UN Tourism defines rural tourism as:
“A type of tourism in which the traveller experiences a wide range of activities related to nature, agriculture, rural lifestyles, recreational fishing and territorial exploration.”
The defining feature of rural tourism is the place where it takes place, not the reason for travelling or the specific activity. For this reason, the Agency specifies that a rural area can be defined as such when:
Food and wine experiences are among the main tourism activities that naturally find their ideal setting in rural areas.
It is important to emphasise that “rural tourism” is not synonymous with “agriturismo”. In Italy, agriturismo refers to a farm-based activity that provides hospitality, dining or other tourism services under specific legal requirements.
Rural areas are already one of the strengths of Italy’s tourism offer:
Main drivers of choice are:
Visitors to these areas particularly appreciate the quality of local dining and the value for money.
The regions Italians prefer most for rural tourism are:
*Note: foreign visitor data refers to 2024, while Italian traveller data refers to 2023.
Rural tourism is a strategic lever for enhancing territories that are often marginalised and affected by depopulation and a shortage of economic opportunities.
Opportunities
If well managed, it can:
Growing interest in wellbeing, nature and gastronomy creates favourable conditions for tourism development in these contexts.
Challenges
To develop rural tourism effectively, it is necessary to:
To better understand the rural tourism sector, the main terms, concepts and definitions have been gathered in a glossary.