Tourism that takes place in the rural area is rural tourism. It may define as the temporary movement of people from their place of residence to rural areas for a period between twenty four hours till six months. It involves the tourist spend their vacation and refresh themselves in the activities in the rural environment. According to professors Abraham Pizam and Aliza Fleischer the associates of rural tourism has associated it with the ‘ country vacation ‘ where the tourist spends the vast proportion of his/her vacation period engaging in recreational activities in rural environment on a farm, ranch, country home, or the surrounding areas.
The main part of the rural area is, a stretch of the inland or is a costal side including the small villages and towns which is mainly using the parts for agriculture, farming of aquatic animals, involved in main cultural activities including economic activities, includes nature reserves and leisure and recreation activities. The main characters of the rural tourism are:
1.It has to have rural and small dwelling.
2.It has to use the rural infrastructures, includes nature with natural scene, conserve of the local tradition and heritages.
3.Its development should be sustainable in nature with using of the natural and local resources.
4.Denotes the complexity than urban areas for the daily lifestyle.

It represents the rural enjoyment and leisure of the people by feeling the lifestyle, art, culture and activity whereby benefiting the local community in both economic and social perspective which makes an interaction of tourist and the locals for making a lifetime experience and enrichment through tourism. It also can be termed as another form of sustainable tourism where the resources of rural regions are used; causing no or less impact on the village rather helps in promoting their welfare and standard. It has the strength to attract the tourist providing excellent and even everlasting experiences creating a village ambiance with local culture and cuisines. 

In 2020 it was reported, the rural population of Nepal was 79.42%, according to World Bank. The data indicates that most of the population reside in rural areas indicates to make a positive contribution in the industry of tourism. Today’s youths are also being attracted towards the agro related activities where they could integrate it with tourism.

In Nepal the concept of the rural tourism was introduced to increase and maximize economic benefits arising from tourism over a wider range and generate job opportunities for the local community that depends mostly on the agriculture. In 1995, a village (rural) tourism program was included in the national tourism policy providing basic infrastructure such as roads telecommunication and electricity. 

There are more than 75 % of population who are dependent on agriculture, fish farming, animal husbandry and many more which shows the majority of the population reside in the rural area i.e., villages. It shows that we can create values for these activities as tourism activities and the tourist coming can learn about how the farming is conducted, about the time of crop plantation and harvesting seasons. 

Thus, the development of the rural tourism helps in promoting and contributing towards the economic prosperity and helping raise the living standard of local villagers and create small scale and sustainable job opportunities. In the recent days it is seen many youths mainly from rural areas/ villages are migrating the country seeking employment in golf or other countries. This is where we can promote the tourism and help retain the jobs and have not to migrate. This helps new business boom by establishing local business based on their production and local resource available which helps even in the promotion and inspire to preserve local culture and tradition, prosperity in local people, availability of local and organic fresh food etc. The money generated from the tourism business than can be used for development and maintenance of the place. Thus rural tourism can help in the job retention so that the youth do not have to migrate to other countries seeking employment creating a balance in both urban and village areas.

Apart there are also some issues and challenges related to rural tourism like as destroying the indigenous culture, pollution, price inflation in local market, leakages on the economy, local inhabitant destruction. Thus it is the local people who can monitor and control over the negative impact of the rural tourism activity on their society and thus we have to involve them as the stakeholders in authority making in management and development. To fully develop rural tourism in Nepal, it is important to financially empower the village people and to explore various types of tourism such as home stays, farm tours, village stays, and eco-tourism (Kaini, 2019). the rural areas of Nepal offer a unique opportunity for tourists to experience the local way of life and participate in activities such as infrastructure development, food production, and distribution (Regmi, 2016). Rural tourism can be developed with low investment just only putting efforts in commercializing the activities are already carried out in the communities a local level. It involves the integration of local and natural resources which also brings in the contact to natural resources.