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2020-1053 IJOI
http://www.ijoi-online.org/
CONSTRUCTING INTEGRATED RURAL TOURISM INNOVATION
DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS
Ping-Tsan Ho*
Assistant Professor, Department of Leisure and Sports,
College of Life and Creativity, Cheng Shiu University, Taiwan
*Corresponding Author: k0630@csu.edu.tw
Chun-Te Lee
Associate Professor, Department of Leisure and Sports,
College of Life and Creativity, Cheng Shiu University, Taiwan
Abstract
This study is based on the principle of tourism supply and demand to integrate the
concept of integrated rural tourism and destination branding. This study has the fol-
lowing purposes: 1) to explore the relationship between integrated rural tourism, ru-
ral capital and destination branding, 2) to analyze and evaluate the rural tourism in-
novation development and its integrated indicators, and 3) to construct and analyze
integrated rural tourism innovation development indicators in Taiwanese context.
Delphi method and Analytic Hierarchy Process are used to construct an integrated
rural tourism development indicator structure. The obtained indicator structure has a
total of 4 subsystems, 12 dimensions, and 52 indicators. The weight of subsystem is
0.37 for rural destination branding, 0.288 for rural tourism sustainability, 0.173 for
rural tourism capital, and 0.169 for rural tourism networking. The research findings
draw the following conclusions. First, the evaluative indicators were established
based on the concept of holistic rural development, and the finding suggested that
building stakeholders’ mutual interest and interaction is important. Second, destina-
tion branding strengthens the foundation of integrated development, in turn increas-
ing destination identity and respectfulness of the destination. Finally, a rurality of
evaluative indicators used in a rural context can discriminate them from other indi-
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cators. This study suggests future research can take a comparative study with other
region or explore dimensions from different stakeholders’ perspectives.
Key Words: Rural Tourism; Integrated Rural Tourism Innovation Development; Des-
tination Branding; Evaluative Indicator.
Introduction resources. In addition to improving the
rural economy, it also helps maintain
In recent years, the willingness of the rural lifestyle (Richard & Sharpley,
domestic tourism has increased. The 1997).
government has implemented a number
of policies to strengthen visitors' travel- From the perspective of tourism
ling to various parts of Taiwan for supply and demand, the development of
sightseeing and tourism. With the help rural tourism often requires the integra-
of the aforementioned policies, tourism tion of different factors, including coop-
operators in various destinations have eration of government units, community
gradually developed various tourist residents, tourists, tourism operators,
itineraries to enhance the development professional academic units, local in-
of various destinations, and the tourists dustries, non-profit organizations, and
have more diversified options for do- local tourism resources. The level of in-
mestic tourism. Rural tourism has be- teraction and complexity are highly
come one of the domestic tourism op- challenging. In recent years, foreign
tions, and it has become a way to de- scholars and rural research institutions
velop and improve the living standards have begun to put forward integrated
and environmental quality of local peo- views. In addition to including the per-
ple in rural areas (Page & Getz, 1997; spective of local residents, the Integrated
Richard & Sharpley, 1997). Based on Rural Tourism (IRT) model starts from
the strong interdependence between the destination, considering the integra-
rural tourism and rural areas, if there is tion elements of culture, society, econ-
no one that can operate a vibrant coun- omy, environment, etc., and including
tryside or has attractive rural resources, seven dimensions: stakeholder network-
there will be no products available to ing, tourism scale, tourism endogeneity,
the rural tourism industry to sell to sustainability, tourism embeddedness,
consumers. At the same time, rural tourism complementarity, and local em-
tourism is considered to be a driving powerment (Clark & Chabrel, 2007;
force of protecting the complete rural Saxena, Clark, Oliver, & Ilbery, 2007;
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Cawley, & Gillmor, 2008). The inte- tourists to gain a perception of the area
grated destination development model and create relationships and connections
can lead to regional economic prosperity, with destinations (Nickerson & Moisey,
and the essence of the model has a start- 1999). Furthermore, consistent brand
ing point of low- destructiveness for elements can shape tourists' travel image
natural scenic spots and artificial com- of destinations and strengthen brand
