Agritourism is rural tourism: types and forms, routes, reviews. How to organize green tourism What is agritourism

Rural tourism (or agritourism)- this is a type of tourism that involves the temporary stay of tourists in rural areas for the purpose of recreation and / or participation in agricultural work; sector of the tourism industry, focused on the use of natural, cultural, historical and other resources of the countryside and its specifics to create a comprehensive tourism product.

Mandatory condition: tourist accommodation facilities, individual or specialized, must be located in rural areas or small towns without industrial and high-rise buildings.

First of all, rural tourism is expected to bring tranquility and regularity to rural life, clean air, silence and natural products, comfortable living conditions, a homely atmosphere, reasonable prices, a sense of closeness to nature, getting new experiences, getting to know local traditions, opportunities for entertainment for children and leisure activities for adults.

Initially, rural tourism in Russia arose as a result of the development of the hotel industry in large resort areas (seaside resorts of the Black and Azov Seas, sanatorium centers).

At present, in connection with the changed economic situation in the agricultural sector, characterized by an increase in the mechanization and automation of agricultural production and a decrease in the number of people employed in the production of agricultural products, the question of finding new types of activities that would replace or supplement agricultural activities has become acute.

The development of agro-tourism in the territories perfectly solves this problem, since it is the tourism component that can become a “catalyst” for the economic growth of the village. There are several explanations for this.

Firstly, tourism activity is attractive with small initial investments, because for the villagers who have very limited funds, this is practically a defining moment.

Secondly, tourism is a profitable industry with a high level of profitability, a minimum payback period, which is very important for quick income generation.

With the continuing trend of growth in demand for tourist services in the world and in Russia, rural tourism services are becoming increasingly important. This is due to the prerequisites of an urban nature, and with the increase in the duration of vacations, and with the increased interest of people in travel. Interest is added by the insignificant incomes of the majority of the population of Russia, which often make rural tourism the only possible way to get a good rest for a very moderate fee.

The development of agro-tourism raises the economy of the village. The economic structure of villages is being improved, the development of industries involved in the hospitality industry is being stimulated, those villages and villages that were previously considered depressive and unpromising for the development of other types of activity are involved in the economy.

As a demonstration of the economic efficiency of agritourism farms, let's compare the economic performance of two projects: "Solar Farm", p. Mednoye, Tver Region, and Olgin Khutor, village of Bereznyuk, Pechora District, Pskov Region.

Note. The given data are posted on the website of the AgroTourism Association http://www.agritourism.ru.

In accordance with the data presented, both projects, regardless of the initial investment, are highly profitable and quickly payback. Moreover, in the Olgin Khutor farm with a higher profitability of 60.0%, revenue from the provision of tourism services predominates, while in the Solnechnaya Farm farm with a profitability of 47.6%, the revenue is distributed in approximately equal proportions - half is revenue from the provision of tourist services. services, and the other half - revenue from sold agricultural products.

But, despite the high share of the agricultural component in the revenue of the Solnechnaya Ferma farm, the profitability of the implementation of the complex agricultural tourism product is very high, which indicates that the sale of agricultural products through agricultural tourism is an effective way to increase the efficiency of agricultural activities, both with the use of processing industries and without them.

Thus, based on the data provided orally by the owners of the considered agro-tourist complexes, we can conclude that agro-tourism activities are highly profitable, and investments in such projects quickly pay off - from 2 to 4 years, depending on the initial investment and the share revenue received from the sale of tourism services in the total revenue of the economy.

Recently, rural tourism destinations are becoming more and more popular, and the rural tourism business is registering an increasing volume of sales from year to year, attracting an increasing number of businessmen to this field of activity.

Rice. 1. Trends favorable for rural tourism in the formation of tourist flows

Tourist business specialists do not get tired of predicting an unprecedented growth in the development of rural tourism, for which Russia has huge resources. There are already offers of an agro-tourism product in Altai, in the Kaliningrad, Leningrad and Pskov regions, the Krasnodar Territory.

