The Role of the Entrepreneurs in Rural Development - New Zealand -Tourism (ePub)

Essay from the year 2002 in the subject Tourism - Miscellaneous, grade: A, University of Otago (Department of Tourism), course: Entrepreneurship in Tourism, language: English, abstract: Many rural areas around the world face economic challenges, partly due to their peripheral locations and also because of their declining economies. With the rise of globalisation and urbanisation, many people who lived in rural areas before, have decided to move to urban centres, either for the better infrastructure that cities have, or in search of the employment opportunities that industries in cities offer. Furthermore, this means that many rural regions and towns are facing dislocation and decline (Stolte 2000:111).

One response to the decline of traditional rural industries, such as agriculture and mining, has been the emergence of tourism orientated entrepreneurial activities (Stolte 2000:111). Indeed, many people indigenous to rural areas see tourism as a chance for them to stay and live in their region or town, without reducing their standard of living.

The motives of the entrepreneurs in rural areas are various; meaning that not all of them become entrepreneurs because they are concerned about unemployment. Moreover many entrepreneurs see rural tourism as an opportunity to live a certain lifestyle, and many even move from urban areas to rural areas seeking the opportunity to develop ideas and fulfil their dreams.