What are the opportunities for rural tourism from Europe?

Rural tourism perfectly suits the trend of European travellers seeking authentic, unique experiences and local lifestyles. European rural travellers want to experience natural, unspoiled landscapes and stay in authentic accommodation. Rural communities in developing countries often have great resources to offer such experiences. Cultural experiences and interaction with locals are increasingly popular, as well as agritourism and farm stays.

1. Product description

Rural tourism has many definitions. In this study, rural tourism refers to trips where the main motive is to enjoy:

• rural areas
• rural communities
• rural experiences.

Rural tourism aims to include and benefit rural communities, while preserving their environmental and cultural assets. It brings economic development to rural areas by creating additional income and employment. Tourism development can also improve the social wellbeing in rural areas, for example by stimulating improvements in infrastructure, sanitation and electricity networks.

It is closely related to:

• nature and eco tourism
• adventure tourism
• community-based tourism
• cultural and heritage tourism.

Rural travellers participate in activities, lifestyles and traditions of rural communities. This way they get a personalised experience of the countryside. They usually rent rural accommodation, which they can combine with (rural) activities and attractions, preferably using the local social, cultural and natural resources.

Examples of rural accommodation are a:

• campground or tent
• community lodge
• family-run guesthouse
• farm
• local family or homestay
• rural bed & breakfast or small hotel.

Common activities include:

• animal observation
• boat trips
• using cycling or walking trail
• horse riding
• tours (e.g. village, coffee, tea or wine tours)
• workshops (e.g. cooking or handicraft).

Popular attractions include:

• archaeological or heritage sites
• cultural centres or museums
• cultural, gastronomic, heritage and other routes/trails
• landscape sceneries or wildlife sanctuaries
• local agricultural or craft organisations
• markets.

Health and safety measures

Health and safety are important to European rural travellers. They often inquire about the safety of their destination. Vehicles and accommodation also have to be safe. Guides should have good local knowledge. They must know which places are safe to visit and which are not.

Political stability

Safety is important to European travellers, especially because some developing countries are politically unstable. Most commercial tour operators do not offer holidays to countries that their Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declared unsafe. This has previously led to a drop in tourism arrivals in countries such as Mali, Egypt and Kenya.

Rural experiences

Rural travellers are interested in authentic, rural experiences. They like places and activities that are entertaining as well as educational. These should reflect the unique character of the area, its rural qualities and its heritage.

Unspoiled landscapes and sustainability

The main reason for a rural holiday is to enjoy the quality of natural, unspoiled landscapes. This is often more important to rural travellers than the level of facilities.

Quality

European travellers are price-conscious. However, rural long-haul travellers are generally from higher socioeconomic groups. They are willing to pay more if they get a quality experience. Quality is generally more important to them than price. In this context, quality includes such things as authentic experiences, good organisation, hospitable staff, experienced guides and safety.

Authentic accommodation

Rural travellers are looking for a wide variety of accommodation types within a broad price range, from campsites to rural hotels. They like authentic, small-scale accommodation run by local people, preferably reflecting the authentic rural heritage of the area. Freedom and flexibility are also important, especially for families.

Recreational and soft adventure activities

Rural travellers like to participate in recreational activities such as walking and cycling. Other soft adventure activities are also becoming popular, such as horse riding or canoeing. Sleeping in a safari tent, for example, offers an authentic experience for families with children.

Accessibility

In rural areas, accessibility can be a challenge. There is often a lack of good roads and public transport. Unclear and inadequate signs are a common complaint from rural travellers. You need clear signposting at the start of a trail or route, as well as regular road signs, including a plan for checking and maintenance.

Traveller profile

Rural travellers are generally:

• highly educated
• well-travelled
• from higher socioeconomic groups.

They can roughly be divided into three main segments:

Older generations

Rural tourism is especially popular among Europe’s relatively large older age group of 50–70. They have more free time and money than other groups. Often their children have moved out, or they are entering retirement. These are usually experienced travellers that enjoy rural, quiet environments and look for new experiences. They want high value for money and are willing to pay more for authentic experiences. Older travellers generally seek higher levels of comfort than younger groups.

Younger travellers

Younger rural travellers are the second largest segment. They have often travelled as children and/or studied abroad. This group is interested in exploring new destinations further away. There are two groups of younger travellers.

High income, little time

These are young professionals with high incomes but limited time to travel. They are mostly between 31–44 years old and often travel in couples, although there is also a singles market in this age group. These travellers are looking for unusual “once in a lifetime” experiences and want to fit as much into their holiday as possible. Comfort is important to them. 

Smaller daily budgets, extensive time

This group is mostly between 18–30 years old and includes, for example, backpackers and gap year travellers. Their daily budgets are small but they travel over extended periods of time. These travellers choose cheaper accommodation. They want to engage with local communities and experience local life. Some are interested in volunteer work on community or conservation projects. However this so-called voluntourism also poses risks, for example to local children and wildlife.

Families

Family travel is a large, growing segment. It includes parents and grandparents with children or grandchildren, or sometimes several generations travelling together. Rural tourism is popular among families. In Germany, for example, families are one of the largest market segments for rural tourism. Families are becoming more quality-conscious and price-conscious. They want good facilities and wish to balance safety and fun. Families like rural holidays to combine fun and excitement with cultural enrichment and higher-end experiences.

For statistics on European source markets, see our study about European demand for tourism in developing countries.

3. What trends offer opportunities on the European market for rural tourism?

Cultural experiences and interaction with locals

European travellers increasingly include elements from the local culture in their holidays. They are looking for experiences, rather than going sightseeing. During these experiences, they like to interact with local people. Many developing countries have interesting rural areas with their own cultures and traditions. This offers opportunities for rural tourism providers.

Agritourism or farm stays

Agritourism and/or farm stays are increasingly popular. This is a good way for European travellers to experience and participate in local culture. They often combine their agritourism or farm stays with volunteering on and around the farm.

Increasing use of online research

European rural travellers increasingly research and plan their trip online. To gather information and share experiences they use:

• peer review sites, like TripAdvisor and Zoover
• travel forums, like Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree forum
• social media, like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Online research is a trend that has increased exponentially over the past years. Although growth has peaked, the use of internet to research tourism will continue to increase. It is predicted to remain the most important research channel for years to come.

For more information about trends, see our study about European tourism market trends.

4. What requirements should your rural travel product comply with to be allowed on the European market?

For general tourism requirements, see our study on what requirements your services should comply with to attract European tourists.

There are some voluntary safety standards for where rural tourism meets adventure tourism.

Voluntary adventure tourism safety standards

For more adventurous rural experiences, three ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standards support safe adventure practices: 21101, 21102 and 21103. Additionally, some countries have their own voluntary standards, such as BS 8848 in the United Kingdom.

5. What competition do you face on the European market?

According to industry experts, popular rural tourism destinations include:

• Bolivia
• Cabo Verde
• Indonesia
• Laos
• South Africa
• Tanzania.

6. Which channels can you use to market your rural tourism products in Europe?

Selecting smaller specialised tour operators

Smaller European tour operators specialised in your destination or in rural, nature, eco or community-based tourism offer the best opportunities.

You can identify relevant tour operators via trade associations, events and databases, such as:

• Agriterra – supports farmer organisations in developing countries, for instance in developing rural tourism
• ECTAA – national associations of travel agents and tour operators per European country
• European Alliance for Responsible Tourism and Hospitality (EARTH) – European network of member and partner organisations in responsible tourism
• ITB – annual tourism trade event, March, Berlin
• The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) – global network of ecotourism professionals and travellers that organises the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (search for members)
• World Travel Market – annual tourism trade event, November, London.

Generating direct sales

European rural travellers increasingly book their holidays directly with service providers at the destination. To increase your chances of direct sales you can promote your product on rural tourism websites/portals, such as All Rural and Responsible Travel. Also consider developing your own national or regional rural tourism portal.

7. What are the end-market prices for rural tourism products?

Travellers have many destinations and types of holiday to choose from. This makes tourism a relatively price-sensitive and competitive industry. The price of a long-haul trip consists of three dimensions:

1. The exchange rate between the currencies of the country of origin and the destination country.
2. The costs of transport to and from the destination country.
3. The price of goods and services the traveller consumes in the destination country.

European tour operators are not open about the purchasing prices of their tourism products. According to industry experts, their margins vary between 10–25%. Prices of holiday packages vary widely as they depend on a lot of factors, such as:

• availability
• destination
• modes of transport
• period of travel
• number of travellers
• length of stay
• type of accommodation
• included activities.

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