BML313: Rural Tourism Dr Andy Clegg
Module Learning Outcomes Aims § To iden(fy and define the rural tourism product/experience § To highlight the value of rural tourism § To cri(cally examine the defini(ons and representa(ons of
the ‘rural’ and ‘rurality’
§ To cri(cally examine the wider rural social and economic
context within which increasing demands for recrea(on and tourism are taking place
Module Assessment Aims § The assessment for this module will consist of: § Group presenta(on of grant applica(on (40%) § Podcast (60%)
Rural Tourism: Defini<ons and Constructs BAM313: Rural Tourism
Learning Outcomes Aims § To iden(fy and define the rural tourism product/experience § To highlight the value of rural tourism § To cri(cally examine the defini(ons and representa(ons of the
‘rural’ and ‘rurality’
§ To cri(cally examine the wider rural social and economic
context within which increasing demands for recrea(on and tourism are taking place
Understanding Rural Tourism Key Ques<ons? § What are the key experien(al elements of rural tourism? § How do we define rural tourism/countryside? § Is rural tourism a dis(nc(ve form of tourism produc(on and
consump(on?
§ To what extent does the countryside possess social and
cultural significance? § Is rural tourism simply one sector of the tourism market or
does it represent a different set of principles for the planning and development of tourism?
Rural Tourism Ac:vity 1: a) What is the rural tourism experience?
Defining Rural Tourism The Rural Tourism Experience
Rural Tourism Ac:vity 2: a) How do you define rural tourism?
Rural Tourism What is rural tourism? § A highly diverse product:
Farm tourism which is deeply embedded in the ‘tradi(onal countryside’ to
Hotels/aNrac(ons which are located in rural areas because of the advantages of loca(on rather than inherent characteris(cs of the rural area itself
Rural Tourism What is rural tourism? § What is the meaning of ‘the rural’ to
par:cipants in rural tourism?
§ A permissive space for space-‐
extensive ac(vi(es § The site of par(cular non-‐
embedded ac(vi(es
§ A series of places with deeply
aNached socially-‐constructed values
Rural Tourism What is rural tourism? § What is the meaning of ‘the rural’ to
par:cipants in rural tourism?
§ A permissive space for space-‐
extensive ac(vi(es § The site of par(cular non-‐
embedded ac(vi(es
§ A series of places with deeply
aNached socially-‐constructed values
Defining Rural Tourism Terms Describing Forms of Rural Tourism § Agri/agrotourism § Farm Tourism § Wilderness and Forest Tourism § Green / Sustainable Tourism § Ecotourism/Nature-‐Based Tourism § Geotourism
Defining Rural Tourism Characteris<cs of Rural Tourism § Lane (1994) § Located in rural areas § Func(onally rural built on aspects of small-‐scale enterprise,
open space, heritage, ‘tradi(onal’ socie(es and ‘tradi(onal’ prac(ces
§ Rural in scale § Tradi(onal in character § Represents the complex paNerns of rural environments
therefore no uniform type
Defining Rural Tourism Key Considera<ons in Defining Rural Tourism § Holiday type § Intensity of use § Loca(on § Style of management § Integra(on with the local community
Defining Rural Tourism Lane (1994): Key Considera<ons § Urban or resort based tourism is not confined to urban
areas but spills out into rural areas
§ Rural areas themselves are difficult to define § Not all tourism taking place in rural areas is strictly
‘rural’: they can be urban in form located in a rural area
§ Tourism has an urbanising influence on the countryside
Defining Rural Tourism Lane (1994): Key Considera<ons § Different forms of tourism have developed in different
regions
§ There is no longer a clear division between urban and
rural § Rural tourism is a complex mul(-‐faceted ac(vity
Defining Rural Tourism The Urban-‐Rural Con<nuum § There may be ‘no sharp discon(nuity between urban and rural
resources for recrea(on, but rather a complete con(nuum from local park to remote mountain peak’ [Patmore, 1983, p. 122]
§ ‘there is nothing inherent in any part of the countryside that
makes it a recrea(onal resource [Shaw and Williams, 1994, p. 223]
Defining Rural Tourism The Urban-‐Rural Con<nuum § The con:nuum may also reflect tourism demand: § Strong day visitor trade in the accessible urban fringe,
whereas more peripheral areas may aNract lower levels of visita(on, but offer more opportuni(es for more tradi(onal rural tourism ac(vi(es § The con:nuum also reflects that there is no one single
‘countryside’ or ‘rural space’
Defining Rural Tourism The Urban-‐Rural Con<nuum § ‘classifying tourism and recrea(onal environments for their
uses and for specific reasons and purposes [is] meaningless if they are part of no more than a simple con(nuum of recrea(onal and tourism resources’ [Hall and Page, 1999, p. 182]
§ ‘therefore rural tourism as a dis(nc(ve, iden(fiable form of