munities. Therefore, in order to have the identity (Cai, 2002). Therefore, destina-
opportunity to strike a balance for the tion branding can affect tourists' impres-
destination development, the complex sions of destinations, strengthen the re-
multi-relation and the cognition, use, sources of the destinations, and further
and integration of resources must be connect integrated development. Indica-
taken into consideration. As such, the tors can help an area in evaluating the
integrated rural tourism perspective has relevant development status. For the fu-
its research necessity, and exploring the ture decision-making, establishing indi-
relationship and connection between cators can evaluate the status of inte-
residents, tourism industry, tourism re- grated rural tourism development in
sources, or even government units in the Taiwan. In short, this study has the fol-
rural tourism development has become lowing purposes: 1) to explore the
an important subject of this study. meanings between integrated rural tour-
ism, rural capital and destination brand-
For the sustainability of destina- ing, 2) to analyze and evaluate the rural
tions, in addition to properly utilizing tourism development and its integrated
local tourism resources, connecting indicators, and 3) to construct and ana-
stakeholders, integrating the tourism in- lyze integrated rural tourism develop-
dustry, and strengthening community ment indicators in Taiwanese context.
capabilities, tourists are another impor-
tant factor driving rural development. Literature Review
When tourists go to destinations, while
using rural resources, they bring eco- Rural tourism
nomic benefits and cause different im-
pacts thereto. Tourists also get different If discussing the definition of rural
experiences and travel images in the tourism by the angle of the early geo-
process. The concept that tourists need spatial space categorization, as long as
multiple experiences is gradually form- it is a tourism or recreation behavior
ing a destination branding model (Cai, that occurs in rural areas, it is called
2002). Destination branding allows rural tourism. The Commission of
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2020-1053 IJOI
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European Communities (1987) states that can satisfy tourists' visits to rural
the definition of rural tourism, noting areas. For the development of rural
that it is not just agricultural tourism or tourism to be successful, many factors
rural village tourism, as long as the must be considered. For example, Wil-
tourism occurs in rural areas, it should son, Fesenmaier, Fesenmaier, & Van
be called rural tourism. Whelan (1991) Es (2001) proposed 10 successful ele-
explains that rural tourism is actually ments of rural tourism development as
similar to ecological tourism, green follows: 1. comprehensive package of
tourism, and nature tourism. Rural tourism support; 2. good leadership; 3.
tourism is an activity that takes place in support and participation of local gov-
rural areas and includes agricultural ernment; 4. adequate funding for tour-
tourism, rural village activities, nature ism development; 5. strategic planning;
trails, and rural village tourist sites 6. industry coordinating and cooperat-
(Lane, 1994; Youell, 1998). Rural tour- ing with local people; 7. coordination
ism provides a space that is different and cooperation of rural tourism; 8. in-
from the city life as well as experiential formation and technical support for
recreational activities, allowing tourists tourism development and marketing; 9.
to achieve educational significance and good tourism bureau or department;
leisure purpose in the process. Lane and 10. wide range support from resi-
(1994) believes that the most basic dents in the community with regards to
form of rural tourism should have the the tourism. These elements reflect the
following characteristics: (1) located in particularity of the rural areas and the
rural areas; (2) the rural functions are fact the rural areas must attach great
composed of small businesses, open importance to the integration of people
spaces, natural environments, historic and things in the community, especially
sites, traditional society and traditional that the residents are the main bodies in
customs; and (3) the rural scale (such the rural areas. When developing rural
as buildings and environment) should tourism, the residents' positive support
be small scale and small size. Rural for tourism is an important determining
tourism includes the characteristics of factor for the development of tourism
enjoying the local landscape and inter- activities.
acting with and contacting the local
cultural environment while emphasiz- Integrated Rural Tourism (IRT)
ing experiential activities at the same
time. It integrates production, life, and Integrated rural tourism has be-
ecological concept, which is tourism come a way to connect rural policies,
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