A specific case in tourism marketing: Rural tourism in the Basque Country

Abstract

Rural tourism in the Basque Country, which began in 1988, is a way of tourism developed in the rural environment. It develops in agrarian exploitations, and it’s leaded by farmers, who combine their traditional activity with giving another services. Marketing application in this kind of tourism has been very limited, and it’s been directed by Autonomic Administration. Since 1999, the Basque Association of Agrarian Tourism Exploitations Owners, «Nekazalturismoa», has the challenge of impulsing this activity, in which, the consumer orientation has the priority in order to be competitive. All of that must be done respecting the social, cultural and economic environment. Also, to reach this objective, all the participants, both public and private institutions, have to work together in marketing and management subjects.

Keywords

• Tourist marketing
• agrotourism
• rural tourism
• associationism