Rural footprints of leisure choice—Exploring spatial complementarities in ‘Happy Feet’ and ‘Green Beauty’ tourism

Abstract The ‘ Happy Feet ’–‘ Green Beauty ’ tourism nexus represents the functional spatial interplay between entertainment‐centered tourism and nature‐based visitors' choices. This paper seeks to explain rural (non‐urban) tourism patterns emerging from the interaction between the two forms of tourism in the context of sustainable destination development, using Las Vegas and its hinterland as a case study. The analysis addresses important key concepts related to the urban–rural tourism nexus, namely deconcentrated concentration of tourism, health tourism, nature/eco‐tourism, tourism crowding, spatial substitution/complementarity in tourism, outer‐inner city tourism synergy, and intervening spatial opportunities in tourism. The study develops a novel methodological framework for identifying the drivers of rural (non‐urban) tourism choices as spillover factors from tourism crowding in major attractions. Mapping out this transition in leisure behavior contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the ‘Happy Feet’–’Green Beauty’ tourism nexus for post‐corona tourism development and informs future research and practical implications in tourism spillover studies.