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Enhancing Sustainable Rural Development through Tourism Strategies

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Tourism, Culture, and Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024 | Viewed by 24510

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alina-Cerasela Aluculesei

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Guest Editor

Institute for World Economy, Romanian Academy, 050711 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: tourism; rural tourism; rural wellbeing tourism; spa and wellness tourism; sustainable tourism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Puiu Nistoreanu

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Guest Editor

Department of Tourism and Geography, Faculty of Business and Tourism (Formerly Commerce), Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 010404 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: business administration; sustainability; tourism; rural tourism; creative tourism development; management and marketing in tourism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Dan-Cristian Dabija

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Guest Editor

Department of Marketing, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: consumer behavior; sustainable marketing; retail marketing; international marketing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rural space remains one of the most authentic destinations in each country. Here, customs are still alive, with tourists able to experience them during longer or shorter holidays. The “return to the nature” trend and the desire of modern tourists to have authentic, traditional, innovative and modern experiences during their holidays encouraged more and more rural destinations to market themselves as offering a unique image and to be considered the best alternative to a traditional and hectic life. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated tourists’ interest from crowded places to quiet destinations and speeded up the demand for rural and/or agritourism services.

The benefits of rural tourism are apparent. On the one hand, it dramatically impacts tourists through the cultural exchange between them and the residents. On the other hand, it represents an important income source for local communities that triggers their social, economic and cultural development. The destination itself is a critical advantage. New tourist destinations emerge and old destinations gain more popularity, thus, increasing development prospects by attracting thematic festivals, events, concerts, etc.

However, the development of rural tourism also unveils considerable responsibility. The interest of tourists in a specific destination can damage the authenticity of a place and transform it in time into a mass tourist attraction. To ensure long-term development with benefits for all stakeholders, tourist activities in rural destinations must be based on sustainable development. All marketing activities must be sustainable, thus, including sustainable practices and adopting a green and responsible approach.

Therefore, the question is how can a rural destination benefit from its tourist potential without damaging its authenticity?

The present Special Issue aims to offer possible answers to this question by including studies and original research beyond this topic. We encourage interested authors to submit original research articles, reviews and critical perspectives to fill in the gaps in knowledge with new developments that are capable of offering stakeholders potential strategies for the sustainable development of rural destinations.

Topics of interest for publication in this Special Issue include but are not limited to the following:

Innovation and competitiveness in rural tourism;
The development of rural wellbeing tourism;
Local values and material and intangible tourist resources;
The cultural exchange in rural tourism;
Farm tourism;
Awareness of the use of local resources and orientation towards research and development;
Local, regional and national branding;
Social media and innovation for local tourism;
Impact of economy sharing platforms on rural tourism;
Local entrepreneurship in rural tourism and sustainable destinations;
Sustainable capitalisation of local resources through tourism and through sustainable organisations that act in local communities;
Marketing local artisanal or gastronomic resources by including local tourist products;
Tourism marketing in the educational environment: consequences of educating the young generation through teaching and research.

Dr. Alina-Cerasela Aluculesei
Prof. Dr. Puiu Nistoreanu
Prof. Dr. Dan-Cristian Dabija
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
rural development
sustainability
sustainable tourism
sustainable development
social sustainability
local economy strategies
economic sustainability
ecological sustainability
economic diversification
diversification

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 355 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Navigating Time: A Comparative Analysis of Senior Tourists’ Intentions and Length of Stay in Italy Pre-, during, and Post-COVID-19

by Maria Gabriella Campolo, Carlo Giannetto, Maurizio Lanfranchi and Angelina De Pascale

Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 1067; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031067 - 26 Jan 2024