But tourism product not the same as tourist resource. They differ in the same way that the gas in a gas burner differs from the gas in the Shtokman field. And the process of turning a tourist resource into a product is just as long and painstaking, and also requires professional and financial support.

Demand tourism resources(But not a tourist product!) There is undoubtedly a Russian province, this is evidenced by the flow of unorganized tourists in a number of popular places in the middle lane, where there are guest houses, but for the most part there is no rural tourism infrastructure. Therefore, today it is most optimal to call rural tourism in Russia more modestly - "rural hospitality". Perhaps this is even more correct from a historical point of view, since Russian people have always been hospitable towards guests.

Let's define the terminology.

rural hospitality- the first stage of development of rural tourism. That is, the population of rural areas (possibly also urban), including farmers, who have empty houses, rooms or floors in their own houses, provides them with minimal furniture and household items (dishes, bed linen, towels, etc.) for rent from two days to several months. To create a more cordial welcome, the hosts can offer additional services to guests: organization of recreational activities (bathhouse, barbecue, walking together for berries and mushrooms, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, etc.); enlisting a guest to help with simple agricultural work, such as feeding animals, harvesting berries or vegetables.

Guest estates And tourist villages may be the next stage in the development of rural tourism.

Tourist (guest) homestead- a tourist facility in the countryside, performing the function of a rural hotel. It consists of a residential building with a number of rooms from 2 rooms, usually with a bathhouse, a gazebo, a barbecue area, with outbuildings. It has an adjacent territory, designed in the form of a park, constituting a single cultural landscape with utility and residential buildings.

tourist village- a tourist facility in the countryside, a specialized hotel that performs the function of a rural hotel. It consists of several buildings (buildings), united by a single concept, having a single infrastructure and management.

Another form of agro-tourism facility that is developing on the territory of Russia is a historical settlement.

Historic settlement(“historical village”, “national village” or another type of settlement - camp, Bashkir aul, “fishing”, “hunting village”, etc.) - a tourist site in the countryside, on the territory of which cultural heritage objects created by in the past, representing archaeological, historical, architectural, urban, aesthetic, scientific or socio-cultural value, which are important for preserving the identity of the peoples of the Russian Federation, their contribution to world civilization. The main task of the historical settlement is the reconstruction and reconstruction of the historical socio-cultural environment.

Typology of accommodation facilities

If we take accommodation facilities as the basis for classification, then there are large country differences. Nevertheless, several typical models can be distinguished:

Accommodation on farms and estates in the same house with the owner (a separate room with private facilities) - practiced in most countries;
- Apartments in the same house with the owner or in a complex of buildings on the estate (agricultural farm) - practiced in most countries;
- Renting a whole house/cottage - practiced in most countries;
- A room in a rural hotel - practiced in most countries;
- Placement in historic buildings in rural areas or small towns - practiced in Western Europe;
- Accommodation in a tent camp on the territory of a manor or a private campsite - not in all countries is considered as agro-tourism;
- Camping at sports facilities specializing in active sports (equestrianism, cycling, tennis, swimming, etc.) - not in all countries is considered as agrotourism;
- Accommodation in separate cottages stylized as a traditional dwelling, but equipped with all amenities, of a private tourist center offering a full package of tourist services and specially built in a rural area with a unique landscape - is not practiced in all countries.

Rural tourism (also called "green" tourism or agritourism) is a relatively new phenomenon in the domestic tourism industry. Although in other countries such an unusual type of recreation has long been very popular, especially among residents of megacities: 35-40% of Europeans prefer to relax not in well-known resorts, but in the countryside.

The Czech Republic, Great Britain and Hungary are considered leaders in the field of agritourism. With the assistance of the Council of Europe, the European Federation of Village and Farm Tourism was founded, which includes 24 countries. In Europe, the organization of agricultural tours brings a stable and growing income. In the EU countries, it is, according to a rough estimate, 20-25% of the total income of the tourism industry. This figure increases by several percent every year.

