ABSTRACT
Concerns about demographic changes, economic development, and community regeneration are universal across the developed world's rural regions. The tremendous trends of industrialization and urbanization have been slowly changing the economic and political standing of rural societies for over a century. Rural tourism, on the contrary, presents a picture of robust expansion. However, the crisis situation created by the onset of COVID-19 exacerbates the difficulty of sustaining rural tourism. The tourism industry is the most severely impacted by this crisis. Due to that, this paper indicates the importance of rural tourism activities in rural areas' economic growth in Malaysia both prior to and after the COVID-19 pandemic and provides an analysis in the field of rural tourism destinations. As a result, this research proposes an integrated empirical model for rural tourist sustainability (RTS), with community resource tourism (CRT) as a causal factor and technological development processes (TDP) as a mediator. The suggested integrated model serves to confirm this view, as the primary drivers of economic performance are a complex interaction of internal and external variables affecting rural tourism via digitization and the impact of technology use. Based on the current trends in demand for rural tourism, Malaysia is undoubtedly facing intense global competition and is poised to be the destination of choice for visitors. By examining the relationships between the various variables and utilizing the resources-based view and diffusion of innovation theories, this suggested integrated model would be able to affirm Malaysia's attractiveness as a rural tourist destination in the area. Additional research is required to better understand rural tourist market groups and other critical aspects that will assure the viability of agricultural-based rural economies and community development. © 2023 selection and editorial matter, Azizul Hassan and Nor Aida Abdul Rahman;individual chapters, the contributors.