A Typology of Hosts in Housing Tourism
187
2 (Re) Definition of Rural
European rural areas have been affected by a number of changes in their social
and economic structures resulting from contemporary phenomena such as urbanization, industrialization and technological evolution (Sharpley and Sharpley 1997).
These changes resulted in a loss of economic value in agriculture and forestry and
contributed to a divorce between the young generations and agricultural practice.
If it is undeniable that there are noticeable differences between rural and urban
areas, it isn’t less true that there are no universal criteria that are capable of distinguishing these two realities (Bote Gómez 2001 [1988]). For Baptista (2003), the
differentiation between urban and rural lies more in the criteria regarding the activity
performed by the population and the way in which it is divided into space than in
sensitive sociological disparities.
However, national governments use specific criteria to define rural areas. The
criteria used, according to Lane (1994), as cited in Roberts and Hall (2001) are based
on three main characteristics: population density and population size, economy and
land use, and the existence of traditional social structures.
With regard to the first criterion, if it is accepted that rural areas in Portugal
have reduced population densities (Baptista 2006) and villages which are relatively
small with a landscape dominated by a natural (Lima 2011), agricultural or forest
environment, it should be noted that these criteria do not apply in the same way in
all countries (e.g. China, India).
On the other hand, rural areas are generally distinguished by the hosting of traditional agricultural and forestry activities or even extractive activities, where there
is usually no place for natural resources processing. This circumstance conceals,
however, the emergence of new activities in the field of a post-industrial nature, such
as tourism, which has contributed to the “diversification of the economic base of
rural means” (Baptista 2003, p. 36).
Finally, regarding the traditional social structures and values, there is a widespread
perception among city dwellers that rural areas are likely to preserve those idiosyncrasies that are absent from contemporary urban societies. These traditional social
structures and values are based on a sense of community, the prevalence of local
instead of cosmopolitan cultures, a slower, more ‘natural’ pace, greater fusion with
nature, less materialism and a more upright way of life (Lane 1994; Roberts and Hall
2001).
In the specific case of Portugal, the rural space is perceived in two antagonistic
ways (Eusébio et al. 2017):
1. As an abandoned and disadvantaged space—due to the progressive loss of its
social and economic weight, precipitated by the ever less preponderance of
agriculture and by the conversion of several rural areas, formerly confined to
the production of food, into spaces for the consumption of tourist and leisure
activities.
2. An idyllic perspective, according to which rural areas are sought, because it is in
rural life that one can be in contact with the arcadia values (pastoral simplicity),
187
2 (Re) Definition of Rural
European rural areas have been affected by a number of changes in their social
and economic structures resulting from contemporary phenomena such as urbanization, industrialization and technological evolution (Sharpley and Sharpley 1997).
These changes resulted in a loss of economic value in agriculture and forestry and
contributed to a divorce between the young generations and agricultural practice.
If it is undeniable that there are noticeable differences between rural and urban
areas, it isn’t less true that there are no universal criteria that are capable of distinguishing these two realities (Bote Gómez 2001 [1988]). For Baptista (2003), the
differentiation between urban and rural lies more in the criteria regarding the activity
performed by the population and the way in which it is divided into space than in
sensitive sociological disparities.
However, national governments use specific criteria to define rural areas. The
criteria used, according to Lane (1994), as cited in Roberts and Hall (2001) are based
on three main characteristics: population density and population size, economy and
land use, and the existence of traditional social structures.
With regard to the first criterion, if it is accepted that rural areas in Portugal
have reduced population densities (Baptista 2006) and villages which are relatively
small with a landscape dominated by a natural (Lima 2011), agricultural or forest
environment, it should be noted that these criteria do not apply in the same way in
all countries (e.g. China, India).
On the other hand, rural areas are generally distinguished by the hosting of traditional agricultural and forestry activities or even extractive activities, where there
is usually no place for natural resources processing. This circumstance conceals,
however, the emergence of new activities in the field of a post-industrial nature, such
as tourism, which has contributed to the “diversification of the economic base of
rural means” (Baptista 2003, p. 36).
Finally, regarding the traditional social structures and values, there is a widespread
perception among city dwellers that rural areas are likely to preserve those idiosyncrasies that are absent from contemporary urban societies. These traditional social
structures and values are based on a sense of community, the prevalence of local
instead of cosmopolitan cultures, a slower, more ‘natural’ pace, greater fusion with
nature, less materialism and a more upright way of life (Lane 1994; Roberts and Hall
2001).
In the specific case of Portugal, the rural space is perceived in two antagonistic
ways (Eusébio et al. 2017):
1. As an abandoned and disadvantaged space—due to the progressive loss of its
social and economic weight, precipitated by the ever less preponderance of
agriculture and by the conversion of several rural areas, formerly confined to
the production of food, into spaces for the consumption of tourist and leisure
activities.
2. An idyllic perspective, according to which rural areas are sought, because it is in
rural life that one can be in contact with the arcadia values (pastoral simplicity),