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The discussion on agrotourism development has focused on the perspectives of several tourism stakeholders, however, limited research has explored the viewpoints of tour guides operating in this area. This research investigated tour guides' perspectives on agrotourism development in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, to explore why agrotourism in this region remains an underexploited potential. We conducted interviews from October 2020 to July 2021 with 30 tour guides who have had opportunities and authentic experiences of tourism development based on their rich travel experiences in the region. This qualitative research showed that the Mekong Delta has a great potential for agrotourism development in Vietnam; however, many challenges prevent the same. Farmers face difficulties in creating attractive tourism products and activities, as they lack the capacity to broadly advertise. Agrotourism products are also similar in many tourist destinations in the region. Furthermore, regional coordination and partnership among stakeholders are lacking in agrotourism. A consistent tourism policy should be implemented among provinces to develop tourism more effectively. These findings inform rural development policymakers and expand the agrotourism literature by elucidating tour guides' perspectives, which have received scant attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Agro", "agri", and "rural" tourism have gained significant attention as emerging forms of tourism that provide unique experiences rooted in agricultural and rural settings. Beyond their economic and cultural contributions, these forms of tourism have been found to have a profound impact on individual happiness and well-being. This piece of work delves into the mechanisms underlying the relationship between "agro", "agri", or "rural" tourism and happiness, drawing from research in sociology and environmental science. By understanding the science behind this connection, we can further promote the development and implementation of "agro", "agri", and "rural" tourism initiatives that foster happiness and well-being. This study aims to examine existing research on "agro", "agri", or "rural" tourism and happiness, assess the implications of relevant scientific articles, and identify potential areas for future research. A systematic process was employed to identify articles related to terms such as "agrotourism", "agro tourism", "agro-tourism", "agritourism", "agri tourism", "agri-tourism", or "rural tourism" and happiness in the Scopus database. The selection criteria focused on articles that explored the above terms in their titles, abstracts, and keywords. The findings equally rely on qualitative and quantitative assessments, predominantly from the demand side, followed by the supply side and residents' views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The recent health crisis has created a new scenario where rural tourism stands out as a beneficiary of the post-COVID era. The results of this research, based on the conducted surveys, show that agrotourism is an attractive and interesting activity for tourists, offering a diversified experience with livestock-related and pastoral activities in Andalusia (Spain). Agrotourism, a form of rural tourism, has the potential to align with emerging tourist interests, while reactivating the economy of livestock farming families and recognizing the important environmental, social, and economic role of extensive livestock farming. However, based on the findings of this study, specific areas of focus include (i) developing marketing strategies that encourage tourist participation throughout the year; (ii) integrating theoretical and practical content into educational training pro-grams to raise awareness of agrotourism projects and foster interest among future professionals in both the tourism and livestock sectors; and (iii) providing training and support for livestock farmers interested in diversifying their activities through agrotourism (considering such aspects as investment, time commitment, dedication, tourist engagement, forming alliances with companies, etc.). This support could be facilitated by public administrations, fostering synergies between the public and private sectors. This study aimed to analyze the interest, willingness to pay, and profile of tourists participating in specific agrotourism activities linked to extensive livestock farming in order to encourage the development of those activities that are most demanded by tourists, as well as to support the proposals for improvements to promote this kind of tourism in the region of Andalusia (Spain). For this purpose, a survey was conducted, which was organized into six sections: (i) sociodemographic data, (ii) general aspects of tourism, (iii) rural tourism, (iv) livestock farming and tourism, (v) benefits of extensive livestock farming, and (vi) tourism activities linked to livestock farming. A total of 892 responses were received, out of which 753 were analyzed. The results show that the respondents are interested or motivated by the proposed activities. The most attractive activities are those related to livestock farming, which involve some kind of workshop on the production of handicrafts. Despite tourists having low-to-medium knowledge of extensive livestock farming, they all express a highly positive perception of the associated attributes. Developing strategies to enhance the willingness to pay for agrotourism activities is crucial, with the overall experience being a key element of their success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation delineates the multi-faceted determinants integral to the evolution of agrotourism within rural domains, concentrating on the province of Jambi as a case study. This scholarly inquiry engaged with four representative villages, utilizing primary data procured through focus group discussions (FGDs) and comprehensive interviews with various stakeholders. These encompass village administration, village-owned enterprises (BUMDes), youth organizations, the regional body for planning and development, the tourism office, community figureheads, village facilitators, commercial operators, and local community delegates. The analytical methodology incorporated the transcription of FGDs and comprehensive interviews, data distillation, analytical interpretation, and triangulation. The NVivo 11 Plus suite facilitated this qualitative data analysis. The investigation discerned six cardinal determinants that substantively influence the trajectory of agrotourism development within rural areas. These include the potential of nature tourism, the accessibility, and caliber of agro-products, the adequacy of infrastructure, the involvement and roles of community and institutional bodies, technological innovation, and the safeguarding of local cultural heritage. This scholarly inquiry underscores the necessity of a collaborative approach in formulating and implementing policies. This approach, which calls for the inclusion of diverse stakeholders, is aimed at bolstering the sustainable development of agrotourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