tourism is also a rela(vely meaningless term’ [Sharpley, 2004, p. 377]
Defining Rural Tourism Rural Tourism Spectrum
Defining the Rural No simple defini<on of rurality exists !! § Clout (1972, p. 1) § ‘The study of recent social, economic, land-‐use, and spa(al
changes that have taken place in less-‐densely populated areas which are commonly recognised by the virtue of their visual components as countryside’ § Newby (1986, p. 209) § ‘There is now...a general awareness that what cons(tutes
‘rural’ is wholly a maNer of convenience’
Defining the Rural No simple defini<on of rurality exists !! § Cloke and Milbourne (1992, p. 360): § ‘there is no longer one single rural space, but rather a
mul(plicity of social spaces that overlap the same geographical area’ § Pra[ (1996, p. 71) § ‘there are many rurals...a mul(plicity of means to the term
rurality’
Defining the Rural No simple defini<on of rurality exists !! § Hoggart (1990) § ‘a chao%c concept which is contested in terms of
iden(fying the defining parameters of rural space’
Defining the Rural OECD (1993), What Future for Our Countryside § ‘Rural areas comprise the people, land and other resources, in
the open country and small seNlements outside the immediate economic influence of major urban centres. Rural is a territorial or spa(al concept. It is not restricted to any par(cular use of land, degree of economic health or economic sector’
Defining the Rural -‐ Approaches Criteria based on % employment in agriculture and forestry § Limita:ons: § Restructuring of rural economies, the % employed in
primary industries has fallen (against a rise in the service sector) § In rela(on to tourism, it not the figures that are important
but the comparison between the tourist’s home (and usually urban environment) and the characteris(cs of the des(na(on that mark it as rural
§ A major aNrac(on of rural areas is the sense of space and
lack of urban development
Defining the Rural -‐ Approaches Descrip%ve Defini%ons § Defini(ons relate to a specialist use and not a general
measure of rurality -‐ geared to academic and planning purposes: § Sta(s(cal defini(ons -‐ socio-‐economic studies § Administra(ve defini(ons -‐ poli%cal studies § Agricultural defini(ons -‐ landuse and social rela%on
studies § Popula(on density defini(ons -‐ service provision studies
Defining the Rural Descrip%ve Defini%ons § Fi^ng a defini(on to what we intui(vely believe to be rural § Research tools for ar(cula(ng aspects of the rural rather than
the means of defining the rural
Defining the Rural The Rural as Locality § Rural areas must be defined according to those characteris(cs
which make them rural
§ Hoggart (1990): the term ‘rural’ lacks explanatory power: § the ruralisa(on of industry refers to the movement to low
wages areas (urban or rural) rather than a movement to rural areas per se
§ ‘do away with the rural’ and avoid generalisa(ons between
urban and rural’
Defining the Rural The Rural as Locality § Give greater considera(on to the characteris(cs of the locality
and the processes crea(ng evident structures and rela(onships
§ A sa(sfactory defini(on will depend on: § The presence of significant societal structures opera(ng
unambiguously at the local level
§ That these local level structures enable us to make a clear
dis(nc(on between what can be termed ‘rural and ‘urban environment’
Defining the Rural The Rural as Social Representa%on § The expression and percep(on of the rural: § Halfacree (1993): ‘words and concepts understood
and used by people in everyday talk’ § The aNrac(on of the countryside goes beyond the tangible
and relates to a more abstract concept and socially constructed images (cogni(ve structures) molded by contemporary media/society
§ ‘Material space’ divorced from rural locality through rural
social representa(on -‐ ‘chocolate box countryside’
Defining the Rural The Rural as Social Representa%on § Scale: § Na%onally: rural areas are seen
as tranquil havens
Defining the Rural The Rural as Social Representa%on § Scale: § Regionally: increasing
commodifica(on by television and tourism
Defining the Rural The Rural as Social Representa%on § Scale: § Locally: conflict between
different groups and where the dominant meanings of rural are nego(ated
Defining the Rural The Rural as Social Representa%on § Scale: § Locally: conflict between
different groups and where the dominant meanings of rural are nego(ated
Defining the Rural The Rural as Social Representa%on § The ‘quintessen(al’ view of
the Bri(sh countryside is fundamental to peoples’ percep(ons of rural areas
Defining the Rural Rurality and Post-‐Produc%vism § Transi(on to a Post-‐Produc%vist Countryside
Defining the Rural Rurality and Post-‐Produc%vism § Transi(on to a Post-‐Produc%vist Countryside
What does post-‐produc:vist mean?
