Tourism can offer rural residents business opportunities in activities that cater to the tourist trade.
Such locally-operated businesses, which may be seasonal, can provide local residents with
valuable opportunities to develop business skills and can give local crafters, farmers, and food
processors, among others, outlets to sell their products to local retail establishments. Farmers
growing fresh produce can take advantage of tourism to establish direct marketing channels for8
ready-to-eat products, which may also serve as outlets for processed foods such as jams, jellies,
breads, and preserves.
Heritage tourism refers to leisure travel that has as its primary purpose the experiencing of places
and activities that represent the past. A principal concern of heritage tourism is historical
authenticity and long-term sustainability of the attraction visited. Active local involvement is
also typically a key component of successful heritage tourism endeavors. Baldwin’s (1994)
study of a local heritage festival in northeastern Tennessee represents a good example of a
successful heritage tourism program that fostered community involvement in an economically
underdeveloped rural community. A different heritage tourism focus is provided by DeLyser’s
(1995) article on ghost towns, which emphasizes that such towns in the West may have rich
histories that can be attractive to potential tourists
A second major type of rural tourism activity is nature-based tourism/ecotourism (sometimes
called recreation-based tourism), which refers to the process of visiting natural areas for the
purpose of enjoying the scenery, including plant and animal wildlife. Nature-based tourism may
be either passive, in which observers tend to be strictly observers of nature, or active
adventure travel activities. McDaniel’s (2001) article of southwestern Virginia, which highlights
the tourism potential of the region’s scenic and abundant recreational activities, is a
representative example. Guglielmino (1998) cautions that although ecotourism represents a
viable economic development strategy for rural areas with natural resources, even successful
ventures require patience for local communities. Also, as noted by King and Stewart (1996),
undertaking ecotourism, unless managed carefully, can sometimes pit people against local
natural resources. This suggests a strong need for pursuing sustainable development in
ecotourism activities, as suggested by Lash (1998), who argues that the needs of the local
community, visitors, and the environment can best be met through a synergistic approach
between development and the environment that will not degrade the resource base
A third major form of tourism is agritourism, which refers to, “the act of visiting a working farm
or any agricultural, horticultural or agribusiness operation for the purpose of enjoyment,
education, or active involvement in the activities of the farm or operation” (Lobo, 2001). It
includes taking part in a broad range of farm-based activities, including farmers’ markets,
“petting” farms, roadside stands, and “pick-your-own” operations; engaging in overnight farm or
Paquetes en Peru
Peru destinations
Cusco Tours
ranch stays and other farm visits; and visiting agriculture-related festivals, museums, and other
such attractions. (See Dane (2001b) for a discussion of agritourism, including a listing of some
examples of this type of tourism.) Hilchey’s (1993a) publication provides a detailed discussion
of various farm-based tourism enterprises available to farmers in New York State. He notes that
long-term trends in consumer demand for tourism and recreation suggest that agritourism
enterprises can help provide an important niche market for farmers throughout the Nation.
Hilchey (1993b) also notes that three factors are often the key to successful agritouris