“Agro”, “agri”, and “rural” tourism have gained significant attention as emerging forms of tourism that provide unique experiences rooted in agricultural and rural settings. Beyond their economic and cultural contributions, these forms of tourism have been found to have a profound impact on individual happiness and well-being. This piece of work delves into the mechanisms underlying the relationship between “agro”, “agri”, or “rural” tourism and happiness, drawing from research in sociology and environmental science. By understanding the science behind this connection, we can further promote the development and implementation of “agro”, “agri”, and “rural” tourism initiatives that foster happiness and well-being. This study aims to examine existing research on “agro”, “agri”, or “rural” tourism and happiness, assess the implications of relevant scientific articles, and identify potential areas for future research. A systematic process was employed to identify articles related to terms such as “agrotourism”, “agro tourism”, “agro-tourism”, “agritourism”, “agri tourism”, “agri-tourism”, or “rural tourism” and happiness in the Scopus database. The selection criteria focused on articles that explored the above terms in their titles, abstracts, and keywords. The findings equally rely on qualitative and quantitative assessments, predominantly from the demand side, followed by the supply side and residents’ views.

This study aimed to analyze the interest, willingness to pay, and profile of tourists participating in specific agrotourism activities linked to extensive livestock farming in order to encourage the development of those activities that are most demanded by tourists, as well as to support the proposals for improvements to promote this kind of tourism in the region of Andalusia (Spain). For this purpose, a survey was conducted, which was organized into six sections: (i) sociodemographic data, (ii) general aspects of tourism, (iii) rural tourism, (iv) livestock farming and tourism, (v) benefits of extensive livestock farming, and (vi) tourism activities linked to livestock farming. A total of 892 responses were received, out of which 753 were analyzed. The results show that the respondents are interested or motivated by the proposed activities. The most attractive activities are those related to livestock farming, which involve some kind of workshop on the production of handicrafts. Despite tourists having low-to-medium knowledge of extensive livestock farming, they all express a highly positive perception of the associated attributes. Developing strategies to enhance the willingness to pay for agrotourism activities is crucial, with the overall experience being a key element of their success.

