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REVIEW  The author is the Director of the Institute for Integrated Rural Tourism and an Associate Professor of Business and Hospitality Management at Johnson State College in Vermont and a Member of ECOCLUB. Beyond his academic expertise, he first obtained practical knowledge of rural tourism in 1982, as a developer and operator of a small country inn on a farm in northern California, and as a consultant in numerous rural tourism projects around the world ever since. Professor Comen has developed a new strategy for rural economic development and poverty alleviation, called Integrated Rural Tourism (IRT).

 As defined by the author, IRT, is perfectly compatible with the way this newspaper defines Ecotourism, within the context of rural communities. The author’s intention was to create a manual for practitioners working to effect socioeconomic improvement in rural communities through tourism development and this intention has been achieved, particularly for community trainers and development workers, while the book will also appeal to eco & socially-minded SMEs.

This manual provides a practical, digestible, memorable and transferable account of activities and useful tips that have been tested & proven in rural areas around the world. Other books may be richer on statistics, academic theory and minutiae but in the end they really offer an assortment of usually incomparable case studies, rather than a practical guide, like Professor Comen’s book.

As the author acknowledges, IRT is “not an easy approach to economic development, nor is it a panacea for economic prosperity” (indeed there are no panaceas) and is “much more difficult than concentrating on heritage sites or natural areas”, as it needs a number of prerequisites – not least, a community eager to develop tourism in a communal, eco-friendly way, and a well-meaning, selfless outsider with a strong stomach!

Indeed, among the most interesting sections of the book, is the one dealing with the initial introduction of the concept of IRT by an IRT proponent/practitioner to a community, as a good beginning is a half of the battle. I particularly enjoyed the refreshing section dealing with Menu development, Food Safety and Sanitation, and in such a detailed manner, and the somewhat brief section on Emergency Management.

Ecotourism gets a lot of coverage, usually positive, and there is an interesting and detailed section on the types of Ecotourists, which is quite enlightening. We are not so sure about the author’s view that “the ecotourist is willing to pay for high standards and is therefore a lucrative client” but we agree with the books’ overall emphasis on fair prices, and particularly appreciate the chapter (module) on “Valuing the Visitor Experience” which deals with pricing methods in a very balanced and useful way. There are two modules dedicated to explaining the importance of good customer service & communication - i.e. minimum accepted standards, complaint handling and following-up - facts sometimes knowingly – sometimes unknowingly ignored by community-owned providers, as superfluous ‘niceties’.

Overall a very good manual, which can become even better in subsequent editions, with the inclusion of a final chapter with actual feedback from the many practitioners who will be using the manual!

Special Rate for ECOCLUB Members: 20% discount on the Book or CD. Simply include your Member ID when ordering.

ECOCLUB Members order at: http://www.integratedtourism.com/?Ecoclub

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