Readiness for Developing Rural Tourism in Egypt: An Overall Assessment and Three Case-Studies

Abstract

This paper explores the readiness for rural tourism in Egypt. After introducing the concept of rural tourism, the paper will outline the necessary methodology involved in the measurement of rural tourism readiness and its application in Egypt. The central part of the article explains the results obtained in two sections: an overall quantitative assessment applied to the governorates of the country; and three specific case-studies contrasted and qualitatively analysed through fieldwork. The conclusion is that there is territorial unevenness in the readiness for rural tourism. The research also shows that while there are relevant possibilities and opportunities, at the same time there are also disadvantages due to political instability and insecurity. The paper focuses on the discussion of the concepts of ‘rural areas’ and ‘rural tourism’ specifically in case of Egypt.