Rural tourism: tours to the villages of Russia. Agritourism is rural tourism: types and forms, routes, reviews How does agrotourism work in the world
The aggressive environment of megacities is extremely tiring for a person, so many citizens seek to acquire summer cottages and rural estates, where they go to rest at every opportunity. For those who, for various reasons, cannot afford to buy and maintain a country house, agritourism can be an excellent way out - a relatively new direction that involves living in the countryside away from big cities, with the opportunity to take part in various cultural and leisure activities.
Considering rural tourism as a business, it should be noted that it is equally of interest to both vacationers and farmers who have at their disposal enough resources to comfortably accommodate several guests. Moreover, tourists perceive the processes familiar to local residents as exotic, and therefore willingly take part in field work, take care of animals, rent boats for fishing and pick mushrooms, thus bringing a good additional income to the owner of a village hotel.
Business features
The main feature of rural tourism lies in the living conditions: guests are accommodated in old log houses or antique-style estates located in areas with untouched nature, away from industrial enterprises and high-rise concrete buildings. With the exception of complexes with a complete historical reconstruction, such village hotels provide visitors with the convenience of a resort apartment: the rooms have bathrooms, air conditioning, TVs and refrigerators, and three meals a day are provided in the dining room.
The main meaning of this type of recreation is to separate the inhabitants of megacities from the usual hustle and bustle and immerse themselves in a leisurely and measured rural life. In addition, the tours are educational in nature: many citizens have never seen a genuine folk costume, did not sit with a fishing rod at dawn and did not milk a cow.
In Russia, rural tourism attracts mainly women, whose share in the target audience reaches 70%. Living in the countryside may also be of interest to other residents of megacities - couples with children and young people who prefer a healthy lifestyle and ecological cleanliness of the environment.
Another fairly large category of tourists are foreign citizens who want to get acquainted with cultural traditions and folklore. For such guests, the natural environment, national flavor and authenticity of rural life are sometimes more important than the presence of a TV in the room. Considering that foreigners choose places to stay mainly through the Internet, it is necessary to develop their own multilingual website with colorful photos, descriptions of services and price lists, as well as regularly post ads on foreign travel forums and social networks.
Collective field trips are also common in the corporate environment: the leaders of various companies buy such tours for their employees in order to conduct activities aimed at strengthening team spirit and working out ways of interaction between employees. Such clients usually rent a hotel for a period of several hours to two or three days and pay much more for this than ordinary private visitors.
Finally, the concept of rural tourism development implies close interaction with tour operators: companies interested in cooperation on favorable terms will not only place information about home hotel services on their website and in promotional materials, but will also help in developing a quality tourism product, organize transfers and entertainment program.
Types of rural tourism
Clients of home hotels have different requirements for organizing their vacation: some simply want to spend time in nature, others are interested in hunting and fishing, and others come to the village to get acquainted with folklore and folk crafts. In accordance with the list of cultural and leisure activities, several of the most popular rural tourism programs are distinguished:
- Medical tourism. It aims to study the means and methods of traditional medicine, the collection of medicinal plants, as well as the implementation of wellness procedures demanded by people with various diseases;
- Historical tourism. It is a complete immersion in an authentic old way of life, including accommodation in reconstructed huts with minimal amenities and eating dishes of old Russian cuisine;
- Rural ecological tourism. It implies living in a remote village with a switched off telephone, without television and the Internet. Various cultural events contribute to complete immersion in rural life;
- Sports tourism. In this case, the countryside is used as a platform for various sports, hiking, orienteering, rock climbing, rafting, horseback riding;
- Educational tourism. This type of rural tourism involves the study of classical folk crafts - pottery, artistic painting, wood carving, weaving of wicker products, embroidery;
- Agricultural tourism. Includes active recreation with the opportunity to take part in the main agricultural processes, including grazing, firewood, field work, haymaking, hunting, fishing, picking mushrooms or berries;
- Folklore tourism. It aims to study folk art, rituals, oral stories and songs, visit historical sites and museums, as well as festivals and fairs held in the countryside;
- International tourism. This type of tourism in the countryside may include one or more areas of interest to foreign guests - the study of folklore and folk crafts, history and medicine.
