The central role of leadership in rural tourism development: a theoretical framework and case studies

摘要

In the unique environment of rural tourism, leadership is often credited for the initiation and governance of sustainable development, but has received little empirical examination. Rural tourism leaders face many challenges, such as managing factions and enclaves within communities, re-assuring new entrants about risk and vulnerability, securing long-term commitment amongst leaders, establishing continuity from one leader to the next, and coordinating cooperative governance across numerous governmental and non-governmental organizations. This article uses the case study method to provide sketches of three rural tourism leaders who have been successful in their communities. Each leader utilizes a different approach, including Servant, Shared/Community-Based, and Authentic Leadership. The Networks View of social capital is utilized to analyze each case to help discover the sources of success of these three individuals and their communities. While this approach has been previously utilized at the community level, this study explores an individuals' ability to embody social capital. The article concludes with observations that both bridging and bonding social capital are important to the success of these rural tourism leaders, regardless of their leadership approach. Such observations are valuable for rural communities as they struggle with the challenges of cultivating and sustaining effective leadership and governance.