The portrait of the target audience for this type of service looks like this:

• 65% women and 35% men;
• families with an average of two children;
• people leading an active sports lifestyle who strive to be closer to nature and open to everything new;
• 37% of rural tourists are people aged 35 to 49, the rest are young people aged 20 to 35 who dream of rural romance, and the older generation who want to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the big city.
• families with a high level of income living in large cities, as well as married couples of retirement age.

In our country, rural tourism is just beginning to gain popularity, so there is practically no competition in this segment at the moment. Basically, tours are organized in the Krasnodar Territory, Altai, Karelia, Leningrad, Pskov, Yaroslavl, Ryazan and Kaliningrad regions. Nevertheless, experts predict a rapid growth in demand for such services in all regions of Russia over the next few years.

What is the difference between rural tourism and conventional tourism? Agritourists spend their leisure time not in campsites in the forest and not in hiking in the mountains, but in the countryside with all the delights of village life. This type of recreation attracts residents of large cities who have never been to the countryside before.

Tourists are accommodated in rural areas, where there is no industry and no high-rise buildings. The agency rents the so-called guest houses, rooms or separate floors to the participants of the tour with all the necessary furniture, utensils, bed linen, towels and other household items. You can rent a room or a house in the village for a period of two days (weekend tour) to several months (for example, for the whole summer). Vacationers enjoy closeness to nature, fresh air and healthy country food made from organic products.

So, rural tourism is a new and promising direction that deserves attention. It would seem that it could be simpler: just choose any village in the region, negotiate a lease with local residents, place ads in newspapers and wait for calls from the first customers. However, like any other business, it has its pitfalls.

Let's start with the fact that "any village" is not suitable for agritourism. Tour participants expect from such a vacation, first of all, a calm and measured life in an idyllic outback, including clean air and silence, comfortable living conditions (since let's not forget that the main target audience of such tours are people who are used to the conveniences of city apartments ), homely atmosphere, affordable prices, natural products and delicious food, pleasant experiences, a large selection of entertainment for children and adults.

The infrastructure of rural tourism implies good transport links between settlements, the availability of places for leisure activities (cafes and taverns, a horse riding center, tennis courts, baths, hunting bases, livestock farms, etc.) and all the necessary amenities in a rented house or premises. Guests are accommodated (this is what tourists who come to rest in the village are called) in guest houses or in separate rooms, which ideally have a separate entrance, running water, dry closet and at least a minimum set of household appliances.

As entertainment, they are offered a beach holiday on the river bank, fishing, hunting, picking mushrooms and berries, visiting a bathhouse, cycling and horseback riding, excursions to local attractions, visiting a farm, feeding animals.

Unfortunately, many Russian villages and villages do not meet these requirements. Obviously, in most cases, companies organizing agricultural tours cannot do without state support. Many government officials have already realized the importance of this direction in tourism and are making every effort to make their region attractive to lovers of rural recreation.

The development of agritourism business goes in two directions - the development of a network of tour operators who work in the field of domestic tourism, search for clients and solve all organizational issues, as well as the creation of guest houses in villages and villages where vacationers stay. The owner of such a house registers his entrepreneurial activity with the tax office and receives the status of an individual entrepreneur, and then concludes an agreement for the accommodation of guests with one or more tour operators.

According to surveys that were conducted in Moscow, the Moscow suburbs and Ryazan, the majority of residents of large cities, in addition to the capital, agree to pay from 500 to 1000 rubles per day for accommodation (including meals) in a wooden house with partial amenities. Muscovites, on the other hand, are ready to pay much more, but they also make higher demands on living conditions (ideally, a cottage with all amenities, including modern technology).

The predominant part of the respondents from the preferred types of recreation named hunting, fishing and gastronomic tourism. At the same time, older people were more interested in visiting historical and cultural attractions. The optimal period of residence and rest in rural areas was 5-10 days. But short weekend tours were no less in demand. Summer was named as the preferred time for rest, and winter was in second place (mainly for the purpose of hunting and fishing). In spring and autumn, there is a decline in agritourism.