Defining the Rural Rurality and Post-‐Produc%vism § Transi(on to a Post-‐Produc%vist Countryside § Agriculture remains the principal land use in rural areas, but
loses its dominant posi(on in rela(on to: § The rural economy § Local society and poli(cs
Defining the Rural Rurality and Post-‐Produc%vism § Post-‐Produc(vism is characterised by: § Diversifica(on, pluriac(vity § Environmental sensi(vity § Divergence within farming
Defining the Rural Rurality and Post-‐Produc%vism § The crea(on of a more heterogeneous countryside, in terms
of:
§ Land use § Social composi(on § Economic ac(vity § Modes of regula(on; and § Place representa(on (marke(ng/branding)
The Restructuring of Rural Communi<es § The Restructuring of Tradi%onal Rural Communi%es § ‘social structures in the countryside may be typified by a
variety of characteris(cs including a sense of community, simple economies, local rather than cosmopolitan cultures and a way of life that is somehow slower, less materialis(c and more complete than in urban socie(es’ [Sharpley and Sharpley, 1997, p. 15]
Counterurbanisa<on § Robinson (1990): § ‘Growth in remoter rural areas’
Counterurbanisa<on § Robinson (1990): § ‘Growth in remoter rural areas’
What has caused this growth?
Counterurbanisa<on § Robinson (1990): § ‘Growth in remoter rural areas’
§ Lewis (1998): Four Common Factors: § Growth was occurring at progressively lower levels of the
urban hierarchy § Popula(on increase was spreading through extended suburbanisa(on § Buoyant rates of growth were being recorded outside metropolitan areas, especially in remoter rural areas § Popula(on was shijing from tradi(onal urban industrial areas towards loca(ons more favoured in environmental terms
Counterurbanisa<on § Expansion of commu(ng fields § The emergence of scale diseconomies and
social problems in large ci(es
§ Deconcentra(on theory § The concentra(on of rural popula(on into
local urban centres
§ The availability of government subsidies
for rural ac(vi(es/success of spa(al policies
§ The growth of employment in par(cular
localised industries
§ Restructuring of industry and associated
branch plants
§ Improvements in transport and
communica(ons technology
§ The improvement of educa(on, health
and infrastructure in rural areas
§ The accelera(on of re(rement migra(on § The change in residen(al preferences of
working-‐age people and entrepreneurs
§ Changes in age structure, household size
and composi(on
§ Housing availability and choice § Behavioural perspec(ves -‐ ‘to get out of
the rat-‐race’
§ Environmental considera(ons
Counterurbanisa<on § Robinson (1990): § ‘The reasons for this reversal are so mul(faceted that any
aNempt to apply a single explana(on to the widely diverse changes in different regions would be unduly simplis(c’
Impacts of Counterurbanisa<on § Gentrifica<on and Polarisa<on § Newby (1979): §
‘A village within a village, suspicious of and resistant to social contact with the commuters and second home owners, who now contribute a high propor(on of the popula(on’
§ LiNle (1987): §
‘processes have led in extreme cases to the gentrifica(on of villages and the almost wholesale replacement of one popula(on by another’
Impacts of Counterurbanisa<on § Re<rement Migra<on or Geriafic<on § Champion (1990): §
‘Never before has there been such a large and healthy popula(on of older people, who are free to sell their houses in metropolitan suburbs and choose where to purchase a new home’
§ Such changes stand in contrast to the ojen idealised and
stereotypical percep(on of social structures in rural areas § Impacts of rural communi(es (e.g. second home
ownership/impacts on rural service provision)
Restructuring of Rural Economies § Restructuring of Agriculture § The restructuring of rural capital/farm diversifica(on § Con(nuing debate and Reform of the Common Agricultural
Policy (CAP) § Foot and Mouth
§ The Restructuring of the Rural Economy/Rural Regenera%on § Growth in manufacturing and service sector employment
Defining Rural Tourism § Summary § Rural tourism can be defined both conceptually, as a state of
mind, and technically, according to ac(vi(es, des(na(ons, and other measureable, tangible characteris(cs
§ Rurality refers both to the iden(fiable characteris(cs of rural
areas and the cultural meaning aNached to rural areas and is of fundamental importance to the demand for, and supply of, rural tourism
§ A special feature of the countryside is rurality and ‘if rurality
in its many manifesta(ons is a unique selling point, then great care must be taken to maintain rurality’ [Lane, 1994]
Defining Rural Tourism § Summary § The poli(cal, economic and social structures of rural areas are
becoming increasingly urban in nature
§ The countryside is becoming less of a place of produc(on and
more the object of consump(on therefore crea(ng new tensions (e.g. agriculture and consump(on/ development and landscapes)
§ ‘The countryside that tourists which to consume is a...socially
constructed concept...a rural utopia where visitors may escape from the present into an ‘authen(c, nostalgic past’ -‐ which bears liNle resemblance to the reality of a dynamic countryside’ [Sharpley, 2004, p. 377]
Learning Outcomes By the end of this session, you should be able to: § Iden(fy and define the rural tourism product/experience § Highlight the value of rural tourism § Cri(cally discuss defini(ons and representa(ons of the ‘rural’
and ‘rurality’
§ Cri(cally evaluate the development of rural tourism in the
context of wider social and economic changes occurring in the countryside