Tourists visiting Africa, especially Southern Africa, visit rural and protected areas for various reasons. Since their needs are heterogeneous, it becomes critical that tourism in rural and protected areas should embrace the contingency management concept of “there is no one-size-fits-all approach.” This introductory chapter explored the evolving narratives for tourism activities in Southern Africa’s rural and protected areas. Key research themes found in this book, including research developments around the study areas of tourism in rural and protected areas, are introduced. It additionally presented an overview of the importance of tourism in rural and protected areas, community participation in rural and protected area-based tourism planning, and strategies for rural and protected area-based tourism planning, in the Southern African context. It established that tourists who visit Southern Africa’s rural and protected areas seek nature experiences, nostalgic experiences, novelty, escape, rural landscape, “rural idyll” experiences, and friendly populations. In conclusion, the African Ubuntu ideology, based on the moral precept of supporting life via reciprocal care and sharing amongst humans and nonhumans, is one viable sustainability option for the effective development of tourism in rural and protected areas in Southern Africa.