Sysoeva Lilia
- portal of business plans and guidelines

Agritourism is now in vogue, even songs are written about it, and the St. Petersburg chansonnier Igor Rasteryaev, with a blow of one string, is able to awaken in people such a longing for their native meadows and fields that the audience cries out loud. And really, why not go? At least once in your life, drink milk from under a cow, try on rural worries and sleep to your heart's content in a fragrant hayloft. By the way, they are calling to the hayloft from all sides - every eco-farm and self-respecting guest house posts on the Internet a photo of this exotic structure made of freshly cut grass as an advertisement.

NO WORSE THAN IN EUROPE

In Russia today there are 1.5 thousand rural tourist houses (according to unofficial data - more than 4 thousand).Some courageous experts estimate the potential in the field of rural tourism at 50-60 billion rubles a year.

It's real, - Taras Astakhov, the head of the agritourism association, convinced the correspondent six years ago. - Look how many abandoned huts and empty villages we have. Put your hands in, invite tourists - and here you have a highly efficient industry.

Either something is wrong with the hands, or the reason is that in recent years 28,000 villages and villages have completely disappeared from the map of the country, but mind-boggling billions have missed the budget. However, according to the association's website, the new tourist destination, which provides city dwellers with the pleasures of country life, is growing and expanding. Vologda, Kostroma, Ryazan, Tver, Tula, Yaroslavl, Penza regions, Altai, Karelia, Chuvashia, Moscow region and the surroundings of St. Petersburg are named leaders in this matter. One guest house was found even in the rural wilds of Chukotka. The NI correspondent did not go that far, she simply learned from hearsay that the occupancy rate at home is colossal, Muscovites sign up a year in advance, foreigners have a five-year turn.

GOT CRAZY ON ANOTHER EXPERIENCE

Half a century ago, Europe sensed the irresistible craving of city dwellers for rural landscapes and made good money on it. In Italy, for example, up to 50% of the tourist services market is occupied by rural tourism, in France only 7% of travelers stay in hotels, the rest prefer farmhouses and village campsites. In Spain, one and a half million people visited the countryside last year. The main attraction of such tourism is that you not only relax in nature, but also get acquainted with local traditions, you can mow the grass, milk, help at the cheese factory. For this - a free lunch and an overnight stay for mere pennies.

Starting with rural tourism, Russian initiators first of all went to Europe, for experience. Ural officials, for example, took with them even ordinary peasants, who were to become pioneers of domestic agro-tourism.

We almost went crazy there, - said the head of the subsidiary farm Vera Kadysheva from the Chelyabinsk region. - We arrived at the family farm, 2000 heads of cattle, a lot of birds, a husband and wife and a sixteen-year-old son work. Everything is clean, beautiful. When do they succeed? We were settled in houses, each with his own room, shower, toilet, bidet. Mom dear! I saw this bidet for the first time in my life, I was afraid to use it. I have a toilet in the garden, knocked together from anything, there is no gas or water in the house. Yes, and in a hundred years I will not be equal to the French! Our bosses reassure: you, most importantly, learn a little, and we will have everything, the government is interested in domestic tourism. But we were very depressed, especially when the farmer's son brought us three baskets of eggs for breakfast. We sit and think: why so much? And this is your choice: soft-boiled, in a bag and hard-boiled. Meat is also a choice - beef, pork, turkey, everything is fresh. I have two piglets, three sheep and a dozen chickens at home - guests will eat in a week and tourism will end there. Just went to Europe in vain.

But no, the experience was useful. A team came from the region: for everyone who wants to make money on rural tourism, weave baskets and lay eggs there. They spun. Eggs go out, guests do not go. Thank God, a familiar merchant bought up weaving in bulk - 10 rubles apiece, and it is not known how much he sold in the city. But tourism in the Urals has not died. Last year there was an attestation of the housing stock. The commission traveled to the districts and assigned stars to potential guest houses. Everyone, of course, tidied up, washed the windows, washed the rags in order to pull at least one star. But rags are not the main thing. If there was a hayloft, three stars were assigned automatically, and if the living creatures were moving, and it smelled of delicious borscht, four was the only way.

