Virtual World Rural Tourism Sustainable Development Conference 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to focus the many vulnerabilities of the travel and tourism industry, particularly highlighting the strong correlation between rural tourism and sustainable development. The shift in travel behaviour towards rural tourism has created new opportunities for tourism stakeholders to rethink development in a way that is more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient.

By emphasising rural tourism and sustainable development, the industry can help ensure a fairer distribution of the benefits from tourism, including job creation, the protection of natural resources, infrastructure development and the empowerment of local communities. This in turn will allow rural areas to become more accessible and provide a higher quality of life for local communities and the overall destination.