Advantages and disadvantages
An entrepreneur considering how to start a rural tourism business should pay attention to the characteristic features of this activity and take into account their positive or negative impact on the operation of the enterprise as a whole.The advantages of agritourism include the following factors:
- To open a home hotel on a farm, you do not need to obtain a hotel license - it is enough to register as a peasant farm or individual entrepreneur;
- This direction is considered a priority, thanks to which the entrepreneur has the opportunity to participate in the rural tourism development program;
- If you have a subsidiary farm, you can reduce the cost of food for guests using organic products of your own production;
- The hotel owner does not have to pay rent;
- Using the surrounding natural resources and the potential of the region, you can create an exciting program of cultural and educational activities;
- At this stage, the industry is characterized by a low level of competition;
- To organize rural tourism, you do not need to have experience or special knowledge in this area.
At the same time, negative factors can significantly complicate the work of an entrepreneur and lead to additional expenditure of resources aimed at overcoming the consequences of their influence:
- In rural areas, the infrastructure and resources necessary for a comfortable stay of tourists are often lacking;
- The activities of home hotels are not regulated by law;
- Under the influence of urbanization, villagers quickly forget traditions and lose their identity;
- The development of rural tourism in Russia is hampered by a rapid decrease in the number of able-bodied residents of villages and villages.
Required Resources
Of course, not every village will be attractive for tourists: in some settlements there are no sights or interesting natural resources in principle. Therefore, it is desirable to open a home hotel in a region known for its cultural traditions, crafts, architectural monuments and beautiful landscape.
A big advantage will be the presence of a nearby forest and any body of water - a lake, a pond or a river: visitors will definitely be interested in such outdoor activities as fishing, swimming, hiking for mushrooms or berries. Accordingly, the entrepreneur will be able to earn by providing guests with various equipment - boats and catamarans, bicycles, fishing rods, mushroom picker kits.
When choosing where to start rural tourism in such an area, it is necessary to pay attention to the availability of any such resources and evaluate the possibility of using them to develop a program of cultural and leisure activities. In addition, for the service and entertainment of tourists, you can use:
- Manor. Several rooms are allocated in the house for guests to stay, and the surrounding area is put in order, flower beds and lawns are planted here, gazebos, barbecues and swings are installed, and parking spaces are equipped;
- Pets. Maintenance, feeding and grazing of chickens, sheep, pigs, cows and horses will become part of the entertainment program, and the use of livestock products will provide visitors with fresh milk, meat, eggs;
- Garden. For urban residents, ordinary agricultural work will become an active and educational holiday - many of them have never seen potatoes, carrots or corn in their natural environment. In addition, dishes from these vegetables can be served at the table in the evening;
- Orchard. Gardening, harvesting and processing of crops may also be of interest to tourists. Fresh apples, pears, plums, cherries are eaten or used to prepare various desserts - pies, jams, preserves;
- Russian bath. Bath procedures are used for health purposes, supplementing them with homemade kvass or herbal tea. Fans of extreme recreation will want to jump from the steam room into a snowdrift or into a hole with ice water;
- Craft, hobby. Various workshops dedicated to wicker weaving, pottery, woodworking, soap making and other works typical of rural life will help attract and interest customers;
- Special knowledge. The hotel owner needs to learn the art of hosting, get acquainted with local historical, architectural and landscape attractions for excursions, master the preparation of national cuisine, and improve communication skills in foreign languages to serve foreign guests.
Arrangement of rooms and territory
Quite high requirements are imposed on the estate, which claims to be a home hotel, designed to ensure maximum comfort for guests. Therefore, when landscaping the local area, it is necessary:
- Remove all debris from the site, repair paths, sow lawns with grass and flowers, if possible, find and install carts, wheels from them, old agricultural mechanisms as elements of decor;
- Equip a parking place for visitors' cars;
- Clean and tidy up the paths to the well, spring and reservoir;
- Avoid proximity to abandoned and dilapidated houses, garbage and dung heaps, livestock farms and other sources of unpleasant smell and noise;
- Provide telephone, satellite TV and internet access (many guests will want to immediately publish photos on social networks);
- Install artificial lighting on the site;
- Arrange recreation areas, install gazebos and garden benches, hang hammocks.