THROUGH THORNS TO PEACE

And what's so funny, - besieged the correspondent Vladimir Frolov from the Yaroslavl region, who had eaten his teeth on rural tourism. - A new business always breaks through thorns. - And that the state participates and helps - it's not bad at all. If only they would give loans - for development and for roads, we would raise the village in such a way that Europe would be envious. But for now, we stew in our own juice.

For ten years of voluntary cooking, Frolov and his wife Elena built two comfortable guest houses in an almost extinct village at the junction of the Moscow, Yaroslavl and Vladimir regions. The geographical position, thanks to which “the rooster sings for three provinces”, has become a tourist feature of their family farm. “People are good at it,” says Vladimir. Although, besides the rooster, there is something to lure here - the meadows around are immense, the forests are reserved, the air is transparent, this does not happen in the city.

But, a day or two, people breathed in - and to Moscow. And the Frolovs need to stay longer - 8 million swollen into guest houses have not yet been recaptured, they hang on the farm like a dead weight.

The Frolovs own 13 hectares, the initial capital was once made on potatoes. She was somehow special, even from the north they came for her. Then interest disappeared, they began to think about another profitable business, settled on subsidiary farming and ecotourism. For this, guest towers were built. Only to feed the tourists was not profitable.

Five to seven people a week will come, each with their own pickles, I can’t stand at the stove for days. There are also endless complaints - either the stomach hurts, or you need dietary, 15 percent sour cream, and not the one in which the spoon stands, - Elena complained. - We stopped this case. For a sleeping place we take in a divine way - 2000 rubles per day, and take food with you. The kitchen is equipped, there is gas, a microwave oven, beds with greenery have been planted for them - help yourself!

It must be said that these beds are painful to look at - visiting nature lovers do not consider it necessary to look for parsley in the grass, and even to pull out a weed - there is no such thing at all. Again claims to the owners - it would be better if you planted a lawn. Frolov is a principled opponent of everything artificial, he also has eco-tourism, so he is trying to slip pristine nature on tourists.

A lot of people don't care, he admits bitterly. - They will stare at the district for a couple of hours - and into the house, sour. The bottles are then raked out in bags. As soon as I didn’t go out of my way to interest me in something else. The museum did it - stuffed all sorts of old utensils into the barn - cast iron, tongs. They will come back - you have here, they say, it smells bad. Of course, it smells - two cows behind the wall, piglets, geese. Manure! And how did they imagine the village?

Generally speaking, it's not worth the hassle. Frolov found something to intrigue the public - he dug a pond 3x4 meters and lied that a carp has been living there for three hundred years, which fulfills wishes. Some are now on the bank for days, looking out for carp, there is no time even to have a hangover. Because of the magic, it seems that the contingent of vacationers has also changed. There are fewer young people, 70% of vacationers are women of strong Balzac age, the remaining 30% are elderly couples. (General, incidentally, the trend in rural tourism). They live for a long time, behave quietly, do not ask for food, and pay carefully. So the Frolovs have 200 thousand rubles a year from tourists. The cow gives them the same amount. The business is flexible, interchangeable: there are no tourists - they start a second cow, with an influx of guests - and one is enough.

STARVED

It must be said that livestock on the farm and delicious village food are so atypical for the Russian rural tourism industry that one cannot count on a well-fed vacation. But you can be sure that if you fall into the hands of home-grown businessmen, you will remain not only hungry, but, as they say, without pants. Here is the testimony of Muscovite Nina Tatarintseva:

