Challenges facing rural tourism management: A supply-based perspective in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain)

Abstract

In rural destinations different programmes coexist to promote tourism which involves many organizations and relationships. The complexity of stakeholder networks in some cases implies that the result of the application of the programmes is not efficient enough. This paper aims to explore some of these challenges regarding destinations located in rural areas taking the case study of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). While much of the literature focuses on pinpointing the factors that have a bearing on destination governance, this research attempts to sort the importance of each factor. Structured qualitative questionnaires have been held with rural tourism suppliers (n = 52). The findings highlight that public-private partnerships, coordination on both horizontal and vertical levels, marketing management skills and integration of local activities are shown as priorities according to supply-based stakeholders’ opinions. A consolidation of a neoliberal approach of tourism governance is necessary, in which local governments assume a secondary role, and management is decentralised through community-based public-private partnerships.