From mass tourism to rural tourism. The Spanish situation from the policies of rural development and the covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

The stimulus and growth of rural tourism in Spain have had a significant increase in recent decades, both in the number of visitors, as well as in accommodation, restaurant and other services establishments. This has been possible mainly due to two processes that coincided on a time scale: a) the paradigm shift and increased awareness of the problems generated by the mass tourism model; b) the rural development policies established in the European Union and, in particular, in Spain. These took place in the area of ​​the Community Agrarian Policy (PAC) and its LEADER and PRODER programs, with the purpose of promoting activities that encourage economic diversity and environmental sustainability. The objective of this paper is to analyze the evolution of rural tourism in Spain between 2001 and 2021, from the policies and programs implemented in the European Union and in the Spanish State, as well as to study the predisposition of the Spanish rural traveler in the post-pandemic period, with greater interest for rural landscapes and local culture.