic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Rural Tourism: Methods, Strategies and Practice)

27 pages, 3946 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rural Tourism in Mountain Rural Comunities-Possible Direction/Strategies: Case Study Mountain Area from Bihor County

by Cosmin Alin Popescu, Tiberiu Iancu, Gabriela Popescu, Ionut Marius Croitoru, Tabita Adamov and Ramona Ciolac

Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 1127; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031127 - 29 Jan 2024

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2203

Abstract

Rural mountain areas and their local communities have been subject to research interest over time due to their large amount of available resources, but also their problems. The strategy for some of the rural mountain communities to simultaneously preserve and capitalize on the local resources sustainably is to combine traditional activities with those related to hospitality and recreation in the form of rural tourism activity. In this context, we have used a case study to examine development in a rural mountain community through tourism activities; the study site is the rural mountain area of Bihor County in the Apuseni Mountains, which has outstanding, but untapped, potential for development. In this paper, we address the centralization of representative resources on each component community of the chosen area, concrete information related to the current stage of the development and performance of the activity directly from those involved in the coordination of the activity (rural tourism entrepreneurs) using a specific questionnaire, and proposals for possible directions/strategies to ensure future development of this communities through rural tourism activities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Rural Tourism: Methods, Strategies and Practice)

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