The interest of the local community is to develop a strategy for the organization, development and promotion of rural tourism, especially agrotourism, at local level, with the competition of all economic agents involved in this activity. This participation of the local community can be achieved by:creating a partnership between the authorities and the local tourism association, the economic agents in tourism or other related fields, leading to a more efficient organization, development and promotion of rural tourism / agrotourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism became one of the most important economic activity in the world after the '60s, when mankind began to be more interested in its holiday destinations. Thus, more and more tourists wanted to spend their leisure time and holidays in the countryside, being largely influenced by environmental ideas, by the desire to escape from traditional tourist structures, by the search for the best quality / price ratio, etc. This article aims to provide a summary on sustainable development of the tourism sector in rural areas in the European Union and Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agrotourism is a practice that allows the generation of livelihood alternatives in rural areas, reducing hunger and allowing sustainable economic development. In this review, a classification of the characteristics preferred by clients in agrotourism settings has been generated, based on previous research that weighted these characteristics. Clients have been found to value the following in agrotourism settings: a green and clean landscape, the forests, the possibility of buying agricultural products, trying traditional foods, and participating in agricultural activities. These findings offer guidance to those interested in implementing or improving agritourism services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the work was to assess and identify potential perspectives for the development of agrotourism activity in the Hacienda Guachinango del Valle de los Ingenios in the Trinidad municipality, so that the methodology applied and the results achieved can serve as a reference for application in other similar contexts in the country and in the Central American area. For this, the analysis and synthesis of spatial elements, discussion groups, the interpretation of descriptive statistics, and the study of the natural and social environment were applied. The diagnosis of resources was carried out in this work to determine the degree of competitiveness and attraction of the agrotourism product, and it was possible to establish the most convenient strategies to follow, considering the real possibilities of prospective development of the place studied. It was concluded that the proposal to develop agrotourism in Hacienda Guachinango constitutes a viable option to design and introduce a strategy for growth and socioeconomic reactivation based on the use of the natural, historical, cultural, and social potentialities of the small families dedicated to agricultural work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Wieś & Rolnictwo is the property of Instytut Rozwoju Wsi & Rolnictwa, Polska Akademia Nauk and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper presents an analysis of the promotion activity in in the field of rural tourism and aims to emphasize the role and importance of online promotion in terms of the advantages and disadvantages offered by it, in support of communication and promotion strategies within the tourist complex. The topic is topical and represents the role, importance and evolution of the application more and more of online promotion, including in rural tourism and agrotourism, because we live in the age of the internet and lack of time and achieving a strong image in the real world is no longer enough. Currently, due to current trends, opening and promoting a business with an international target, it needs a big opening that only the internet can offer in promoting the global image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Turismo em Análise is the property of Revista Turismo em Analise and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista FACE is the property of Universidad de Pamplona and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper considers scientific approaches to determining the essence of rural tourism and agrotourism. The authors conduct a review of the current state and trends in the development of tourism, including rural tourism, in the Vologda region. The article characterizes the activities of the government bodies of the Vologda region to create conditions for the development of the tourism industry. The study proves the prospects for the development of rural tourism in the region, shows the possibilities of forming complex tourist products. The article identifies the main problems of rural tourism development in the region and determines the directions of their solution. The paper considers the role of local governments in the development of rural tourism. The authors justify the necessity of more active implementation of the project approach in the practice of municipal administration in order to fully apply the tourist potential of the region’s territories. The study emphasizes public-private and municipal-private partnerships as one of the most effective ways to attract investment in the development of tourist infrastructure.