“My husband and I are big supporters of a healthy lifestyle, we love nature, we eschew large crowds of people on vacation,” she writes on the My Land forum. – When ecotourism began to develop in the country and the opportunity to spend the summer in the village appeared, we seized on it. Our children were already of such an age when the world opens up for them, every insect and blade of grass delights. The first time we went to the Turgenev region, we were tempted - Bezhin Lug, horseback riding, a strong farm where they grow marbled beef. As a result, we got only a house furnished like a city apartment, with air conditioning, plasma TV, orthopedic mattresses on the beds, armchairs and floor lamps and a lot of other unnecessary things. For these pleasures we paid 20,000 rubles a day. Food - from tea to marbled beef - for a fee. I have not seen such price tags even in Moscow restaurants - a teapot of boiling water with tea leaves - 500 rubles, a rosette of honey - 300. In addition, it turned out that our farmer does not keep any living creatures, there are not even chickens to buy fresh eggs from him. Everything is brought from the nearest supermarket in Cherni with a “delivery charge” markup. They began to drive themselves. They bought all the same, bored in the city, sausages, sausage, got hold of greens from local residents, who were also not averse to making commerce on vacationers. As a result, a three-week vacation in the countryside for a family of four cost us the same amount as two months in Montenegro. Subsequently, for another four years we went to eco-farms in the Smolensk, Vladimir and Kursk regions. Everywhere there is no agricultural activity, you pay for everything. Only walks around the area are free.

The NI correspondent herself was convinced of this by calling two dozen guest houses that offer services for organizing a “village vacation” via the Internet. The lowest price for housing - 2000 rubles per person per day - was found in the Perm Territory, in an old hut and a toilet on the street. Shower is not provided. At the other end, they were even surprised: “Are you really here for a long time? You won’t have time to get dirty in two or three days.” They didn’t promise to feed either - “a store is two kilometers away, everything is there, alcohol around the clock.”

On average, a guest house with three bedrooms costs from 12 thousand rubles per day. Overnight in the hayloft with sheets and a blanket - 3 thousand, but people there can not stand it for a long time - until the first mouse. Therefore, the hayloft, rather, for the surroundings. Rental of sun loungers and garden furniture - 1000 rubles per day, barbecue and barbecue accessories - 500 rubles for 2 hours, washing in the bath for the same two hours - 3,000 rubles. Half an hour of riding or on a cart - a thousand rubles, a visit to the apiary (2 hours) - 2 thousand. I wonder how much it costs to pet a calf? I won’t speak for everyone, but the Yastrebov brothers from the Vladimir region have a tour of the farm for free. You can, as they write, stroke,touch, feed pigs, cows, goats, rabbits, horses, milk a cow.They also have a lot of tasty things - for example, whole milk cheeses from their own cheese factory. But the prices… From 1500 rubles per kg. Cool for a modest village holiday. But if you compare it with a plate of borscht, which is offered in other places for 800 rubles, and with a portion of potato pancakes (2 pieces) for half a thousand, then you don’t have to wince.

Smolensk are not original. People have been dabbling with ghosts in Pereslavl-Zalessky for a long time, and once tourists were so fed up that they sat in the bushes at night, and by morning they figured out a ghost from moonshine fumes. It turned out the owner's brother-in-law, his work cost 200 rubles, 5 thousand ran up in a month. Locals, if they are friends with the owner of the farm, very often hire him to work or provide equipment for rent, including pets. Tourists need to be entertained somehow, not everyone came to eat and sleep. Dig into the Internet - what is closer to you: the Song and Dance Ensemble "Straight Dragonflies" performed by veterans of peasant labor or the manufacture of clay pots under the guidance of the "native son" of the famous porcelain maker Kuznetsov, who died in the century before last. It is also possible to run in bags over rough terrain behind a bottle tied to a tractor, or catch flies with your eyes closed - the winner is also poured.

The joys, of course, are unpretentious, but after all, rural tourism is just unfolding. And here's how it unfolds! Sorry, there is not enough imagination to tell what will happen after that.

