The relationship between rural tourism and the development of smart territories: a perspective for territorial planning

Abstract

Over time, people continue to leave rural areas to live in cities for various reasons, whether in search of a better quality of life or access to socio-economic opportunities, services, education, employment, and income, among other factors. This movement generates impacts such as the expansion of urban areas and the growth of the urban population, leading to an increased demand for essential infrastructure, including sanitation, mobility, and numerous other needs that must be addressed by public management. Based on this issue, this study aims to present and understand the landscape of contemporary scientific discussions on the development of smart territories through rural tourism. Using a quantitative and qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory methodology, the study sought to identify and analyse academic publications from the past six years (2019 to 2024) that address this issue, published in national and international databases and journal portals (Scopus, EBSCO, Scielo, Emerald, and Redalyc). From the dataset comprising 57 articles, the study identified several relevant indicators for building knowledge on the themes of development, smart territories, and rural tourism. These include the year of publication, language, countries of publication, predominant fields of knowledge, prevalent keywords, methodological strategies and designs, among other elements. As opportunities for further research, the study highlights the scarcity of theoretical-conceptual publications on this subject. This gap could be addressed by expanding the study to additional databases or extending its temporal scope, among other possibilities.