Connecting Land, People and Place with Mountain Tourism

The Southern Appalachian region has been a popular tourist destination for decades, the scenic beauty providing a strong draw for health seekers, outdoor recreators, and heritage tourists alike. In addition, the deep heritage... [ view full abstract ]

The Southern Appalachian region has been a popular tourist destination for decades, the scenic beauty providing a strong draw for health seekers, outdoor recreators, and heritage tourists alike. In addition, the deep heritage of rural-urban linkages in the region have recently been more intentionally yoked through farm and food tourism. Though Appalachian people, land and place are inextricably linked, the mechanism by which they become connected economically are not well understood. This research uses a tourism lens to deepen our understanding of how connections are formed and developed. Three studies that provide evidence of the mechanisms by which tourism facilitates connections among land, people and place are reported. The research includes studies that document tourist experiences and value for the scenic quality along the Blue Ridge Parkway, farmland in Western North Carolina, and farm and food tourism in the mountains. Results from the studies demonstrate how social, cultural and natural forces are connected in Southern Appalachian tourism experiences. All three studies indicate that tourism can reinforce the relationship between land, people and place in the mountains while also serving to bring regional identity into focus. The paper concludes with a framework for examining the economic-social-physical relationships which can be applied in other regions.