Tourism Cooperatives and Adaptive Reuse: A Comparative Case Study of Circular Economy Practices in Rural South Korea

Minkyung Park () and Suah Kim
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Minkyung Park: School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, 4D2, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
Suah Kim: Graduate School of International Tourism, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-23

Abstract: Rural regions around the world continue to struggle with population decline, underutilized infrastructure, and economic stagnation. While tourism is often promoted as a tool for revitalization, conventional approaches tend to prioritize new construction and external ownership, raising concerns about environmental degradation, cultural dilution, and community exclusion. This study adopts a circular economy perspective to explore how adaptive reuse—repurposing abandoned buildings—can support sustainable rural tourism. Focusing on two rural cases in South Korea, the study examines the role of tourism cooperatives in transforming underused facilities into guesthouses, retail shops, visitor centers, and community hubs. Using a qualitative comparative case study approach combining interviews, observations, and content analysis, this study identified how cooperatives mobilize local resources, preserve cultural and natural assets, and reinvest tourism revenues into community-led initiatives. Findings reveal that cooperative-led adaptive reuse enhances local empowerment, cultural preservation, and economic sustainability. This study concludes that embedding circular economy principles within rural tourism fosters resilience and community-driven revitalization and that tourism cooperatives serve as an effective governance structure for implementing circular economy practices.

Keywords: a cooperative; community-centered regeneration; resource recirculation; rural revitalization; rural tourism; community tourism; tourism governance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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