Premises intended for accommodating guests must be equipped with ventilation, lighting and heating systems, bathrooms and showers. Of course, some tourists, in pursuit of historical authenticity, will want to live with stove heating, wash themselves from the stream and sleep on the floors, but the majority of visitors will prefer this minimal set of amenities:
Furnishing of living rooms
| Name | Qty | Price | Sum |
| Bed | 9 | 8 000 | 72000 |
| Wardrobe for outerwear | 3 | 4500 | 13500 |
| wardrobe | 3 | 6000 | 18000 |
| Chair or stool | 9 | 1 000 | 9000 |
| Dining table | 3 | 2500 | 7500 |
| Chandelier or wall lamps | 3 | 2000 | 6000 |
| TV | 3 | 9 000 | 27000 |
| Air conditioner | 3 | 18 000 | 54000 |
| router | 3 | 1500 | 4500 |
| Electric kettle | 3 | 1000 | 3000 |
| Mini fridge | 3 | 6500 | 19500 |
| Bedspreads | 9 | 2 000 | 18000 |
| Pillows | 9 | 500 | 4500 |
| Blankets | 9 | 2 000 | 18000 |
| Bed sheets | 18 | 500 | 9000 |
| Toilet bowl with cistern | 3 | 4 000 | 12000 |
| shower cabin | 3 | 12 000 | 36000 |
| Mirror | 3 | 2 000 | 6000 |
| Wash basin | 3 | 8 000 | 24000 |
| Mixer | 3 | 1 000 | 3000 |
| Boiler | 3 | 5500 | 16500 |
| Large towel | 18 | 500 | 9000 |
| Small towel | 18 | 300 | 5400 |
| Rug | 3 | 500 | 1500 |
| Clothes dryer | 3 | 1 500 | 4500 |
| garden tent | 3 | 3500 | 10500 |
| Garden furniture set | 3 | 6 000 | 18000 |
| Brazier | 3 | 700 | 2100 |
| Set of dishes | 3 | 5 000 | 15000 |
| Hammock | 3 | 1000 | 3000 |
| Total: | 450000 | ||
The area of guest rooms is selected on the basis of at least 6–7 m² per person for double rooms, or 5–6 m² per person for triple rooms.
Catering
Three meals a day are included in the basic package of home hotel services. To organize it, it is necessary to equip a small dining room for 10–12 people, in which you can also install a samovar and arrange sweets on dishes to organize tea drinking at any time of the day. It is possible that this place will become the center of communication and exchange of impressions for guests after a busy day.
The basis of the menu for tourists is made up of simple and unpretentious village dishes prepared from farm products. This may include:
- Vegetable salads, homemade pickles, fresh herbs;
- Homemade milk, sour cream, cottage cheese and cheese;
- Cutlets, meatballs, homemade sausage, dumplings, barbecue;
- Fish and fish dishes;
- Various cereals, naval pasta;
- Baked potatoes, boiled with herbs, stewed with mushrooms;
- Ukha, cabbage soup, pickles, vegetable and cold soups, borscht;
- Homemade eggs, omelettes and scrambled eggs;
- Pies, honey cakes, pancakes, pancakes, homemade jam;
- Compotes, herbal and fruit teas.
Be prepared for the fact that some guests on a vegetarian or therapeutic diet will find the rustic menu unacceptable and wish to prepare their own dishes from products brought from them or bought from the farmer. For their convenience, you need to equip a separate kitchen, equipped with all necessary utensils and household appliances:
Guest kitchen equipment
| Name | Qty | Price | Sum |
| Pot set | 2 | 3500 | 7000 |
| Pan set | 2 | 3000 | 6000 |
| Knife set | 2 | 500 | 1000 |
| Forks, spoons | 2 | 2900 | 5800 |
| Gas stove | 1 | 6000 | 6000 |
| Cutting boards | 2 | 800 | 1600 |
| Kitchenware | — | 3000 | 3000 |
| Food processor | 1 | 3000 | 3000 |
| Fridge | 1 | 15000 | 15000 |
| Washing | 1 | 600 | 600 |
| Mixer | 1 | 1000 | 1000 |
| Total: | 50000 | ||
Leisure organization
Few guests will be satisfied with the opportunity to simply live away from the noise of the city, swim in a clean river, take a steam bath and look at live cows: usually people interested in agritourism are attracted by slightly different goals - immersion in village life, outdoor activities, participation in agricultural work. In addition, many people buy family tours and bring children to the village who grew up in the city and have never seen wildlife. Therefore, a set of various cultural and leisure activities is being developed for guests, including them in the basic package or offering them as additional services:
Agricultural recreation:
- Gathering berries, vegetables and fruits, work in the field and in the garden;
- Extraction of honey, excursion to the apiary;
- Feeding and grazing animals, working as a shepherd;
- Baking homemade bread;
- Arrangement of a smokehouse, smoking of meat or fish;
- Collection of sour cream and whipping butter;
- Tree felling and firewood harvesting.
