EVALUATING THE SOCIO-CULTURAL CARRYING CAPACITY OF RURAL TOURISM COMMUNITIES: A 'VALUE STRETCH' APPROACH

Using the carrying capacity value stretch (CCVS) model incorporated into nominal group technique (NGT) methodology, this paper investigated a rural community's determinants of socio-cultural carrying capacity perceptions in the wake of rural tourism development. The case of Kibbutz Yiron in Northern Israel was used to detect the tourism impacts, to evaluate to what extent rural tourism in this community is violating its limits for acceptable change and what necessary steps should be taken in order to mitigate existing, and to avoid future negative impacts? Results of this study support previous tourism impact studies. However, they are unique in their interpretation of carrying capacity measures in a qualitative and multidimensional manner. Based on the analysis of perceived intolerable, "current and expected" tourist impacts, these results can guide planning and policy oriented benchmarks for socio-culturally sustainable rural tourism. Copyright (c) 2006 by the Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAGPublished by Blackwell Publishing Ltd..