Abstract
This study, based on the analysis of the existing bibliography, as well as the result of
the appreciation of a low-density and remote case studies located in the Azores Archipelago, seeks to identify a theoretical nexus regarding rural and creative tourism and
regional sustainable development in the post-COVID-19 scenario. In this regard, the
authors applied analytical descriptive and inductive deductive methods. Contextually,
the study aims not only to understand the subject in more prominent detail but also to
clarify new tendencies, approaches, and potential guidelines that allow the actors implicated to design and drive sustainable regional development in the long term. The
remote and low-density territories are the most appealing destination for this new
tourism dynamics. Also, the paper shows that it is possible to establish that in this ultra-peripheral territory, the tourism sector was already presuming relevance in 2019,
benefiting from a large sample of entrepreneurs and actors in the tourism sector in
the Portuguese Autonomous Region of the Azores. Some potential implications may
include the following: (i) Increased economic benefits: Creative tourism can bring in
additional revenue for local businesses and organizations and individual artists and
craftspeople; (ii) Preservation of cultural heritage: Creative tourism can help to support
and preserve traditional cultural practices and crafts, which can be an essential aspect
of island communities’ identity; (iii) Job creation: Creative tourism can create new job
opportunities for locals, such as tour guides, workshop instructors, and artists