Leaders' Perspectives on Rural Tourism: Case Studies in Pennsylvania

Abstract

For more than a decade, rural areas throughout the United States have experienced decline andsuffered difficult economic times. In response, many small and rural community economic developmentagencies have turned to rural tourism as a potential solution. This paper addresses responsesfrom local leaders to tourism and tourism development activities in four nonmetropolitan countiesin southern Pennsylvania. In each, perceptions of economic impacts, social change, local initiationand participation, and threats to rurality by a variety of tourism activities were examined using casestudy methodology. Findings suggest both positive and negative economic and social impacts wereanticipated, and that local support was essential to successful tourism development. Furthermore,the impacts and community change anticipated from tourism development were found to potentiallythreaten levels of rurality and the success of projects in these four counties.