The importance of location and scale in rural and small town tourism product development: The case of the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre, Manitoba, Canada

Key Messages A typology of themes in rural tourism development is developed. Large‐scale tourism attractions and destinations are possible in rural communities. Scale and distance matter for tourism attractions and destinations. This paper begins with a review of the literature on tourism in rural economies, to establish a framework for analyzing large‐scale tourism products in rural and small town regions. The review is followed by the development of a typology of large‐scale attractions in rural and small town regions, including parks, casinos, events, heritage, and cultural products. The typology leads into the example of the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre (CFDC) in Manitoba, Canada. Located in an agricultural region of south‐central Manitoba, the community of Morden is located 125 km from the provincial capital city, Winnipeg, which had a population of 811,900 in 2016. Morden is also located 35 km north of the border with North Dakota. Thus, while a small town in a traditionally rural region still dependent upon an agricultural economic base, Morden has been recently successful in diversifying its economy, including through manufacturing, services, hospitality, and tourism. In part, this success is due to a south‐central Manitoba location; however, it is also the result of innovative local leadership, including the prioritization of hospitality and tourism related to the CFDC. This paper describes the case study as an example of successful tourism development within an already economically and socially diversifying region. Importance de l'emplacement et de l'échelle dans le développement de produits touristiques dans les régions rurales et les petites villes : le cas du Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre au Manitoba, Canada Cet article commence avec une revue de littérature sur le tourisme dans les économies rurales afin d'établir un cadre conceptuel pour analyser les produits touristiques à grande échelle dans les régions rurales et les petites villes. La revue est suivie du développement d'une typologie des attractions à grande échelle dans les régions rurales et les petites villes, y compris les parcs, les casinos, les activités, le patrimoine et les produits culturels. La typologie mène à l'exemple du Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre (CFDC) au Manitoba, Canada. Située dans une région agricole du centre‐sud du Manitoba, la collectivité de Morden est située à 125 kilomètres de la capitale provinciale, Winnipeg, qui comptait une population de 811 900