Politics of Representation in Rural Tourism Micro-Entrepreneurship

Despite a substantial body of research on representational politics pertaining to Oriental destinations, the promotional strategies for rural destinations targeting urban visitors remain under-studied. This research examines perceptions of rural existence among tourism microentrepreneurs and their potential urban visitors. Using the visual Q methodology, participants interpreted images from North Carolina’s Piedmont region, that revealed four distinct perceptions of rural life: pastoral, small-scale and healthy, peaceful, and productive. This investigation sheds light on the interplay of representations between urban and rural groups, offering insights into intricacies of rural tourism marketing.