Viewed by 603

Abstract

The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic led to a rapid global health crisis, which shocked the tourism industry by closing borders and reducing tourism demand. This study aims to analyze the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on senior Italian tourism. If, on the one hand, seniors represent, from a tourism perspective, one of the most promising markets for the near future; on the other hand, they are the population that has most suffered the consequences of the pandemic event. Drawing on national statistical data, this study examines the impact of COVID-19 on the holiday intentions and length of stay of senior Italian tourists in Italy. The proposed methodological approach evaluates both travel intentions and length of stay by comparing the pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods. It breaks down the decision-making process into two phases (to go on holiday or not, and length of stay) and is based on the estimation of a probit model with sample selection, which provides a more accurate approach to addressing the complex decision-making dynamics surrounding travel during pandemic periods, offering greater precision in modeling the factors influencing travel intention and length of stay. The results show a strong correlation between the decision to travel and the length of stay in the period before the pandemic. However, during the post-pandemic period there is a change in dynamics, where other factors gain importance in determining the length of stay regardless of the decision to travel. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Sustainable Rural Development through Tourism Strategies)

52 pages, 3817 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Geotourism, a New Perspective of Post-COVID-19-Pandemic Relaunch through Travel Agencies—Case Study: Bucegi Natural Park, Romania

by Mihaela-Iuliana Desculțu Grigore, Amalia Niță, Ionuț-Adrian Drăguleasa and Mirela Mazilu

Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 985; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16030985 - 23 Jan 2024

Viewed by 921

Abstract

The proposed approach—geotourism, a new medium- and long-term post-pandemic recovery perspective—provides a theoretical foundation for future research regarding the interactions between tourism agencies and tourists, visitors and landforms, as well as cooperation and support between local residents and tourists, for Bucegi Natural Park. In the current context, the nature monuments and nature reserves within the park are located in rural and urban areas. These can be capitalized and included directly in the tourism agencies’ supply, and they can be used for zonal and regional development without degrading the surrounding environment. The “Babele and the Sphinx” landmarks with interesting shapes offer benefits for the development of geotourism in the Romanian landscape. In addition to those listed previously, this study proposes and analyses the image of the geotourism destination and a slogan for the international promotion of the park. Thus, the research presents two sources of data collection: (1) primary data, i.e., those obtained following a questionnaire and analysed with the help of the SPSS Statistics software, version 15.0, and (2) secondary statistical data from the database of the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) that are available and constantly updated. Another method used with a significant impact on tourism analysis was represented using the Geographic Information System (GIS). With its help, we mapped the tourist routes and the two elements, nature reserves and nature monuments within the park, that constitute the basis of the geotourism relaunch after COVID-19. The final objective of the paper is to strengthen the role of travel agencies in promoting geotourism by offering visits to tourist attractions in the park. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Sustainable Rural Development through Tourism Strategies)

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18 pages, 1316 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biomethane and Compost Production by Anaerobic Digestion of Organic Waste: Suggestions for Rural Communities in Southern Italy

by Christian Bux, Federico Cangialosi and Vera Amicarelli

Sustainability 2023, 15(21), 15644; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152115644 - 06 Nov 2023

Viewed by 818

Abstract

The sharp increase in rural tourism brings, on the one side, economic and social benefits among rural communities but, on the other, contributes to environmental challenges, specifically waste generation and natural resource consumption. From the ecological perspective, several pathways have been developed from local and global communities, such as prevention, reuse, recycling and energy recovery. The present research, by considering the need to boost separate collection and valorize organic waste among rural communities, evaluates the performance of a combined anaerobic digestion and composting plant in Southern Italy. The purpose is to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of collecting organic waste in rural areas and recovering it into biomethane, digestate and compost. First, the research develops the material flow analysis of a real, accessible and available anaerobic digestion and composting plant in Southern Italy. Secondly, on the basis of the results obtained, the research calculates the biomethane, digestate and compost potential in Southern Italy, considering the amount of organic waste produced in 14 rural communities identified as the most beautiful villages in Italy. Last, the research compares the advantages and disadvantages of producing biomethane through anaerobic digestion or resorting to community composting in rural areas. It results that the biomethane and compost potential through anaerobic digestion is 423,854 kg and 954,896 kg, respectively, but significant financial investments must be allocated in order to allow the municipalities to enhance the logistics and the separate collection facilities. The research highlights possible strategies under the circular economy lens to boost sustainability in rural areas, focusing on biomethane and compost production and providing policy implications in light of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Sustainable Rural Development through Tourism Strategies)

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21 pages, 2423 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Development in Peri-Urban Regions: A Triangulation Analysis

by Iulia Ruxandra Ticau, Mihaela Cornelia Dan, Shahrazad Hadad and Puiu Nistoreanu

Sustainability 2023, 15(20), 14837; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014837 - 13 Oct 2023

Viewed by 870

Abstract

The recent tendency towards overpopulated cities has created an increased demand for the expansion of borders towards rural areas. This has modified the city–countryside relationship, giving rise to the concept of peri-urbanity. Based on these assumptions, this research paper aims to highlight the role and importance of sustainable development for the sustained progress of peri-urban regions, particularly by looking at international standards proposed by the United Nations. In other words, by encompassing the topics of sustainable and inclusive economic growth, decent work for all, and sustainable tourism, Goal 8 of the 17 Sustainable Goals proposed by United Nations represents a framework for the analysis of a peri-urban region located in Romania which is subject to massive development changes. This is realized by conducting extended qualitative research via the triangulation method, intended to compare and contrast three relevant perspectives: those of locals, those of professionals directly involved in the development of the area, and those presented in publicly available reports and statistics. The obtained results indicate factors such as air quality, water quality, space efficiency, and waste collection as being topics directly related to sustainability, while job availability and touristic development perspectives received lower interest. We stress that, despite the growth of urban areas and the migration of people from urban to peri-urban areas, more attention needs to be directed towards the protection of the environment. This is aimed at maintaining the authenticity of the region, specifically in terms of agricultural lands that can support the surrounding major cities. Our study will be relevant both to scholars and to actors in the domains of sustainability, sustainable economic growth, and tourism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Sustainable Rural Development through Tourism Strategies)

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16 pages, 4304 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Patterns of Key Villages and Towns of Rural Tourism in China and Their Influencing Factors

by Qiuyu Zou, Jianwei Sun, Jing Luo, Jiaxing Cui and Xuesong Kong

Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13330; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813330 - 05 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1016

Abstract

This study takes 1597 key villages and towns part of rural tourism in China as research objects and uses the ArcGIS spatial analysis method, combined with the geodetector and the multiscale geographically weighted regression model, to analyze the intensity and spatial differentiation of factors influencing the spatial distribution of these villages and towns. (1) The key villages and towns of rural tourism exhibit clustering distribution patterns with more locations in the east than in the west. The center of gravity of this distribution shifts to the northwest, displaying a “belt–point” trend with scattered hot spots in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, and the Yangtze River Delta, while cold spots are primarily concentrated in the northwest. (2) Spatial variation in the key villages and towns of rural tourism is due to multiple factors, of which population density, resident consumption expenditure, and per capita GDP display the highest explanatory powers for the spatial distribution of tourism. (3) The primary influencing factors are spatial differences in their roles and substantial local imbalances. Positive and negative correlation analysis units exhibit the aggregation characteristics of being blocked and banded. These results can provide valuable guidance for the development of rural tourism, promoting its sustainable development and contributing to the revitalization of rural areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Sustainable Rural Development through Tourism Strategies)

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27 pages, 1846 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fostering Urban Destination Prosperity through Post COVID-19 Sustainable Tourism in Craiova, Romania

by Mirela Mazilu, Amalia Niță, Ionuț-Adrian Drăguleasa and Oana Mititelu-Ionuș

Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 13106; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151713106 - 31 Aug 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1401

Abstract

In accordance with the 2030 Agenda, the prosperity of tourist destinations holds a crucial role in the sustainable development of urban areas. Tourism represents an imperative solution in transitioning from survival to success after the COVID-19 pandemic. The stakeholders in the field should introduce new tourism forms that enable a more comprehensive strategy for managing and developing responsible tourism, bringing into focus new skills, resources, and levels for change to develop resilience, urban community satisfaction, and the unique intrinsic attraction of each tourist destination in Romania. This study develops a model of prosperity for urban tourist destinations, which can be applied to medium-large cities in Romania. We propose for the city of Craiova the use and identification of four spheres of sustainability, which in turn have a set of 17 indicators. The research method used to determine the indicators has two stages: (1) the analysis of the specialized literature to identify the appropriate indicators for an urban destination and (2) statistical analyzes and interviews with internal stakeholders (residents), which present their tourist perspective of the city. This article tackles an innovative concept, called prosperity and innovation in Craiova tourism, which can be implemented in all tourism niches and brings new development perspectives that correspond to the norms of sustainable development and their direction towards sustainability. The article addresses the concept of prosperity in tourism and contains information about: the definition of prosperity, the concept of prosperity (an engine of innovation in tourism and its implications), but also perspectives for a prosperous tourism policy in Craiova tourism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Sustainable Rural Development through Tourism Strategies)

