摘要：Tourism in rural space is a tourism modality which has lately been the focus of investors and students. However there has been little spread of studies focusing such modality, featuring the characteristics of the industry to which it belongs, showing up-to-date discussions and world trends. So, this study, concerned as it is with it, has gathered information on such points and shows that, world-widely, tourism in rural space is an alternative modality that arose in counter-position to mass tourism, has been seen as a solution to poorer regions and, because of this, has been the aim of many investors and students. The industry to which it belongs features characteristics like the complementarity of the segments that make it up and due to this it demands a different management style. By the problems raised, one believes that the essential question concerning tourism in rural space in the world is the lack of knowledge, both on behalf of the agents in dealing with the characteristics of the rural environment and the rural producers’ behalf in dealing with the characteristics of the tourism industry. The cluster, due to its characteristics, is the most adequate form to the characteristics of the tourism industry and especially to tourism in rural space, which demands integration, coordination and cooperation. Once organized that way, tourism in rural space may come to smoothe problems said to be of regional under-development and devalorization of small and medium rural enterprises that exist worldwide.
关键词：tourism industry;tourism in rural space;rural sector;indústria do turismo;turismo no espaço rural;setor rural
