Rural travel practices in a tourism destination are shaped not only by interactions between local stakeholders and visitors but also by the established system of associated technologies, policies, regulations, politics, and cultures (regime). This can limit visitors' travel options to rural areas. This paper aims to examine sustainability transitions in rural tourism travel by intersecting practice and regime through social practice and multi-level perspective frameworks. It draws on data from a sequential mixed-method study involving semi-structured interviews (n = 31) with participants from government agencies, businesses, non-government organisations, and visitors, followed by a questionnaire survey (n = 457) to visitors at rural tourism sites. Bali, Indonesia, as a major tourism destination in Asia Pacific, was chosen as it faces transport challenges with private motorised transport modes dominating local mobility practices. Findings demonstrate that structural barriers hinder visitors from performing sustainable travel practices. Deterrents were strengthened by finance and energy regimes. Through intersections of practice and regime approaches, this study suggests finance-energy regimes to diminish strong barriers that currently inhibit more sustainable travel innovations (niches). Change is needed at all levels of authority to influence rural travel motivations (meanings) and encourage sustainable travel. The combination of social practice and multi-level perspectives has enabled this study to identify the most influential regimes determining rural tourism travel practices and the key stakeholders potentially able to unlock transitions. There is applicability to other tourism destinations to identify transitions in transport modes and local mobility practices.
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)