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15 pages, 964 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Unintended Maladaptation: How Agritourism Development Policies in Iran Have Increased Vulnerability to Climate Change

by Zabih-Allah Torabi, Amir Reza Khavarian-Garmsir, Colin Michael Hall and Neda Beiraghi Khatibi

Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 13003; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151713003 - 29 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1009

Abstract

Implementing appropriate policies is crucial for adapting the agricultural sector to climate change. However, adopting incorrect policies can exacerbate unsustainable development. Hence, this study investigated the unintended consequences of agritourism development policies as a climate change adaptation strategy in the villages of Shahrud, Iran. It demonstrated how such policies have inadvertently heightened farmers’ vulnerability to climate change impacts. Data were collected through 44 semi-structured interviews, which underwent thematic analysis to identify emerging patterns. The study’s findings indicate that the rapid expansion of Agritourism in Iran, aimed at addressing climate change, has failed to achieve its intended goals. Inadequate government support, increased supply, legal gaps, and lack of empowerment were identified as contributing factors leading to unsustainable development and financial losses. Consequently, smallholder farmers were found to harbor negative perceptions of agritourism and expressed dissatisfaction with existing policies. These findings underscore the necessity of comprehensive policies and support systems to facilitate the effective implementation of sustainable agritourism by stakeholders in Iran. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Sustainable Rural Development through Tourism Strategies)

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26 pages, 4247 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tourism and Travel Competitiveness Index: From Theoretical Definition to Practical Analysis in Romania

by Andrei-Florin Băbăț, Mirela Mazilu, Amalia Niță, Ionuț-Adrian Drăguleasa and Mihaela Grigore

Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10157; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310157 - 26 Jun 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3385

Abstract

The competitiveness of tourist destinations presents, from the perspective of sustainability, certain benefits in terms of local and regional development: the involvement of local authorities (city, local and county councils, population) in the conservation of tourist resources, the involvement of tourism agencies in the promotion of rural areas, the creation of brands for each tourist destination/region and the protection of cultural-historical heritage from degradation. Competitiveness, as a segment of sustainability, integrated in Romanian local communities, is necessary in order to offer tourists an unmistakable experience of the natural and anthropogenic tourism potential of destinations, to raise the population’s awareness, to preserve traditions, customs and habits and to practice tourism based on sustainability, awareness and without any pollution of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This study aims to highlight the image of Romania’s tourism competitiveness, which could support the tourism economy in the long term, by analysing the Global Tourism and Travel Competitiveness Index (TTCI) in Romania, compared to two other neighbouring countries, Bulgaria and Hungary. The Global Competitiveness Index provides an integrative picture of the main sub-indices that interfere in the formation of a country’s competitiveness, with insights on the 12 pillars that intervene in the sustainable development of tourist destinations worldwide. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Sustainable Rural Development through Tourism Strategies)

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21 pages, 363 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Generation Z Romanian Students’ Relation with Rural Tourism—An Exploratory Study

by Mihail Ovidiu Tănase, Puiu Nistoreanu, Răzvan Dina, Bogdan Georgescu, Virgil Nicula and Cosmin Nicolae Mirea

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8166; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108166 - 17 May 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2412

