Diversifying rural economies through literary tourism: A review of literary tourism in Western Australia

This paper considers the potential role literary tourism has in the economic future of rural regions. In many rural areas, literary tourism is critically important to the economic prosperity and social identities of those places. We argue that as many rural communities look to diversify their economic activities, previously unrecognised literary assets could be useful in establishing new economic activity. However, through a review of literary tourism in rural Western Australia, we find that to develop a successful literary tourism industry more than just an established literary canon is required. The nature of literary attractions and their geographical location are critical to the successful development of literary tourism.