Volume: 15  Number: 2  Page: 125–143  doi:10.2167/jost604.0

Flagship Attractions and Sustainable Rural Tourism Development: The Case of the Alnwick Garden, England

Richard Sharpley Department of Tourism and Recreation, Lincoln Business School, University of Lincoln, UK

This paper proposes an alternative approach to rural tourism that returns to a more traditional model of development: large, flagship attractions that act as a ‘growth pole’ for the local economy and community. It questions some of the accepted beliefs about sustainable rural tourism development current in recent years. It is based on a case study of Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, England. It suggests that, under certain circumstances, flagship or mega-attractions can not only increase substantially the number of visitors to rural areas but also, through appropriate policies and processes, can underpin the longer-term, sustainable development of those areas.

Keywords: Alnwick Garden, rural tourism, sustainable development, flagship attractions

© 2007 R. Sharpley

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