Host–guest relationships in rural tourism: evidence from two Portuguese villages

Abstract

Rural tourism is receiving increasing interest, but not all areas have the same tourism potential, whereas evidence also reveals negative impacts on tourism. It is therefore important to analyse the tourism phenomenon at the local scale and understand a most important dimension of the rural tourism experience – social interaction. This is sought and appreciated, for distinct reasons, by both tourists and local communities, but little is still known about concrete interactions taking place, how these are interpreted, and may become more satisfactory for all involved. These questions are discussed based on results of an in-depth, qualitative approach on rural tourism in two Portuguese villages, comparing perspectives of hosts and guests, as well as of two distinct destination realities.