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Rural Tourism, Nature-Based Tourism and Sustainable Tourism Practices

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A Special Issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050) belonging to the section "Tourism, Culture, and Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 2307

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Editors

Dr. Dana Tometzová

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Guest Editor

Department of Geo and Mining Tourism, Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Process Control and Geotechnologies, Institute of Earth Resources, Technical University of Košice, Letná 9, 042 00 Košice, Slovakia
Interests: geotourism; balneology; mineral and thermal springs; nature-based tourism; sustainable tourism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Lucia Bednárová

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Earth Resources Management, Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Process Control and Geotechnologies, Institute of Earth Resources, Technical University of Košice, Letná 9, 042 00 Košice, Slovakia
Interests: management; environmental management; green marketing; green benchmarking; sustainable tourism

Dr. Mário Molokáč

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Geo and Mining Tourism, Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Process Control and Geotechnologies, Institute of Earth Resources, Technical University of Košice, Letná 9, 042 00 Košice, Slovakia
Interests: geotourism and mining tourism; geoparks; sustainable tourism; natural heritage; sustainable regional development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

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-anonymized 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
sustainable tourism
community-based tourism
nature-based tourism
sustainable regional development
sustainable destination management

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Research

30 pages, 5456 KB

Open AccessArticle

Generation Z Environmental Behavior in Tourism Purchasing Decisions: Evidence for Rural and Nature-Based Tourism

by Lucia Bednárová, Katarína Čulková and Dušan Kudelas

Sustainability 2026, 18(17), 8718; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18178718 - 25 Aug 2026

Viewed by 288

Abstract

This study examines whether selected tourism preferences, sustainability-related attitudes, and motivational profiles differ between Generation Z and older respondents in Slovakia. A cross-sectional online questionnaire was administered between February and April 2026 using non-probability convenience sampling through social media, student groups, and generational communities. The final sample comprised 147 respondents (92 Generation Z, 34 Millennials/Generation Y, and 21 Generation X). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to evaluate the conceptual measurement and structural models. The structural model supported H1, demonstrating a statistically significant positive direct effect of Generation Z membership on the preference for nature and adventure tourism ($\beta = 0.336$, $p < 0.001$, $R² = 0.125$). H2 was not supported: when controlling for individual environmental awareness (ENV_AWARE), Generation Z membership was not a statistically significant predictor of technical-ecological accommodation preferences ($\beta = 0.045$, $p = 0.187$) and exhibited a negative relationship with local-economic sustainability support ($\beta = −0.161$, $p = 0.001$). Instead, individual environmental awareness emerged as the primary explanatory driver of both dimensions ($\beta = 0.909$ and $\beta = 0.977$, respectively; $p < 0.001$; $R² = 0.800$). H3 was supported: Generation Z respondents exhibited a significantly stronger orientation toward extrinsic economic incentives, such as price discounts ($\beta = 0.152$, $p = 0.026$), and a substantially weaker motivation based on intrinsic moral responsibility toward future generations ($\beta = −0.376$, $p < 0.001$). The findings demystify the assumption that younger consumers automatically demand green tourism services based solely on age, highlighting that individual environmental awareness and pragmatic economic benefits play a more fundamental role in sustainable purchasing decisions. Because the study relies on a non-probability cross-sectional sample, the results should be interpreted as exploratory associations within the surveyed sample. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Tourism, Nature-Based Tourism and Sustainable Tourism Practices)

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22 pages, 649 KB

Open AccessArticle

Affective and Cognitive Pathways to Sustainable Behavior at Rural Destinations: A Dual-Path Mediation Model Based on Place Perception

by Bohong Fan, Gang Liu and Zuhaib Yousafzai

Sustainability 2026, 18(14), 7311; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18147311 - 17 Jul 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 428

Abstract

Rural tourism destinations increasingly converge on standardized facilities and packaged landscapes, eroding the place-based distinctiveness that motivates rural travel. Although previous research has distinguished affective and cognitive experiential mechanisms, it remains unclear whether these pathways are differentially associated with sustainability-oriented and loyalty-related behavioral intentions. Addressing this gap, the present study examines how tourists’ perceptions of rural destinations are associated with these two forms of behavioral response. Building on the established distinction between affective and cognitive experiential mechanisms, two perceptual systems are linked to parallel affective and cognitive experiential routes to examine their distinct behavioral associations. An affective route, in which perceived locality and authenticity foster place attachment, and a cognitive route, in which perceptions of planning quality foster tourist satisfaction, are expected to specialize by outcome. Survey data were collected from 411 visitors to rural tourism destinations in Hainan, China, and analyzed using a latent-variable structural equation model with bias-corrected bootstrap tests of competing indirect effects. The results reveal a clear distinction between the two behavioral systems. Locality and authenticity are positively associated with place attachment, which in turn is associated with sustainable behavioral intention, whereas planning quality is positively associated with tourist satisfaction, which is associated with revisit and recommendation intention. The competing-mediation analysis further indicates that locality is associated with sustainable behavioral intention primarily through place attachment rather than satisfaction, and this affective pathway remains consistent across visitor-origin subgroups. Given the cross-sectional design, these relationships should be interpreted as associations rather than evidence of causality. The findings re-conceptualize locality as a measurable tourist perception and demonstrate that sustainability-oriented behavioral intention and loyalty-related intention represent distinct behavioral outcomes associated with different experiential pathways. For destination planners and managers, the findings suggest that strengthening authentic rural character may support sustainability-oriented behaviors, whereas improving the planning and service environment may encourage revisit and recommendation intentions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Tourism, Nature-Based Tourism and Sustainable Tourism Practices)

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21 pages, 1454 KB

Open AccessArticle

Investigating Spatial Distribution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Traditional Villages in Southwest China from the Perspective of Human–Land Relationship

by Qingbo Wang, Shenghua Yu, Xiang Li and Shan Wang

Sustainability 2026, 18(4), 1894; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18041894 - 12 Feb 2026

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 885

Abstract

Traditional villages in Southwest China serve as vital carriers of ethnic culture, vernacular architecture, and ecological wisdom, embodying centuries of dynamic human–land interaction. This study explores the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of traditional villages in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Chongqing by applying a human–land relationship theoretical framework. This study uses spatial analysis methods, including average nearest neighbor, spatial autocorrelation, and kernel density estimation, combined with geographic detectors. The research identifies spatial clustering patterns and reveals key natural, infrastructural, and socio-economic drivers. The results demonstrate that traditional villages exhibit a significantly clustered distribution, particularly in areas such as Qiandongnan, Lijiang, and Dali, where cultural heritage and tourism resources are abundant. Among the nine analyzed factors, river density, road density, and temperature show the strongest explanatory power, while the interaction between natural and socio-economic elements, such as altitude and urbanization, further enhances spatial influence. These findings reflect the complex interplay between geographical constraints, human adaptation, and modern tourism dynamics. By situating the spatial evolution of traditional villages within the broader process of rural tourism development, this study highlights the need for adaptive spatial planning and culturally sensitive infrastructure strategies. It provides theoretical and empirical support for policymakers and stakeholders aiming to promote sustainable development, spatial equity, and cultural continuity in the context of village revitalization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Tourism, Nature-Based Tourism and Sustainable Tourism Practices)

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