Leisure:
- Hunting and fishing;
- Horseback riding, sleigh rides, excursion to the horse farm;
- Water procedures, swimming in a river or lake;
- Hiking and cycling;
- Bath wellness procedures;
- Holding picnics;
- Access to leisure equipment - balls, badminton;
- Photo sessions with pets.
Cognitive rest:
- Acquaintance with local customs, rituals and folklore;
- Participation in celebrations, invitation of folk groups;
- Conducting master classes on folk crafts and crafts;
- Excursions to museums, sightseeing of architectural and natural monuments.
Investments
When developing a business plan for rural tourism, it is necessary to take into account that the work on arranging a home hotel is not limited to repairs in the rooms: in order to ensure an acceptable level of comfort and organization of leisure, guests will have to tidy up the local area, install air conditioners and satellite dishes, and purchase inventory. It is also advisable to have at your disposal a small minibus for delivering tourists to the place of rest and organizing sightseeing trips.
The list of expenses associated with the creation of a hotel of three triple rooms will include the following items:
Capital investment
| Name | price, rub. | Quantity, pcs. | Amount, rub. |
| Registration of SPD | — | — | 2000 |
| Renovation of guest rooms | 75000 | 3 | 225000 |
| Guest room equipment | 150000 | 3 | 450000 |
| Kitchen equipment | 50000 | 1 | 50000 |
| Yard improvement | 150000 | 1 | 150000 |
| Installation of a 6 m³ septic tank | 80000 | 1 | 80000 |
| Touring bikes | 10000 | 4 | 40000 |
| boats | 40000 | 3 | 120000 |
| Sports equipment | — | — | 20000 |
| Information site development | — | — | 20000 |
| Transport, minibus | 350000 | 1 | 350000 |
| Total: | 1507000 | ||
Unfortunately, the owners of the farm, engaged in the provision of rural tourism services, physically do not have enough time to serve the guests, care for the animals and field work at the same time. Therefore, it is necessary to take several hired assistants into the staff of the enterprise:
- Technical worker for laundry, cleaning rooms, washing dishes;
- Animator-guide for excursions and master classes;
- Cooks to work in the kitchen.
Yearly expenses
| Name | Amount, rub. |
| Communal payments | 36000 |
| Equipment repair | 20000 |
| Marketing expenses | 30000 |
| Property insurance | 10000 |
| Fare | 24000 |
| Chef's salary | 180000 |
| Tour guide salary | 180000 |
| cleaning lady salary | 180000 |
| payroll tax | 164700 |
| Administrative expenses | 24000 |
| Food | 369000 |
| IP insurance premiums | 27600 |
| Total: | 1245300 |
Income and profitability
Agritourism as a business involves the formation of a tourist product from a whole range of basic and additional services. By default, this includes accommodation in a separate room, three meals a day, the opportunity to contact animals, engage in outdoor activities and agricultural work. When developing a pricing policy, one should take into account the tariffs of similar rural hotels located in the Perm Territory, in Karelia and Altai: here every day of accommodation costs a tourist 1200-1500 rubles.