The purpose of the study is to formalize the marketing contour of the HR policy of the agrotourism sphere in Russia. The article analyzes the current state of the agrotourism market in Russia. The importance of the role of marketing communications in the development of rural tourism is considered. The main channels of marketing communications in the field of agrotourism are analyzed, the model of a complex of marketing communications focused on promoting the product of agrotourism in the Russian Federation is described. The factors hindering the development of agrotourism in Russia, as well as the system of organization of modern rural tourism are studied. The importance and significance of the process of promoting agrotouristic services is noted, a complex of modern marketing communications with agrotourists is given; Internet communications are an effective tool for promoting agrotourism objects, but for the optimal choice of the promotion concept, it is necessary to determine the portrait of a potential agrotourist. For the long-term development of agrotourism in Russia, it is necessary to develop state and regional programs to support agribusiness, increase the number of services provided, improve the territories and preserve the rich resource potential of the regions of Russia. It is noted that the contribution to the achievement of goals and the quality of services provided in the agro-tourism sector largely depends on the effectiveness of personnel selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the article is to study, generalize and analyze current trends and prospects for the development of agrotourism in Russia with the help of personnel marketing elements. The article determines that a significant constraint on the development of the sub-sector is the imperfection of the regulatory framework and the vagueness of direct state support; legislation in the field of agrotourism is only being formed, existing assistance measures do not meet the request of society. The prospects of agrotourism are connected with the process of forming an institutional environment and developing tools for targeted state support. Results: a new impulse to realize the potential of agrotourism is associated with the coronavirus pandemic and the demand for domestic travel. As conclusions, the necessity of improving the system of state regulation and support for the development of rural tourism is established; trends that will contribute to the development of rural tourism in the conditions of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as options for the development of tourism in rural areas are highlighted; the main stages are highlighted and the mechanisms for the development of rural tourism in the region are described, which are based on the joint active work of entrepreneurs, the state and non-profit organizations; the main measures that contribute to the realization of the potential of agrotourism as a promising direction of sustainable development through the prism of personnel marketing elements are identified.© 2021 EA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper carried out a relevant, realistic and clear image on the current situation of rural tourism and agrotourism in terms of defining quality indicators and service offering to tourists visiting Valcea County. To achieve this, ten representative indicators were studied, based on which a system of quantification of the level of total quality management (TQM) was built, of the rural tourism activities carried out in this county. From the analysis and interpretation of the data and results obtained, it was concluded that the level of supply and services provided to tourists in terms of total quality is average, this is mainly due to low tourism supply, lack of a complete inventory of tourism resources, the partial capitalization of the existing resources, the lack of initiative and a tourism development strategy adapted to the territorial reality. Finally, it was concluded that the main directions for the development of rural tourism in Vâlcea County will have to aim at increasing the quality of tourist services, diversifying the tourist offer and more aggressively promoting the county as a tourist destination. The implementation of the principles of total quality management (TQM) should in the future determine all tourist reception structures to give more importance to customer expectations, which will lead to increasing their competitiveness in the domestic and foreign tourism market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the work was to assess and identify potential perspectives for the development of agrotourism activity in the Hacienda Guachinango del Valle de los Ingenios in the Trinidad municipality, so that the methodology applied and the results achieved can serve as a reference for application in other similar contexts in the country and in the Central American area. For this, the analysis and synthesis of spatial elements, discussion groups, the interpretation of descriptive statistics, and the study of the natural and social environment were applied. The diagnosis of resources was carried out in this work to determine the degree of competitiveness and attraction of the agrotourism product, and it was possible to establish the most convenient strategies to follow, considering the real possibilities of prospective development of the place studied. It was concluded that the proposal to develop agrotourism in Hacienda Guachinango constitutes a viable option to design and introduce a strategy for growth and socioeconomic reactivation based on the use of the natural, historical, cultural, and social potentialities of the small families dedicated to agricultural work.

