This study was conducted to effectively develop rural tourism in Korea. For the purpose, tourism that can develop with local industries and cultures together was designated as life-type tourism and development models of such tourism were reviewed based on an understanding that province-oriented tourism is necessary. An analysis of three actual cases of Japan led to following results. First, life-type tourist destinations can be developed in connection with making local areas based on their special themes, can be developed in relation to their life cultures based on their peculiar life cultures and can be developed in creative forms using characteristic environment and organizational culture of those areas. In pursuing life-type tourist attractions, it will be possible to make practical development using it with those three basic models. Second, it is important to form a flow covering the entire regions based on their own special themes, to build cyclical structure of regions and tourism and tourism and industries and to create overall conditions that can help local residents get benefits and join together, in order to develop such life-type tourist destinations. Development of life-type resort tourist destinations needs roles of practical organizations that can effectively manage them, but such organizations should be dynamic and should be distant from management of money as much as possible.

The management aggravation of forests and the increase in the demand on resorts promote the urban use of forests, and the development of forests-using resorts is becoming an important political issue. Based on this understanding, this paper purports to examine the causes for the failure of the Shinrin Toshi policy (development of living space and resorts) which Japan promoted, and also examined the future direction of the development of forest resorts in Korea. As a result of the study, it was found that the Shinrin Toshi policy of Japan was promoted through the new changes of bubble economy and forest culture theory, and various strategies for the co-existence of human beings and nature were worked out. However, the policy took precedence without concrete plan production, which was found as the direct cause for the failure. The reasons for not having concrete plan production were: the target and the resort lifestyle (who will use it and what life will be developed) were not clear; the subject of the policy was restricted to state forests; and the dependence on civil capital in the promotion of the policy was too big. Therefore, in order to make the Shinrin Toshi policy successful, concrete lifestyle how the forest resort will be used and operated - needs to be set up and resources should be concretized. For this, the concrete demand on the forest resort life and the traditional community property of forest areas will have to be examined.

According to tourism resources in Kyonggi province, tourist behavior was dramatically different in that tourists utilizing natural resources were mainly interested in static tourism activities and sight seeing activities while tourist using socio-cultural resources preferred with dynamic tourism activities and relaxation tourism. Therefore, the objectives of reconstruction should be adjusted depending on types of tourism resources (i.e. natural and socio-cultural resources) or natural intensity as well as the development goal of recreational tourism. In contrast, historic and cultural resources surrounded with natural resources showed higher revisit rate, and was conceived as better touring site than individual resource because of historical people, traditional custom, natural sight seeing, etc. Therefore, it is believed that proper utilization of natural resources will increase revisit rate and create new conception as a famous touring site.