⏩ Related videos
In order to increase the competitiveness of the enterprise, it is recommended to reduce the cost of services during periods of falling tourist activity and thereby attract customers who want to save money on vacation. Thus, taking into account seasonal fluctuations in attendance, a farmer who rents out three triple rooms can receive an income of 1.74 million rubles during the year:
Home hotel income
| Average guests | Man-days | Tariff, rub./day | Income, rub. | ||
| Summer | 80% | 7,2 | 648 | 1300 | 842400 |
| Autumn | 30% | 2,7 | 243 | 1000 | 243000 |
| Winter | 40% | 3,6 | 342 | 1200 | 410400 |
| Spring | 30% | 2,7 | 243 | 1000 | 243000 |
| Total: | 1738800 | ||||
The increase in the profitability of the enterprise is facilitated by the provision of a set of paid services, the list of which is formed depending on the resources available in the area: for example, if there is a horse farm, you can organize horseback riding, and if there is a reservoir, you can rent boats and fishing rods. When compiling a business plan for agrotourism, it is necessary to analyze all available opportunities, and then develop a price list taking into account the depreciation of equipment and the cost of cultural and leisure activities:
Additional income
Thus, the total annual turnover of the home hotel will exceed 2 million rubles. Given the current costs, it is possible to calculate the main economic indicators of the project and the expected payback period:
Calculation of economic indicators
Conclusion
Being engaged in the development of rural tourism, one cannot stop there. In order for visitors to return to the hotel every year, it is necessary to constantly improve the quality of service, improve the surrounding area, think over new excursions and entertainment events. However, the most important factor contributing to increasing the loyalty of guests is a special homely atmosphere that needs to be created on the farm through the constant manifestation of hospitality, goodwill and readiness to provide the guests with the necessary assistance at any moment. At the same time, gratitude and rave reviews from customers will serve as a worthy reward for the efforts made.
Annotation. Tourism has a significant effect on the economic and social development of rural areas, so the development of the tourism industry is becoming a priority economic task for municipalities. In this paper, a SWOT analysis was carried out, which determines the potential of the tourism industry of the Russian Federation in the agritourism segment. The main problems of the industry are identified and ways to solve them are outlined.
Keywords:, competitiveness of the territory, rural entrepreneurship, development strategy.
In accordance with the concept of long-term socio-economic development of the Russian Federation "Strategy-2020: New Growth Model - New Social Policy", one of the main conditions for the transition of the Russian economy to a socially oriented type of management is the creation of conditions for improving the quality of life of the population, including by developing the infrastructure of the tourism industry, as well as ensuring the quality, accessibility and competitiveness of national tourism services.
The Russian Federation has a high tourist and recreational potential. Unique natural and recreational resources, objects of national and world cultural and historical heritage are concentrated on its territory, important economic, cultural, social and sports events are held. In many regions, there is a wide range of potentially attractive tourist sites and complexes that are very popular with Russian and foreign tourists. The presence of various tourist and recreational resources of the country makes it possible to develop almost all types of tourism, including recreational (beach), cultural, educational, business, active, health and ecological tourism, as well as sea and river cruises, rural tourism, etc.
The analysis of the realized and potential opportunities of the Russian tourism industry allows us to conclude that the existing significant tourism potential of the country is far from being fully used. In 2011, the Russian Federation was visited by 22.7 million foreign citizens, of which only 18% arrived for tourism purposes, while according to the forecast of the World Tourism Organization, which is a specialized agency of the UN, Russia, with an appropriate level of tourism infrastructure development, is able to receive up to 40 million foreign tourists.
There is a great potential for the development of various types of tourism in Russia. However, unfortunately, the development is very slow and not systematic. One of the priority, in the author's opinion, types of tourism, which must be relied upon in the process of developing this industry and attracting an additional number of tourists (including foreign ones), is rural tourism (agritourism). For Russia, this direction can become one of the important sources of income for rural areas and a market niche for many rural entrepreneurs.
Rural tourism is a relatively new and promising area that allows citizens to join the traditional way of life of rural residents. The essence of this type of tourism is to rest in the countryside, where all the organizational support for tourists (including food, leisure, service, etc.) is taken over by the host family. Rural tourism provides recreational opportunities for those who, for whatever reason, cannot afford other types of tourism. Its attractive features are clean air, homely atmosphere, untouched nature, natural products, silence and unhurried life. According to experts, the potential annual demand for this type of tourism is about 600 thousand people.
In the world practice in rural areas, along with the development of agricultural activities, the non-agricultural employment of the population, in particular rural tourism, becomes a source of additional income. Since 1972, agro-tourism has been singled out as a separate branch of the economy. In Western European countries, rural tourism has been characterized by sustainable development since the early 1960s. At present, this phenomenon is widespread, although regional models of the functioning of this type of destination differ significantly.
