claims that academic enquiry about rural
tourism dates from the 1950s, making reference to an early publication
by Ager (1958) which describes tourism in Alpine regions and
the advantages it can bring to farmers. Benefits include additional income,
job creation and a reduction in rural depopulation. Subsequent
studies in the 1960s and 1970s focused on positive economic impacts,
although attention was given to socio-cultural and environmental
outcomes. The mounting significance of rural tourism is reflected in
the dedication of a special issue of the Journal of Sustainable Tourism
to the topic in 1994 which was recalled by Sharpley and Roberts
(2004) a decade later. More recently, it has been observed that rural
tourism can be a catalyst for socio-economic development and
regeneration (Sharpley, 2000), especially valuable in places where
traditional agricultural activities are in decline (Cavaco, 1995;
Hoggart, Butler, & Black, 1995). In addition, rural tourism is promoted
as a preferred alternative to mass tourism in some instances