Capitalizing on the natural, cultural and anthropogenic potential for tourism in rural areas represents an important chance for local economy in Romania. Some of the main assets of a rural touristic destination are weather and climate conditions along with overall quality of services provided. Therefore, including climate and other relevant environmental information (e.g. on the greenness of the vegetation, low level of pollution etc.) in the promotion of agrotourism may contribute to a faster uptake of potential consumers/tourists and increase of overall success of the agritourist activity. In this line, we present a selection of such information tailored for tourism and customizable for specific locations which may positively contribute to building the image of the agritourist destination. The information, developed by the National Meteorological Administration, is currently available for 160 touristic locations in Romania, free of charge, through the web-based application WECTOU (Weather and Climate for Tourism) http://wectou.meteoromania.ro/. Personalized information is available as well as a larger palette of climate and environmental products, such that to answer efficiently the specific requirements of the user. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every moment that passes in the process of social evolution makes evident the increasing concern for the welfare of the human future, since many of the activities that are carried out cause strong negative externalities. In this position, it is found the t ourist activity, which is why the development of a sustainable tourist model, ideal for family time, becomes an imperative need. This research arises from the problem of not taking advantage of the resources of the "El Trébol" Integral Forestry Farm in Havana del Este, for the development of rural tourism. Therefore, the general objective was established as follows: To propose the design of the GreenRoad tourist product for the Ecotur S.A. travel agency. In order to achieve this objective, an applied, descriptive and field research was carried out and a methodology on the design of tourist products was used, to which some modifications were made to achieve a better adjustment with the objective of the work. In the development of the research, a series of tec hniques and methodological tools were used, among which the O'Meara test and non-probabilistic random sampling were used, using the Statistica SPSS program. The main result was the proposal for the design of the GreenRoad tourism product in order to promot e environmentally responsible tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aimed to carry out a detailed and complex study on the possibility and opportunity of applying total management to the boarding house Frații Jderi in Păscoia, Vâlcea County using a modern research methodology and perfectly adapted to the proposed topic. First of all, the tourist potential of the area, represented by the richness and beauty of the natural and anthropic tourist resources, was analyzed very well from all points of view. Also, data were collected on the position and accessibility in the area, the architectural style of the pension which is one adapted to the specifics of the area with a perfect fit in the beauty and harmony of the local landscape. At the same time, the main indicators that define the application of total quality management in the "Frații Jderi" holiday village and which reflect the evolution of the rural tourism activity as: accommodation capacity, number of arrivals in boarding house, number of overnight stays in boarding houses were realistically and pertinently analyzed. Along with them, other indicators were approached: indicators of tourist demand, indicators of tourist circulation, indicators of tourist offer, indicators of the quality of tourist activity. At the end of the research, it was found from the processing of all data, that the administrator and staff working in the pension apply a management that fully respects the principles of total quality, because almost all indicators analyzed have grown steadily from year to year, significantly exceeding average values national. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Object of research there are current problems and the prospects of development (green) tourism in Ukraine. Methods which were used in the course of the research. A methodological basis of a research is an integrated approach, system structure analysis and a dialectic method of scientific knowledge. The following methods were applied to implementation of the tasks: statistical, comparing, generalizations, deductions and others. Results of a research. Today rural green tourism, by recognition of experts of the World tourist Organization, is one of sectors of the tourist industry dynamically grows. Rural green tourism is the integral component of complex social and economic development of rural territories and one of cures of many rural problems. It very positive influence on expansion of the sphere of employment of a rural population, especially women, gives to villagers additional earnings, expands possibilities of employment of the rural owner not only in the production sphere, but also in services industry. Thus, article is devoted to current problems and the prospects of development (green) tourism in Ukraine, namely: – the essence of categories «rural tourism», «rural green tourism», «agrotourism», «ecotourism», «rural estate», «rural territory», «rural population», «market of rural tourist services» is defined; – are considered and analysed the market of rural tourist services in Ukraine; – factors of influence on the prospect of development of rural (green) tourism are defined and prime measures for ensuring priority of development of this segment of the sphere for development of rural tourism in Ukraine are proposed. Range of application of results: the state tourism agency of Ukraine and resorts bodies, the government, local government bodies, in educational process when teaching registration disciplines. Conclusions. Today development of rural (green) tourism which practices in Ukraine long ago is relevant. In the rural zone having the relevant recreational base there was always a lot of a having a rest urban population. Involvement of travel companies in the sphere of rural tourism, will allow to popularize better green tourism and to bring him to the new level of development.

This article shows the importance of agro tourism farms as a key element of tourism development. Explains the scope of rural tourism and its range of activities, products and services they can provide farmers and peasants. The scope of agrotourism and its range of activities are explained, and relate the products and services that farmers and peasants can provide. In addition, sets out the new ways of seeing the rural tourism in particular in the canton Milagro, Ecuador, relating it to the development of tourism in the city and the region, awakening the interest of people in tourism. Emphasizing that the Milagro canton is not only the center of trade in the region, but also is emerging as a power in agrotourism, which still not been exploited fully.

Despite the active development of rural tourism in Ukraine, this phenomenon is still under scientific study nowadays, which has been manifested by the uncertainty of the key terms; by the lack of clear boundaries, which can separate this type of tourism from other types of tourism activities; by debates about the essence and types of rural tourism. After analyzing the available information the author offers own generalized definition of rural tourism. Rural tourism is a specific entertaining and educational type of tourism, which is based on the tourists’ stay within rural estates, for the purpose of studying the life of peasants, acquaintance with traditional crafts, culture and customs of the rural population, knowledge of the natural, historical and cultural sites in and around rural settlements. Spatially this type of tourism is limited to the territory of rural settlements, their surroundings, adjacent areas and lands which are used or were used in agricultural production in the recent past. Rural tourism includes various types of tourist-recreational activities – relaxational and cognitive, nature-oriented and those using historical-cultural and industrial resources of the countryside. Rural tourism is a multifaceted phenomenon which can be viewed from different angles: as a specific type of tourist-recreational activities that takes place in rural areas; as a form of private entrepreneurship in rural areas which can become a source of significant financial income of peasant families and local budgets under certain conditions; as a way of maintaining sustainable development of rural areas through effective, balanced use of natural, historical-cultural and human resources, the preservation and promotion of ethnic-cultural identity of the peasantry, protection and perception of the environment.

