Tourism-driven rural development in challenged governance contexts
A case from Lebanon
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19225822 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Farah Mohamad (Saint Joseph University, corresponding author), Liliane Buccianti-Barakat (Saint Joseph University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-23 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-24 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Community Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1557-5330 • E-ISSN: 1944-7485 |
| Publisher | Routledge (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/15575330.2026.2661174 |
| OpenAlex | W7155547804 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 36 |
This study analyzes rural development governance in the Shouf El-Souayjani Union of Municipalities, a historically rich yet institutionally neglected region in Lebanon. It focuses on local institutions, policy, and stakeholder dynamics and their impact on how tourism contributes to inclusive communities. The research is based on 41 semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders, including municipality and ministry representatives, NGOs, guesthouse owners, syndicates, private sector actors, and environmental associations. The results identify key features of the setting, including institutional fragmentation, political interference, and legal gaps. However, grassroots initiatives, decentralized tourist destination management, community resilience, and capacity building are promising avenues for integrating tourism into development policymaking. Drawing upon discourses of governance and sustainability, this study validates calls for participatory planning, continuity among policymakers, and inter-sector collaboration. Moreover, it contributes to the international debate concerning rural development through tourism. It supports the UN SDGs, particularly those for 8, 11, 12, and 17
Community development · Corporate governance · Rural area · Rural development · Rural economics · Rural sociology · Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research · Hospitality and Tourism Education · Tourism, Volunteerism, and Development
The Commons in the New Millennium
Doing Template Analysis
The Feasibility of Rural Tourism in Fostering Real Sustainable Development in Host Communities
Rural Tourism Development
Rural tourism and recreation
Local tourism governance
Governance, the state and sustainable tourism
Critical research on the governance of tourism and sustainability
Tourism and Sustainable Development
Responsibility and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals
Challenging the inevitability of rural decline
Re-conceptualising rural resources as countryside capital
Relationships, networks and the learning regions
Ecotourism and the empowerment of local communities
Sustainability indicators for managing community tourism
Networks, clusters and innovation in tourism
Stakeholder collaboration and heritage management
Collaboration theory and community tourism planning
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Conceptualizing Integrated Rural Tourism
What is rural tourism
Why some rural areas decline while some others not
Thematic networks
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |