The rural as a site of recreation: evidence and contradictions in Spain from a geographical perspective

Abstract

There is a wide range of individual or collective interpretations of the conceptualisation of rurality. Rural tourism (RT) is a key component in the politics of rural spaces in Europe and, consequently, is clearly associated with the debate about rurality in each country. In addition to RT, this paper studies the framework of commoditisation, associated with its distinct character in each situation, depending on the actors involved in each process, policy or manifestation. It also discusses the role of tourism in generating different notions of rurality among the Spanish regional authorities. The information source used here consists in the critical analysis of national and regional regulations and the policy documents on RT since 1960. The paper finally concludes that RT is an important factor in the generation of different perspectives of rurality in Spain, which corresponds to its main role, rather than its socioeconomic effects, which have been limited to counteracting the effects of the rural exodus.

Keywords:

• recreation
• rural tourism
• commoditisation
• critical perspective
• geography
• Spain

Acknowledgements

Earlier versions of this paper have been presented at the XXI ESRS Conference (Keszthely, Hungary), August 2005 and in the International Conference on Tourism and Management (UCTDM, 2009), August 2009. It currently forms part of research Project BSO2008-00953 (Spanish Government). I would also like to thank two anonymous referees for their valuable comments.