This thesis deals with a subject that is sharp tourism's contribution to rural poverty reduction. Theoretically speaking we can understand that tourism in general is one of the sectors that contribute most to the economy of the country. Therefore, since we are talking about rural tourism and poverty, our work is composed of three parts. In the first part, we conduct an evaluation and attempt to define the tourism and poverty reduction after having briefly explained the history and evolution of tourism in general. We would have also address the issue of poverty in the world, especially in underdeveloped countries. The second part focuses on the fundamentals of tourism development in rural areas. It then presents the different theories of development and specificities of small rural tourism economies. We try to make a proposal on the choice of rural tourism development strategy to opt emphasis on the criteria and objectives of sustainable development. Our third part makes an empirical analysis of the role of rural tourism in poverty reduction in Casamance (Senegal). Throughout this section, we present our methodology for analyzing field, our field survey, and the results after a comprehensive analysis of the situation of poverty in the region. The results we have had, allow us to make a conclusion as far as rural tourism in poverty reduction is concerned. However, that conclusion is also questionable.