A few years ago, no one in Russia knew about such a direction of recreation as rural tourism, which is currently very popular and is actively developing. The number of supporters of tourist destinations is growing day by day all over the planet, including in Russia. Rural tourism, which is often called agrarian and rural tourism, allows urban residents to take a break from the constant hustle and bustle, relieve tension and relax, breathe in plenty of fresh air, listen to birds singing. In addition, unlike expensive trips to distant beaches, rural tourism allows you to save money - there is simply nowhere to take large expenses on holidays in the countryside. Let's not forget about the various new sensations that rural tourism will bring to urban residents, accustomed to being surrounded by endless concrete high-rise buildings.

rural tourism interesting not only for low costs and proximity to nature, but even for agricultural work - few city dwellers can boast of experience in feeding chickens or milking cows. In this regard, rural tourists are actively joined by people who already have rich travel experience, who had to lie on the beaches, ski, climb rocks, and scuba dive. The range of entertainment offered agricultural tourism, very large - swimming in ponds and boating, hiking and cycling in the surroundings, fishing, hunting, hiking for mushrooms and berries, as well as a unique opportunity to experience the peasant life, touch the ancient traditions of the villagers, get acquainted with the amazing flavor villages, regardless of whether it is a French village or town.

Video about rural tourism

In Russia, as you know, there is a huge potential for the development of this tourist destination. And, despite the fact that so far agricultural tourism in our country is still not as popular as in the West, every year it becomes more and more in demand. The audience is also changing - if previously people with low and medium incomes preferred holidays in the countryside, now very wealthy people do not neglect rural tourism. This is partly due to the appearance in the Russian outback, as in Western countries, more comfortable conditions. The range of entertainment available to tourists is also expanding. So, for example, boat trips and, of course, horseback riding are gaining more and more popularity, which was not previously available in many popular centers of rural tourism due to the high cost of keeping animals. Quad biking is in demand in the warm season and snowmobiling in winter. Walking and excursion routes are actively developing, which is facilitated by the natural features of the area.

The most widespread in our country, rural tourism has received in Karelia, Altai, as well as in the Kaliningrad region - in regions that are distinguished by their special beauty and diversity of landscapes, outstanding nature. In addition, agricultural tourism is popular in the Southern Federal District - in the Krasnodar Territory, Rostov Region, Stavropol Territory. In recent years, rural tourism centers in the Moscow region and the Leningrad region have been actively gaining popularity among tourists, including foreign ones.

Rural and agricultural tourism in the World

It is worth noting that in the United States of America and in Europe, from where this one came to our country, rural tourism has been very popular for a very long time - small European villages and famous American ranches are a favorite place for family and individual recreation and an excellent opportunity to spend time on nature. An important factor in the popularity of agritourism is the supply of natural organic products "freshly from the garden." In addition, an integral part of rural tourism throughout the world are rich sightseeing opportunities - agritourism centers offer excursions to fields and gardens, apiaries and stud farms.

In European countries, especially in and, rural tourism is preferred by up to a quarter of all travelers, especially since in recent years the infrastructure of the village has made a sharp leap forward, and now, villages that previously offered albeit very colorful, but still Spartan conditions, can boast comfortable mini-hotels, which even have Internet access. It may seem that such an “invasion of civilization”, on the contrary, brings agricultural tourism by sunset, but in fact, this is a matter of personal preference, and more comfortable and modern conditions only allow people to join all the delights of rural tourism, who previously did not even think about resting in any kind of separation from civilization. Such modern rural tourism centers are popular with tourists who want to relax in the countryside and in nature, but having a TV, telephone and Internet at hand.

In the US, rural tourism typically involves accommodation in guest houses on ranches or farms, rarely offering accommodation in private rooms in a shared home. The main destinations for agricultural tourism here are the agricultural regions of the Midwest - Colorado, Texas, Nebraska, Missouri and South Dakota. As for - each of the countries has its own unique features of rural tourism. So, for example, in Germany, agricultural tourism is not complete without all kinds of festivals and fairs, where everyone in the village traditionally drinks beer and mulled wine, and enjoys local dishes. There are a huge number of villages in the country, and it is impossible to single out a specific area in which rural tourism would be more developed than in others. In Italy, rural tourism is distinguished by a high level of civilization, but this does not come at the expense of the quality of recreation. Here, tourists will be taught how to cook spaghetti and bake bread, make cheeses or wines, depending on the specific region. So, if you want to spend time in the vineyards and master the science of making wine, you should go to Tuscany, and if you are interested in the life of a fishing village, there is no better place than Sicily.