Toward Integrative Tourism Planning in Rural America

Abstract

There is a need to develop planningframeworks that address tourism development within the broader context of community or regional development goals in rural areas of the United States. An integrative approach is one such framework that entails careful assessment of economic, social, and environmental impacts of tourism relative to other development strategies. This review takes a historical perspective of rural tourism planning progress. Core concepts of an integrative approach are collaborative planning with the affected stakeholders and the assessment of specific planning issues that foster integration of tourism with overall regional development. The application of more integrativeframeworks allows planners to improve the manner in which rural tourism development occurs.