It's real sustainable rural tourism development: Case studies from the heartland

In order to be sustainable, tourism development must involve the local population, proceed only with their approval, and provide a degree of local control. The most promising approach involves development which is low impact, small in scale and careful in progress, appropriate and sensitive to the local natural and socio-cultural environment, and readily integrated into the existing social and economic life of the community. This study examines two case studies of county-wide rural tourism development, one in west-central Illinois and the other in southeastern lowa. With local involvement, planning, management, and ongoing assessment of impacts, based on collaborative and cooperative relationships developed through positive interactions among key leaders, sustainable tourism development appears to be attainable, as demonstrated by the accomplishments of residents in these two rural counties in their tourism development efforts.