RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM: EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN RURAL AREAS

Abstract

Recent transformations in the relations between rural and urban areas have redefined the economic and spatial organization of the countryside. Among the factors driving these changes, the growing expansion of agribusiness plays a central role, causing profound shifts in the labor market, economic dynamics, and population distribution. One of the most notable outcomes of this process is the significant outmigration of young people from rural areas, both as a place of residence and as a space for professional insertion. In this context, this article—based on a literature review, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews—analyzes rural tourism as a potential means of breaking with the concentration-driven logic of agribusiness, highlighting non-agricultural activities (beyond animal and plant production) as an alternative to encourage young people to remain in rural areas as a place to live and work. The empirical evidence obtained from the data indicates that rural tourism can diversify income sources, generate new opportunities—especially for women and young people—and strengthen local social networks by expanding the functions of rural properties to include non-agricultural activities, among them tourism. Despite its potential, the advancement of rural tourism depends on the implementation of adequate public policies and the adoption of training and management strategies. The study focuses on the municipality of Ituiutaba (MG), a context in which such initiatives show the capacity to promote a more inclusive, sustainable, and sustained model of rural development.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2025.039-008