Rural Tourism in UK Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

Rural Tourism in UK - Dissertation Example 1 Introduction 1.1 Background study Large-scale globalisation has led to widespread economic reframing, which has created an environment where local economies must necessarily adjust, for augmenting or maintaining the viability of their socio-economic conditions under the altered climate. Social and economic forces that are functioning at global levels ascertain both the type and and nature of rural regions and how they are used and valued (Butler, Hall, and Jenkins, 1998). These socioeconomic modifications along with new approaches and thoughts on recreation and leisure time activities are increasingly promoting rural tourism worldwide (Williams 1995). Developing areas not perceived favourably as tourist destinations, for rural tourism depends on two main factors. First, in some cases, tourist attraction may be slowly built-up by entrepreneurs through innovative businesses, like entertainment parks. Secondly, on some cases visitors may suddenly discover an area, generating a sudden increase in demand for recreation and leisure time activities, which gives the local entrepreneurs an opportunity to respond and develop their local area. However, development of rural tourism is not merely based on the concept of balancing local supply with tourist demand, but includes issues of sustainability, and evaluating the suitability and acceptability, as regards the local community, in view of developing the area as a tourist spot. There are various debates over defining the term rural tourism, and a review of the literature reveals that no consensus over the issue has been arrived yet (Pearce and Moscardo, 1985; Bramwell 1994). As Oppermann claimed, â€Å"there is not even a commonly accepted definition of what rural tourism is† (1996, pp. 86-87). This lack of consensus, as regards defining rural tourism, arises from the absence of a common standard used for measuring nature and type of rural tourism by different countries, worldwide. Therefore, rural tourism seen in various countries of the world, do not share any common characteristics. Observations also reveal that rural tourism does not necessarily pertain to only the typical rural form of activities, it can also be urban type situated in a rural area. Rural areas all over the world are experiencing intricate socioeconomic changes due to effect of globalisation, technology and communications that have altered the conditions for market operations and distributions for local and traditional items (Frochot, 2005). Besides this, owing to globalisation many of the rural areas have witnessed large-scale depopulation while others have experienced large-scale influx of immigrants or inflow of elderly people looking for retirement, or others looking for establishing innovative business types that may not be local or traditional in nature. Generally, rural tourism is associated with the form of tourism where rural culture is the chief element or the main component of