Sustainable tourism development and branding strategies in rural areas

A case study of the Gândara TourSensations Project vs. Marca Pueblo

Abstract

The sustainable development of tourism in rural areas is an increasingly important issue, highlighted by the need to balance economic growth with the conservation of cultural and natural heritage. This study presents a comparative analysis of two projects, Gândara TourSensations in Portugal and Marca Pueblo in Spain, analysing how these initiatives contribute to the sustainable development of tourism in rural communities through the implementation of brand strategies. Content analysis was used, followed by a SWOT analysis and the “Hor air ballon” diagnostic tool developed by Valenciano et al. (2022). The results show that the two projects, opted for branding strategies, are very important for the sustainable development of tourism in rural areas.