Rural Tourism and Its Contribution to Sustainable …
159
2 Leisure, Rural Tourism and Sustainability Relationship
The term ‘leisure service’ is a much-discussed theme and can be viewed from various
angles. To define this term is a very difficult task. It usually depends on a consumer
perspective; it is often a subjective evaluation of services. A lot of definitions agree
with the fact that leisure is the ability to satisfy the consumer needs of free time
available for recreation (UNWTO 2014). Leisure is directly related to tourism, as
rural tourism can be defined as outdoor activities that take place in a natural setting,
as opposed to a highly cultivated or managed landscape such as a playing field or golf
course. This term is typically applied to outdoor activities that individuals engage in
and that are located close to their community. When these activities are further away,
and people must travel some distance to participate in them, they are often described
as adventure tourism.
Another term that is used, one that overlaps with the definitions of leisure and
recreation, is nature-based tourism, which refers to “those tourism experiences that
are directly or indirectly dependent on the natural environment” (UNWTO 2014).
Rural tourism is seen as environmentally friendly and permanently sustainable. Rural
tourism is based on the need for getting closer to nature. This type of tourism is an
important economic resource for the destination. It entails not only financial benefits,
but also creates new jobs and restores and maintains the local traditions.
Sharpley and Sharpley (1997) elaborated the term as an area that is located away
from big cities. The area is also characterised by small villages, a low density of
population, and an economy that is based on agriculture and traditions. They define
rural tourist destinations as destinations with a low density of population, where
soil is used for agriculture and people follow traditions. All these definitions are
constructed on the same parameters.
Notions of sustainability have been prevalent in the academic literature for more
than three decades. This special issue of Leisure gives voice to a group of leisure
scholars who have engaged in the sustainability conversation from their perspectives,
problematising a number of concepts, including those related to society, the economy,
politics and the environment. They have considered how these concepts inform one
another, and how leisure may contribute to or detract from efforts to ensure social
and environmental sustainability.
One highly cited definition of sustainability focuses on sustainable development
and is defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This definition
raises the issues of the needs of the world’s poorest and vulnerable populations, and
that social and technological expansion must contend with not only current, but also
future environmental carrying capacity. The United Nations during the UN Decade
on Education for Sustainable Development (UNESCO 2005) recognized the critical
role that universities and academic researchers need to play in preparing students
for a socially and environmentally sustainable future. It recognizes that traditional
teaching methods that prioritise linear thinking and discrete disciplinary boundaries
159
2 Leisure, Rural Tourism and Sustainability Relationship
The term ‘leisure service’ is a much-discussed theme and can be viewed from various
angles. To define this term is a very difficult task. It usually depends on a consumer
perspective; it is often a subjective evaluation of services. A lot of definitions agree
with the fact that leisure is the ability to satisfy the consumer needs of free time
available for recreation (UNWTO 2014). Leisure is directly related to tourism, as
rural tourism can be defined as outdoor activities that take place in a natural setting,
as opposed to a highly cultivated or managed landscape such as a playing field or golf
course. This term is typically applied to outdoor activities that individuals engage in
and that are located close to their community. When these activities are further away,
and people must travel some distance to participate in them, they are often described
as adventure tourism.
Another term that is used, one that overlaps with the definitions of leisure and
recreation, is nature-based tourism, which refers to “those tourism experiences that
are directly or indirectly dependent on the natural environment” (UNWTO 2014).
Rural tourism is seen as environmentally friendly and permanently sustainable. Rural
tourism is based on the need for getting closer to nature. This type of tourism is an
important economic resource for the destination. It entails not only financial benefits,
but also creates new jobs and restores and maintains the local traditions.
Sharpley and Sharpley (1997) elaborated the term as an area that is located away
from big cities. The area is also characterised by small villages, a low density of
population, and an economy that is based on agriculture and traditions. They define
rural tourist destinations as destinations with a low density of population, where
soil is used for agriculture and people follow traditions. All these definitions are
constructed on the same parameters.
Notions of sustainability have been prevalent in the academic literature for more
than three decades. This special issue of Leisure gives voice to a group of leisure
scholars who have engaged in the sustainability conversation from their perspectives,
problematising a number of concepts, including those related to society, the economy,
politics and the environment. They have considered how these concepts inform one
another, and how leisure may contribute to or detract from efforts to ensure social
and environmental sustainability.
One highly cited definition of sustainability focuses on sustainable development
and is defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This definition
raises the issues of the needs of the world’s poorest and vulnerable populations, and
that social and technological expansion must contend with not only current, but also
future environmental carrying capacity. The United Nations during the UN Decade
on Education for Sustainable Development (UNESCO 2005) recognized the critical
role that universities and academic researchers need to play in preparing students
for a socially and environmentally sustainable future. It recognizes that traditional
teaching methods that prioritise linear thinking and discrete disciplinary boundaries