Tourism and Regional Development Issues - Tourism and Development: Concepts and Issues - page 164

in Europe of vacation farms and countries such as Australia and New Zealand
have experienced growth in this sector (Weaver & Fennell, 1997). In terms
of social benefits, local transport and health care may be maintained and
there may be a revitalisation of local customs, crafts and cultural identities.
As rural tourism relies on the natural environment, the industry may be a
stimulus for conservation. As with any type of tourism, there are associated
costs, which are in relation to the importance of the industry, volume of
tourists and the resiliency of the local community (Sharpley & Sharpley,
1997). Rural tourism may result in increases in the price of land and goods.
In the Muskoka Region, north of Toronto, Ontario, the land values for cot-
tages have surpassed the levels at which many locals can afford. Jobs created
may also be seasonal and outsiders may control many of the tourism busi-
nesses. The dependency on a business of which they have little control, may
also cause difficulties for the local community. Congestion and crowding,
which impinge on the daily life of local residents and the replacement of
traditional shops with souvenir shops can have a negative effect on resident
attitudes towards tourism development. The evolution of turning rural
towns and their heritage-scapes into leisure-scapes of mass consumption has
been studied in the context of creative destruction (Halpern & Mitchell,
2011). As communities go through three stages of destruction (early, advanced
and post-destruction), the scale and nature of the development is designed to
appeal to a mass tourist market resulting in significant challenges for the
initial local inhabitants (Halpern & Mitchell, 2011).
Butler and Clark (cited in Page & Getz, 1997) warn that rural tourism may
not be the magic solution with its income leakages, volatility, low pay,
imported labour and conservative investors. They argue that the least favourite
circumstance in which to promote rural tourism is when the economy is weak,
since tourism will further create highly unbalanced income and employment
distributions. Hall and Jenkins (1998) also warn that while tourism can diver-
sify and therefore stabilise a local economy by creating jobs, business opportu-
nities, incomes and an increased tax base, rural communities are often faced
with limited resources, over-extended leaders and volunteers, and they are
forced to compete with other rural areas that are also developing tourism.
Many countries and regions have developed rural policies which have
either directly or indirectly had an impact on rural tourism. In the EU, the
Common Agricultural Policy and its subsequent reforms have indirectly had
an effect on rural tourism. Within the policy there has been a reduction in
the amount of subsidies provided to farmers, some farmers have taken land
out of production and others have been given incentives for early retirement.
The end result being that a large amount of rural land is available for other
uses. The LEADER programme (Liaisons Entre Actions pour la Dévelop-
pement des Économies Rurale) of the EU has particular interest for tourism
as it is intended to promote an integrated approach to rural development
with emphasis on local support and involvement. Local Action Groups are