Consumer behaviour in rural tourism. Conjoint analysis of choice attributes in the Italian-Slovenian cross-boundary area

Understanding consumer behaviour in rural tourism is a necessary condition for the successful diversification of any rural socio-economic system. This paper aims to analyse the consumer behaviour of tourists and residents in an Italian marginal rural area in order to verify the opportunities for sustainable local development through rural tourism activities. First of all we give some conceptual consideration to the notion of rural tourism and the relationship with sustainable local development. Secondly, we examine the suitability of conjoint analysis for predicting consumer behaviour in relation to rural tourism. Finally, we report on a survey which we carried out in a rural area located in a region of North-Eastern Italy: the Natisone Valley. The results provided insights into how each type of characteristic of rural sites competes for the selection of destination. In particular, the most important attribute in selecting rural sites for tourism is the availability of information. These results could provide useful insight for decision makers, in particular as regards local planning strategies. We discuss the results with emphasis on the implications for marketing of rural tourism. In fact, recommendations are made in view of the findings, specifically focusing on internal marketing strategies.