Today, rural tourism is developing at a very fast pace and in some countries attracts a significant part of foreign tourists. Examples include Italy, Ireland, France, Switzerland, the Scandinavian countries, Spain - these countries are recognized leaders in rural tourism in Europe, the profit from which is hundreds of millions of dollars.
Historically, rural tourism in Europe began to develop intensively in the 1950s and 1960s. as a reaction to the rapid outflow of rural residents to cities. In this regard, the process of a sharp decrease in the number of employees began to be observed in the agricultural sector, and as a result, a deterioration in the standard of living. Agrotourism was intended to form an alternative type of employment and entrepreneurship in rural areas and become a source of income for rural households.
In a number of states, agro-tourism is one of the leading areas of the tourism industry, which is reflected in the national concepts of tourism development. Thus, rural tourism in France is represented by the National Organization of Holiday Homes and Green Tourism (Maison des Gites de Franse et du Tourisme Vert). This organization provides holidays certified according to high national standards of service. Every year the country is visited by 7 million tourists who prefer to rest in the villages. In France, a program for children's recreation in the countryside during school holidays has been developed and is being implemented. Children aged 3 to 13 are accommodated in families, get acquainted with the rural farmstead (lambs, piglets, rabbits), engage in active games in nature with their rural peers, go hiking. They also have the opportunity to study folk dances, art crafts, folklore of the region, foreign languages. The quality of recreation is controlled and certified by DDASS - the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Spain seriously competes with France in the market of agro-tourism services in Western Europe, where the number of foreign tourists using these services (about 1.2 million people annually) exceeds domestic agro-tourism flows. Spain has over 5,000 rural holiday options. At the same time, almost 27,000 agritourists can be accommodated in the country. The approximate cost of living in the agritourism sector is 25-120 USD per person per night.
In Poland, there is a special educational program "Green Schools", which implies a mandatory two-week stay of urban children in the countryside, in specialized agro-tourist farms. Such a holiday gives the children the opportunity not only to relax, but also to get acquainted with the rural way of life, to undergo special training. The farms develop special training courses. One of them - "From grain to loaf" - involves the participation of children in the production of bread (grinding grain in a windmill, kneading dough and baking bread).
The international practice of agritourism development testifies to the high socio-economic importance of this type of rural entrepreneurship for ensuring the competitiveness of rural areas in the process of creating the added value of a tourist product. The development of rural entrepreneurship helps to reduce social tension in rural areas by creating additional jobs.
It should be noted that in recent years this type of tourism has begun to actively develop in Russia, namely the Altai Territory, the Kaliningrad, Leningrad and Pskov regions, the Krasnodar Territory, the Republic of Bashkortostan. Tourist business specialists do not get tired of predicting an unprecedented scope for the development of rural tourism, for which Russia has huge resources.
The development of rural tourism between Moscow and St. Petersburg is extremely promising. The presence of a large number of abandoned and destroyed villages speaks of the great investment attractiveness of the region, because these lands have remained settlements and it is much easier to place ethnographic villages - guest complexes in them.
In the Yaroslavl region, there are entire villages where everyone can get a master class in various folk crafts. In the Pskov region, the village is very popular, where there is a huge bathhouse with a capacity of 30 people. Foreign tourist groups come here on the way from St. Petersburg to Moscow. In terms of its popularity, this tourist site can compete with national museums.
Residents of Uglich are actively creating various private museums - dolls, vodka, teapots - the list of display items is very diverse and the number of such museums in the city is already more than 30. Surely, every village has such an opportunity. The main thing is to position your business as a tourist attraction and carry out active promotion, attracting potential partners and customers. Income will depend on efforts and imagination, because tourism is the sale of new experiences and positive emotions.
Agrotourism in Russia can and should become an attractive type of entrepreneurial activity in the countryside. The relevance of this type of activity is manifested in its impact both on the economy and on the solution of socio-cultural problems of the village.
Multiplicatively, rural tourism, especially in the context of the implementation of targeted development programs, has a positive impact on the conservation and development of rural areas, the rational use of their resource potential, stimulates the development of personal subsidiary plots, expanding the demand for environmentally friendly, natural food, as well as the improvement of rural areas, rural construction, handicrafts, culture and identity, i.e. in general, to solve the socio-economic problems of rural areas, primarily the problems of employment in rural areas. All this ultimately affects the level of competitiveness of rural areas, which is manifested in an increase in the level of well-being of residents.