Abstract

The subject of generations and their differences has been intensely analyzed and debated. Each generation has its own characteristics, regardless of the element that differentiates them. Gen Z’s relationship with tourism has been approached in recent years from various perspectives by many scholars. For the current research, representative characteristics were identified as important for Gen Z: off-the-beaten-path locations and experiences. Off-the-beaten-path locations refer to small-scale destinations, under-tourism, local businesses, sustainability, and local traditions. All of the aspects mentioned before are typical of rural tourism. Experiences are introduced by various elements of rural attractiveness: material cultural heritage (MCH) and immaterial (ICH), the living human treasures program (LHT), wine tourism, products with a protected designation of origin (PDO), products with a protected geographical indication (PGI), culinary diversity, and other rural leisure facilities. Two purposes have been established: to identify the relationship between Gen Z and rural tourism and its components defined by cultural heritage and traditional gastronomy, and to construct a predictive model regarding Gen Z’s behavior when traveling to rural destinations. For this, we performed a quantitative investigation among university students from Romania using an online survey. Using 280 Gen Z respondents from 323 valid responses, we performed a direct logistic regression. The results showed that they value local gastronomy and unique attractions, which we can include in MCH. The price represents an important element when choosing an accommodation unit. Due to the constantly increasing share of Gen Z in the tourism market, destinations and tourism operators will have time to prepare and adapt to new realities. Transversal research will benefit from the opportunity to compare Gen Z’s preferences and changes over time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Sustainable Rural Development through Tourism Strategies)

23 pages, 1968 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Can We Talk about Smart Tourist Villages in Mărginimea Sibiului, Romania?

by George Moise, Agatha Popescu, Iulian Alexandru Bratu, Ion Răducuță, Bogdan Gabriel Nistoreanu and Mirela Stanciu

Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7475; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097475 - 02 May 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2176

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to evaluate some villages in the mountain area of Sibiu County, Romania, as “smart” tourist villages. The research was carried out in two stages: Stage 1 was collection of information on (a) food products registered in different national and international quality schemes and (b) the number of tourist structures by type, comfort category, and accommodation capacity. Stage 2 was a case study conducted among 32 rural tourism entrepreneurs from 3 villages in Mărginimea Sibiului, using a questionnaire with 22 items on the criteria for evaluation of “smart” villages. The answers were systematized, statistically processed, and interpreted. The main results are as follows: (a) Concerning products, producers, and gastronomic points (PGL) registered, there are 9 products in the quality scheme “mountain product”, 10 producers on the platform “Gusturisibiene”, 1 producer of “telemea de Sibiu”, a registered product with protected geographical indication, and 2 PGL. (b) The number of officially registered tourist structures is 93, of which 72% are agritourism guesthouses. (c) The results for the evaluation of villages as “smart” are that 78.2% of locals use the internet, 74% own at least one smart device, 60.16% of energy used is renewable. There are low values of water and air pollution; there are local job and business opportunities (93.75%); future local development activities will target agriculture with all its sectors and agritourism; public administrations have implemented 7 types of activities to increase the attractiveness of localities; and quality of life, services, and social life aspects are perceived to be at high standards. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Sustainable Rural Development through Tourism Strategies)

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22 pages, 1097 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Managing Sustainable Sharing Economy Platforms: A Stimulus–Organism–Response Based Structural Equation Modelling on an Emerging Market

by Dan-Cristian Dabija, Luiela Magdalena Csorba, Florin-Lucian Isac and Sergiu Rusu

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5583; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065583 - 22 Mar 2023

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 2785

Abstract

Due to the rising appeal of travel, as well as the appearance of low-cost carriers that fly to both popular and exotic destinations, people nowadays tend to book their accommodation through the more convenient and flexible sharing economy platforms. The success of such platforms among consumers depends on various factors, such as satisfaction and platform credibility, and on sustainable performance among contributors, increasing their relevance and visibility. This research proposes a conceptual model for measuring the success of sharing economy platforms in tourism, based on added value, unique experience, and enhanced social interactions, together with credibility and sustainable performance. In this vein, the authors conduct an empirical investigation in an emerging market—Romania—where the development of such sharing economy platforms is still in its infancy. Data gathered by the authors by means of a self-developed questionnaire distributed to 500 respondents are modelled via structural equations with SmartPLS. The results indicate that the platform credibility and sustainable performance of sharing economy platforms are key elements in generating their success. The research adds value to the stimulus–organism–response approach, highlighting some insights from a relevant emerging market, which in the future could become a turning point for inbound and outbound tourism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Sustainable Rural Development through Tourism Strategies)

