Rural Tourism, Nature-Based Tourism and Sustainable Tourism Practices

Dear Colleagues,

Rural tourism and nature-based tourism are increasingly recognized as essential pathways for advancing sustainable development in rural regions. These forms of tourism provide viable alternatives to mass tourism, supporting environmental stewardship, local economic diversification, and the preservation of natural and cultural heritage. By encouraging low-impact travel and meaningful interaction with rural landscapes, nature tourism and rural tourism strengthen community involvement, enhance resilience, and promote responsible visitor behaviour.

Rural tourism contributes significantly to revitalizing declining regions by creating employment opportunities, stimulating local entrepreneurship, and preserving traditional knowledge and cultural identity. Activities such as agritourism, cultural tourism, and nature-based experiences enable visitors to engage authentically with rural life while supporting community cohesion and long-term socio-economic sustainability. Integrating sustainable practices—such as local food systems, eco-friendly infrastructure, green certifications, and sustainable business models—serves to reinforce ecological balance and promote inclusive growth.

Nature tourism complements rural tourism by emphasizing meaningful experiences in natural environments that reinforce environmental appreciation and conservation-oriented behaviour. Its focus on biodiversity, scenic landscapes, and responsible natural resource use contributes directly to environmental awareness and community-based conservation efforts. Nature tourism also fosters participatory governance by involving local stakeholders in planning, monitoring, and benefit-sharing processes.

In this Special Issue,  ‘Rural Tourism, Nature-based Tourism and Sustainable Tourism Practices’, we aim to showcase interdisciplinary research, innovative applications, and actionable strategies that highlight how rural tourism and nature-based tourism solutions jointly contribute to sustainable regional development. We welcome contributions that bridge theory and practice, propose new models for sustainable tourism management, or provide evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, planners, and practitioners.

We invite papers addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:

• Sustainable management of natural and cultural heritage in rural areas;
• Development, best practices, and visitor management in nature tourism;
• Circular economy models for rural and nature-based tourism;
• Integration of nature-based tourism into regional and rural development strategies;
• Applications of data mining in nature tourism, rural tourism, and sustainable tourism;
• Community participation, co-creation, and knowledge sharing in nature tourism, rural tourism, and sustainable tourism;
• Governance, policy frameworks, and sustainability assessment tools;
• Renewable energy applications in tourism businesses and rural destinations;
• Sustainable tourism entrepreneurship and green innovation;
• Community participation, co-creation, and local governance;
• Sustainable mobility and low-carbon tourism solutions;
• Socio-economic resilience and sustainable rural transformation;
• Methods for measuring, monitoring, and applying sustainability outcomes in tourism systems;
• Digital tools, smart technologies, and data-driven approaches for sustainable rural and nature-based tourism;
• Education, interpretation, and communication strategies in rural and nature tourism contexts.

Dr. Dana Tometzová
Dr. Lucia Bednárová
Dr. Mário Molokáč
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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.

• rural tourism
• sustainable tourism
• community-based tourism
• nature-based tourism
• sustainable regional development
• sustainable destination management