Rural tourism in Europe from a landscape perspective: A systematic review

Abstract

This systematic review offers a comprehensive analysis of the current state of knowledge regarding tourism in European traditional multifunctional cultural landscapes (TMCLs) from a landscape perspective. Adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines, this study aims to identify the principal contextual themes, geographical patterns, and drivers of change in TMCL tourism research from a theoretical landscape perspective. The outcomes of this systematic review revealed that the study of tourism in European TMCLs is still in its early stages, characterized by a scarcity of studies and a limited representation of countries within the existing literature. The analyzed papers underscore a restricted focus on local stakeholder preferences and carrying capacity, with only one study acknowledging the concept of landscape services. Conversely, government initiatives and local community engagement emerge as the most influential drivers of change in the tourism sector. In view of these findings, this study accentuates the significance of embracing a holistic approach to tourism that integrates living systems thinking and regenerative tourism as key priorities. Consequently, the study suggests that future research prioritize investigating local stakeholder preferences, carrying capacity, and other contextual variables to overcome the current limitations of the literature and shape tourism towards a more resilient and sustainable future. The results of this systematic review provide valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in the field of tourism in TMCLs. Additionally, they serve as a foundational basis for future research endeavors in this domain.