To increase the share of small and medium-sized businesses in the structure of rural tourism, and as a result for the integrated development of rural areas, it is necessary to take a set of measures to attract investment in strengthening the tourism infrastructure of the village. It is necessary to create a system of strategic planning for the development of tourism in rural areas. We are talking not only about the development of a federal targeted program for the development of rural tourism, but above all about the need to develop and implement programs for the socio-economic development of municipalities at all levels - from a rural settlement to a district and an urban district. To create a comprehensive strategy for the development of rural tourism in the Russian Federation, with a clear indicative mechanism for implementation, it is necessary to reliably determine the level of the state and prospects for the development of this segment of the tourism market. For this purpose, within the framework of this study, a SWOT analysis of the rural tourism segment in the Russian Federation was carried out.
Based on the assessment of the state of this segment of the Russian tourism market, opportunities and limitations, advantages and disadvantages were identified in the formation of a strategy for the development of rural tourism (Table 1).
Table 1
SWOT-analysis of rural tourism in the Russian Federation
| Benefits (strengths) | Disadvantages (weak points) |
| 1. High agricultural potential of the country 2. High natural and recreational potential 3. The presence of cultural and historical monuments of not only federal, but also world significance 4. The presence of public and commercial organizations that can promote the development of tourism in rural areas 5. Multi-sectoral orientation of peasant and personal subsidiary plots |
1. Low level of development of tourism infrastructure in rural areas 2. Weak system for promoting tourism products in the domestic and international tourism markets 3. Lack of recognition and attractiveness of the image of rural regions (lack of a recognizable brand) 4. Lack of sectoral statistics that provide information and management support for the development of the tourism industry 5. Low level of training of tourist personnel 6. Small investment 7. Imperfection of legislation related to the allocation of land plots for tourist and recreational needs 8. Lack of special support programs for rural residents wishing to start entrepreneurial activities in the field of tourism |
| Possibilities | Threats |
| 1. Growth of incomes of the local population and regions in general 2. Creation of additional jobs 3. Development of small business in the countryside 4. Revival of social infrastructure facilities in the village 5. Attract foreign tourists |
1. Growing competition among the tourist markets of countries near and far abroad 2. Imperfection of the regulatory framework governing the tourism industry 3. Declining demand of the solvent population due to the reduction in the profitability of the main sectors of the economy 4. The risk of a decrease in the tourist flow if the crime situation in the country worsens 5. Socio-economic and political destabilization in the country 6. Environmental degradation 7. Loss of the tourist market due to the low level of tourist services in the countryside |
Rural or agro-tourism appeared in the third quarter of the twentieth century, due to the crisis of farms, their lack of competitiveness in comparison with large agricultural complexes. In search of new sources of income, in an effort to stop the outflow of rural residents to the cities, the government invited farmers to invite those who wish to plunge into the atmosphere of rural life, as well as take a break from city life. Now rural has become an independent and very profitable branch of tourism. Its share is up to 20% in the total turnover of the tourism business.
The greatest development of rural tourism occurs in Western Europe. In such a holiday, too, has a large scope. Cash turnover is measured in hundreds of millions of dollars. The main consumers of the service are middle managers and other employees who do not want and do not have the opportunity for more expensive types of recreation.
The main advantages of agritourism (rural tourism) for vacationers are:
For organizers of rural recreation there are also a number of advantages:
- the organization of rural tourism does not require huge material investments, since the farmstead of the farmers themselves is most often used to receive and serve guests, which, if it requires, then the most minor improvements to the infrastructure.
- In the person of an agrotourist, a farmer can receive a free housekeeper.
One of the most important aspects of rural tourism is a beneficial effect on the economic condition of the region, these are new jobs for the local population and additional funds to the treasury of the region, in the form of taxes, and the accompanying infrastructure development necessary to attract and comfortable tourists.
Gradually, rural green tourism, when the townspeople just wanted to relax in the fresh air in a calm environment, correcting their health undermined by the closeness and pace of the city, is supplemented by other types, for example, historical. People are increasingly willing to spend time in an old castle or a former manor of nobility.