Copyright of Agronomy Journal / Agronomski Glasnik (0002-1954) is the property of Croatian Society of Agronomists and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Rural tourism is both old and new phenomenon. The interest for recreation in the countryside began to grow as early as XIX century, as a reaction to the pressure of growing urbanization and industrialization. Serbia has great potentials for development of rural tourism. Natural beauty in combination with culture, tradition, festivals, gastronomic specialties and music, might become recognizable tourist brand, which could contribute to the significant monetary influx and improve the overall image of the country. However, current level of Serbia's competitiveness in the area of rural tourism is not particularly high, regardless of the fact that all of the natural, cultural and social prerequisites for its development already exist (natural potentials, significant farming land, great number of agriculturally active population, traditional approach to agriculture, lack of ground pollution as well as the possibility of producing 'healthy food', good potential for development of complementary activities such as hiking, recreation, hunting, fishing, riding and participating in everyday activities of the country folk, traditional local gastronomical specialties etc.). The goal of this paper is to show the resources of Serbia in the area of rural tourism as well as the possible development potentials of this form of tourism.

The study focuses on highlighting the current status of rural tourism and of the tendencies in its development in terms of some tourist indicators and the relationship between them and the tourist potential of the parishes, even from the disadvantaged areas. The inquiry of the statistics data and of the different situations at the level of county and parish / parishes, their analysis and interpretation outlines spaces of Romania characterized through emphasised dynamics or through a weakly developed one of tourism, probably also as a direct answer to the various actions of implementation of the documents connected with the policy of rural space at the level of counties or even within the same county. There are rural areas where entrepreneurship (farmers / owners of agroturist boarding houses) plays an important role in the development and diversification of tourist activities through cultural and economic convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new trends that differentiate the current international sociodemographic development constitute antecedents that demand a novel approach in the formulation of commercial offers to complement the traditional sun and beach offers, which allow to renovate the travel motivations of goal market segments. The objective of the study was to propose an alternative farm model which allows the performance of rural life activities and the fluid and bidirectional exchange between tourists and hosts, with a respectful approach towards Cuban countryside traditions, discretion in the client's privacy and rational, efficient and sustainable utilization of local resources. The study was adjusted to a methodological client-oriented approach. A diversified agrotourism farm model was obtained in correspondence with the width and variety of tourist resources of a certain rural space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecotourism, green tourism, rural tourism are just some of the terms that define the tourism activities taking place in specific and unique environment offered by rural areas. If ecotourism and green tourism are usually concepts related to a particular component of tourism, that the activities in nature and nature protection purposes, the concept of rural tourism is a term that includes all forms of tourism that takes place in rural areas,including agrotourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted in May-June 2013, in two places in the tourist area called "Mărginimea Sibiului", Sibiu, Romania. The research instrument used was a questionnaire comprising 25 questions and was sent to the owners / managers of pensions (18 people) by 9 people from rural places Sibiel and 9 people from Gura Râului. According to data from Sibiu County Tourism Association, in Sibiel there are recorded 40 tourist structures, and in Gura Râului, 22. Data from the field were processed, systematized and interpreted. The overall objectives were: establishing typology of tourist structures, knowing the comfort of pensions, the average capacity of accommodation, the average length of stay. Special attention was given to the knowledge of the main sights of natural and anthropogenic existing and surrounding area. Improving in pensions an infrastructure for sport as a means of leisure was another objective of the research. We also were interested in issues related to the average age of tourists, their backgrounds, insofar there is demand for sports. We wanted to see if the pensions are serving traditional products and cuisine and their origin. Another goal pursued was related to the education level of owners / managers of pensions, their satisfaction in relation to the results achieved, difficulties encountered in the current work, and how to promote services and products. The paper presents some ways to promote rural tourism in Sibiu.

