Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tourism industry and is particularly relevant
to the concept of sustainable development. The
National Tourism Development Plan (2003)
identifies the integration of tourism development
into the wider economic development strategy
and the need for the public sector to be active
participants in the dissemination of information
and training of providers of rural tourism ser-
vices. As in many developed and developing
countries, rural tourism has been recognized as
a vehicle for economic and social development
(Sharpley, 2002), providing opportunities for
revenue generation as well as employment.
Rural tourism development has become an issue
of major significance in Lithuania, a country in
which 20% of the inhabitants live in rural areas,
and where, as the agricultural industry becomes
selectively industrialized, there are few alter-
native opportunities to enhance the economy.
As emphasized by Wanhill (2005, p. 251):
This chapter presents three case studies of
sustainable coastal rural tourism development
in Lithuania which are contributing to the
diversification of rural activities in Lithuanian
coastal areas: Rusn
h
Island in the Nemunas
river delta adjacent to the Curonian lagoon,
Minija village in the Minija river delta - the
'Venice of Lithuania' - and Karkl
h
, a seaside
village situated north of Klaip
h
da on the Baltic
Sea coast. All three case studies were developed
through the first-hand experiences of staff from
the Department of Tourism and Recreation at
Klaip
h
da University investigating social and
economic changes since 1997 in the Lithuanian
coastal rural areas following the collapse of the
Soviet Union and its centrally planned economic
system. Through interviews with key stakeholders,
including relevant officials and local interest
groups, and interrogating Lithuanian govern-
ment tourism statistics and a range of reports
and policy documents, the chapter explores the
policy context for rural tourism development in
Lithuania, the 'triple-bottom-line' sustainability
of rural and water tourism developments in
Lithuania at a local community level, and the
conflict between social and economic develop-
ment on the one hand and environmental
issues on the other.
the spillover benefits of tourism in terms of
income and employment creation are well
known and, more than any other industry,
tourism deals with the use of natural and
cultural resources, which in outlying regions
are often their major asset.
Rural tourism offers important opportu-
nities for the diversification of rural activities in
Lithuania and has the added advantage of
providing a vehicle to ensure the ongoing con-
servation of Lithuania's globally significant, but
fragile ecosystems. Appropriately managed rural
tourism development offers the potential for
triple bottom line sustainability, i.e. a way of
balancing the economic, social and environ-
mental agendas. Rural tourism has experienced
rapid growth in Lithuania, as evidenced by the
number of officially registered rural tourism ser-
vice providers. However, demand still outstrips
supply. Such rapid growth raises questions
about the sustainability of Lithuania's rural
tourism development activities and in answer-
ing these questions it is important that 'both
positive and negative impacts are evaluated'
(Ap and Crompton, 1998, p. 120). Whilst 'triple-
bottom-line' sustainability is undeniably an
appropriate goal for tourism development the
question of whether such sustainable develop-
ment is anything more than a 'guiding fiction'
(McCool and Moisey, 2001, p. 3) is a more
debatable point.
Governance and Sustainable Rural
Tourism Development
Amongst tourism's potential contribution to
rural development, Hall
et al
. (2003) include:
regenerating local economies and improving
the quality of life; supplementing income gene-
ration for the farming, craft and service sectors;
countering isolation of social groups and remote
areas; re-evaluating heritage and other resources
and rural identity; assisting environmental,
economic and social sustainability policies and
helping to realize the economic value of key
elements of rural life - quality foods, scenery,
spaces and culture. However, Hall
et al
. (2003)
go on to caution the fragile nature of rural tourism
development, which may result in limited inward
investment, business start-ups and employment
generation because of its small scale, dispersed
nature and low return on investment, requires
skills for success, is often controlled by people
