Comprehensive planning and development represents one of the key components of most
successful rural tourism strategies. Long and Nuckolls (1994) underscore the need for effective planning, and stress that technical assistance can prove crucial to tourism development success for many small communities with limited resources. Weaver (1991) argues that many nonmetro communities would also benefit from an expanded Federal role in rural tourism, as well as greater State involvement. Marcouiller (1997) stresses that tourism planning need not occur in a vacuum, but may be of more use to a rural community when the planning is tied to broader
regional development efforts.