Exploring rural change. From tourism development to care economy

Tourism and care are strategic economic activities in rural areas. Although studies often analyse them separately, they are closely intertwined in the daily life of rural villages and households. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between tourism and care, in order to assess their significance, identifying the transitions, overlaps, and diversifications between them. In this way, several lines of enquiry could be opened up to gain a better understanding of rural societies. Given the limitations of secondary sources to address this objective, we have implemented an exploratory case study using ethnographic methodology in a village in Malaga (Andalusia, Spain). This has enabled us to conduct an analysis at the local and household level, that illustrates the opportunity of this approach, revealing new dimensions of the role of tourism and care in the evolution of the rural world.