The paper discusses the importance of rural tourism and sustainable rural areas development. It highlights the role of tourism in dealing with problems of rural areas and agriculture sector in the Czech Republic. After theoretical description of a system approach to rural tourism development, the author continues by a practical part where she compares tourism and agrotourism management in the Czech Republic and Austria. Austria has been chosen as a representative of a state with developed tourism system and tourism management. Selected aspects of management systems are then compared and proposed for improvement in tourism/agrotourism. Critical key factor for successful development of activities in rural areas (therefore including agrotourism services) are then presented.

Despite the active development of rural tourism in Ukraine, this phenomenon is still under scientific study nowadays, which has been manifested by the uncertainty of the key terms; by the lack of clear boundaries, which can separate this type of tourism from other types of tourism activities; by debates about the essence and types of rural tourism. After analyzing the available information the author offers own generalized definition of rural tourism. Rural tourism is a specific entertaining and educational type of tourism, which is based on the tourists' stay within rural estates, for the purpose of studying the life of peasants, acquaintance with traditional crafts, culture and customs of the rural population, knowledge of the natural, historical and cultural sites in and around rural settlements. Spatially this type of tourism is limited to the territory of rural settlements, their surroundings, adjacent areas and lands which are used or were used in agricultural production in the recent past. Rural tourism includes various types of tourist-recreational activities - relaxational and cognitive, nature-oriented and those using historical-cultural and industrial resources of the countryside. Rural tourism is a multifaceted phenomenon which can be viewed from different angles: as a specific type of tourist-recreational activities that takes place in rural areas; as a form of private entrepreneurship in rural areas which can become a source of significant financial income of peasant families and local budgets under certain conditions; as a way of maintaining sustainable development of rural areas through effective, balanced use of natural, historical-cultural and human resources, the preservation and promotion of ethnic-cultural identity of the peasantry, protection and perception of the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the actual stage of development in the fields of agrotourism and rural tourism in Sibiu County. Using data provided by the Tourism Ministry of Romania and Sibiu Association of Tourism enabled us to analyze the number of units specific to rural tourism. It was conducted a sociological survey in 70 rural pensions from 15 localities situated in Sibiu County, between 2015 and 2016. The work instrument was a questionnaire with 24 items. Sustainable development is harmoniously combined with tourism development, especially the rural one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the evolution of rural tourism since the early '70s, the time of onset, and indicates the discontinuity recorded especially after 1989 until the brink of the preparation for Romania's joining the European Union and the present state, one far behind the countries with extremely high degree of urbanization and industrialization, probably as a result of a lack of strategy for this form of tourism in which the beneficiary is the Ministry of Tourism, as the health tourism and ecotourism have recently had. The location of many villages in areas of outstanding natural landscapes, the richness and variety of cultural heritage that endows them, are issues related to an increased tourism potential that can be capitalized and those unique tourism products that can not be seen, admired and offered by other countries.

This paper analyzes the evolution of rural tourism since the early '70s, the time of onset, and indicates the discontinuity recorded especially after 1989 until the brink of the preparation for Romania's joining the European Union and the present state, one far behind the countries with extremely high degree of urbanization and industrialization, probably as a result of a lack of strategy for this form of tourism in which the beneficiary is the Ministry of Tourism, as the health tourism and ecotourism have recently had. The location of many villages in areas of outstanding natural landscapes, the richness and variety of cultural heritage that endows them, are issues related to an increased tourism potential that can be capitalized and those unique tourism products that can not be seen, admired and offered by other countries.

This paper deals with problems of rural tourism development. The works is focused on researching the situation in the area of rural tourism in the Czech Republic, on understanding the attitudes of entrepreneurial sphere and rural population to this entrepreneurship and mainly on the determination of limiting factors that prevent this form of tourism from a more distinctive development. Rural tourism in the Czech Republic is still in the initiating stage of its development and it is not as developed as in some countries in West Europe. This goal has been reached with the help of primary questionnaire inquiry among business and agricultural subjects in rural areas in the individual regions and the detail results of this questionnaire inquiry are enclosed to the following paper. These identified factors were mainly insufficient financial means and at the same time insufficient state assistance connected with this. Insufficient awareness of this support as well as its inaccessibility for small business appears to be a difficulty, too. From the other obstacles, we can mention the current legislation system, bureaucracy, the state of communication and tourist infrastructure, fears of neighbours' intolerance and losing privacy and also unfamiliarity and little experience.