UNWTO identifies priorities for rural tourism development

29-05-23

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has launched a new report which provides an overview of the situation of rural tourism in its Member States and identifies the main challenges and opportunities for tourism as a driver of rural development, from a policy perspective.

"Tourism and Rural Development: A Policy Perspective - Results of the UNWTO Survey on Tourism for Rural Development to Member States", the first UNWTO reference document on tourism and rural development, has been produced with the participation of Member States from around the world.

Main findings: rural tourism is an opportunity

• More than half of the Member States (59%) state that rural tourism is a priority.

• Almost all Member States (96%) foresee a better future for rural tourism in the coming years.

• Creating new jobs, improving livelihoods and combating depopulation were the most frequently cited opportunities brought by tourism to rural areas.

• Member States also identified the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage and the protection of the environment among the greatest potential benefits of rural tourism.

Main challenges in rural areas

The UNWTO research also identified three main challenges associated with realising the potential of tourism for rural development:

• The "infrastructure deficit" in rural areas, as deficiencies in roads, ports, airports and other infrastructure enabling access to rural areas still pose a challenge for the countries surveyed;

• Rural depopulation, as well as seasonality and competitiveness of products add to this challenge, and increase the instability of rural enterprises, which prevents the retention of population and human resources;

• Lack of education, training and skills development, as well as poor capacity to attract and retain professional talent.

Other challenges mentioned are difficulties in accessing financial systems, restrictions in the creation of innovative tourism products in rural areas, management of knowledge and of the effects of natural resource degradation, limitations in data management and digitalisation.

UNWTO: boosting tourism for the achievement of the SDGs

In terms of how tourism can contribute to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNWTO Member States highlighted the potential of rural tourism to contribute to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality).

The report, which was presented during the 118th session of the UNWTO Executive Council in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, is part of the work carried out under the UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Programme. This programme was created with the purpose of promoting initiatives and programmes that favour the growth of the sector both in scope and importance, and to monitor this growth in destinations around the world.