Under-tourism regions and destinations: what are their opportunities to succeed?

Abstract

The paper aims to identify the success factors that guide the sustainable development of rural tourism destinations in Cyprus. For the purpose of this study, two rural villages in the Larnaca and Limassol districts of Cyprus were selected as a sample. Interviews, field visits, interactions with practitioners, the local community and leaders in these villages then followed. Thematic analysis was applied to identify the factors guiding the sustainable development of these villages. Nine success factors were identified: finding the theme and engaging with it, allowing locals to guide the development, training and education, economic benefits, developing new products and services, community involvement, the role of younger people, strong leadership and island-wide efforts to rebrand Cyprus as a destination. These factors seem to be critical to the success of sustainable rural destinations and to rebranding Cyprus as a destination that offers authentic experiences. The nine success factors identified by studying two villages in Cyprus can guide other rural destinations in finding their path to sustainable development through themes and authentic experiences.