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17 pages, 3555 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Using a Modified DANP-mV Model to Explore the Improvement Strategy for Sustainable Development of Rural Tourism

by Jin-Chun Huang, Jian Wang, Qiang Nong and Jin-Fei Xu

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2371; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032371 - 28 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1870

Abstract

Over the span of three decades, the development of rural tourism has substantially improved rural economies and the lives of rural residents; however, it has also negatively affected societies, cultures, and environments, which is not conducive to sustainable development. Motivated by the aim of meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, the balanced development of economic, social, cultural, and environmental factors in rural tourism can only be achieved by analyzing the current problems of rural tourism on the basis of an overall system. Therefore, this study developed an overall evaluation system for analyzing the sustainable development of rural tourism. This system contains an indicator framework for sustainable development of rural tourism and an analytical mechanism for an improvement strategy constructed using a modified DANP-mV model. In this study, the evaluation system was applied to the empirical case study of Yudong Village in China. The empirical case study results show that social sustainable development (D₂) is not the first priority for improvement, although it exhibits the largest gap. Instead, environmental sustainable development (D₄), which exhibits a smaller gap, should receive higher priority for improvement because it is the root cause of social sustainable development (D₂). The overall improvement strategy for Yudong Village should follow this path: environmental sustainable development (D₄) → social sustainable development (D₂) → economic sustainable development (D₁) → cultural sustainable development (D₃). In addition to demonstrating the effectiveness of the rural tourism sustainable development evaluation system, the empirical case study also demonstrated that the system is capable of identifying the root causes of rural-tourism-related sustainability problems and contributing to the formulation of improvement strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Sustainable Rural Development through Tourism Strategies)

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31 pages, 7374 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Capitalization of Tourist Resources in the Post-COVID-19 Period—Developing the Chorematic Method for Oltenia Tourist Destination, Romania

by Ionuț-Adrian Drăguleasa, Amalia Niță and Mirela Mazilu

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2018; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032018 - 20 Jan 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2526

Abstract

The paper aims at adapting the knowledge regarding the capitalization of tourist resources to the method of tourist choremas in the Oltenia region, Romania, thus creating a tool for planning and organizing the geographical space for sustainable development. The tourism choremas method uses the graphic and cartographic modelling of the territory of the South-West Oltenia region, and in a post-COVID-19 period it is important that the research can help in increasing the productivity in tourism, which can lead to higher incomes for managers in the tourism sector and for the locals from different rural/disadvantaged area of the region. GIS (Geographical Information Systems) represents a key element for the future development of tourism in the virtual environment, given the fact that many travellers use virtual electronic systems to see the tourist destination, surroundings, protected areas, accommodation, tourist routes, recreation and entertainment areas (zoos, hunting areas), etc. Choremes of the Oltenia region were created using ArcGIS 10.1 software, showing different entities and a series of attributes (descriptive elements) marked on the created maps as follows: elements of the natural environment (landforms altimetry, hydrographic network, lakes, national parks and reserves, waterfalls); man-made environment (roads, landmarks—churches, monasteries, museums); or conventional delimitations (county boundary, the boundaries of the two areas—Northern and Southern Oltenia). Four successive stages were conducted in order to create the choremes using the GIS software: (1) creating the database for the analysis of the studied destination; (2) processing the statistical data for Northern and Southern Oltenia; (3) the interpretation of the data obtained in correlation with the specialized literature on the capitalization of tourism resources and forms of tourism existing in the region; and (4) cartographic representation. The chorematic maps are represented at the scale of the geographical territory where the study analysis is carried out. The representation of physico-geographical elements, but also of touristic elements, was represented by lines, points and polygons, using the vector and raster spatial data model. The chorematic method proves to be innovative and up-to-date especially for the organization of the tourist space, for the sustainable development of the region and for the tourism research activity in the area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Sustainable Rural Development through Tourism Strategies)

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