Tourism in Rural Protected Areas : Trends and Opportunities in Southern Africa

Despite its potential to unlock socio-economic benefits in rural and protected areas in a manner that addresses the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), rural and protected areas tourism is yet to be thoroughly examined by academics, scholars, practitioners, and policymakers. This lack of exploration has undermined the potential benefits associated with tourism development in rural and protected areas. This unfortunate circumstance has led to the progression of this tourism typology. Given the complexity of rural tourism, this book delves into current and future debates on the subject. The book examines past debates and explores current thematic developments in this field to inform tourism policy and practices in rural and protected areas. The book is essential for various audiences, including tourism academics, planners, cultural and heritage practitioners, and rural development planners. The topics covered include gender, transformation, service delivery, visitor experience, wildlife tourism, and host-community tourism interaction.