The Importance of Tourism in Rural Development in Spain and Germany

Abstract

The objective of this chapter is to analyse the importance of tourism in rural development in Spain and Germany, focusing in particular on the regions of Andalusia and North Rhine-Westphalia, and the impact of the LEADER programme over almost three decades since its first implementation. We present some of the main conceptual and methodological obstacles that have complicated an in-depth assessment of this complex programme, which has been implemented to varying degrees across a very diverse rural Europe. Although for many years rural tourism has been one of the most strongly supported activities by LEADER and its LAGs, it could be argued that it has not lived up to its initial expectations for promoting rural development across large areas of Europe. Today, the main efforts in support of rural tourism are centred on improving the quality of the accommodation on offer and on using ICT to drive the recovery, conservation, management and promotion of the vast natural and cultural heritage in the rural areas with greatest difficulties.