Rural tourism in Russia
Behind the rest of the world, movement began towards the development of agrotourism and. However, this is still a fairly new phenomenon in the Russian tourism business. If in Europe, due to the growing popularity of this type of recreation, under the auspices of the Council of Europe, the European Association for the Development of Rural Tourism was created, in which 24 countries already have membership. So far, only a few regions are working closely with us. Among them are the Krasnodar Territory, Altai, Karelia and several others. However, increased interest in all regions is expected in the near future. Although at first glance it is not so difficult to organize tourism in rural areas. But there are certain requirements that are made to rural tourism facilities by guests who are mostly accustomed to the comfort of a city apartment, and other city amenities, they are not so easy to fulfill in the countryside of the Russian hinterland.
Rural tourism in Russia, in principle, is of interest to the consumer. According to the surveys, the majority of respondents are willing to pay from 500 to 1000 rubles per day, including food, for rest in a house with partial conveniences. As for the residents of the capital, they are ready to pay many times more, but the requirements for comfort are much higher, up to a comfortable cottage with all amenities and household appliances. Unfortunately, most Russian villages do not meet the requirements. 
The main problem of Russian agricultural recreation is underdeveloped or non-existent infrastructure, in particular, poor transport links, lack of places for leisure, cafes. Many would like to see playgrounds for sports or horseback riding. Among the most popular leisure activities are hunting, fishing, and recreation on river beaches. They require specially prepared facilities. Another problem is the lack of attention from the state, when it is clear that very often the organizers cannot do without support, at least in the form of easing the tax burden and lower interest on loans.
Objects of rural tourism in Russia are classified as follows:
- Guest houses, with a small household, located in ecologically friendly areas, with homemade food and simple entertainment. The share of such objects is the highest among rural tourism objects in Russia. Unfortunately, many of them have the disadvantages listed above.
- Farmsteads built on the model of western farms, which have all the necessary paraphernalia and infrastructure. Such firms can even substitute eco-friendly and high-quality products to order.
- Domestic farmers inviting those wishing to feel the atmosphere of rural life and farm work. Unfortunately, not many people have the physical and material ability to afford separate guest houses for visitors.
- Very rare cases of exemplary rural estates created by international organizations or with the support of the administration.
The rural type of tourism, like other types of tourism, is developing from two sides. On the one hand, the emergence of tour operator companies that would develop tours, look for clients, and also solve a number of organizational issues. On the other hand, the owners of estates in the countryside, who would keep them in proper order, providing a good rest for clients, and income for themselves. They register as individual entrepreneurs to engage in this activity.
The highlight of domestic rural recreation can be a Russian bath. The most attractive seasons for recreation are summer and winter, while autumn and spring are practically the “dead season”. The most popular were tours for a period of 5-10 days, as well as a short vacation for the weekend.
Tourism, which is associated with staying in a private peasant or farm, is characterized by various forms of spending free time, using tourist services within the boundaries of a rural hospitable estate. Actually, this type of rural tourism is usually called agrotourism.
at the end of the 20th century. in Ukrainian, as well as world literature, the concept of "agritourism" appeared (agritourism):"arpo" comes from the Greek term "agros", what does "field" mean, and in compound words corresponds to the concepts of "land", "agricultural", and "agronomos", which denote involvement in managing in rural areas.
Tourism is a form of active recreation outside the place of permanent residence. Before rest, physical, cognitive, sports and other needs encourage. Agro-tourism is de facto a concept that appeared as a result of a proposal for the provision of tourism services in a peasant or farm. With the development of the tourist movement, it has become voluminous, defining the types of activities related to serving not only tourists, but also fellow villagers themselves. Therefore, the concept of "agritourism" is interpreted somewhat differently by tourists and business entities. For the tourist, agritourism means the tourist activity of a person who intends to experience agricultural production and/or relax in a rural environment. On the other hand, the entities providing agro-tourism services invest different meanings in the concept of "agrotourism": for example, this is accommodation - agro-hotels, food - agro-gastronomy, recreation - agro-repairs, sports - agro-sports, and even treatment, rehabilitation - agro-therapy.
Under the agro-tourism Ya. Mayevsky understands the various forms of tourism associated with the functioning of agriculture. Agricultural production and animal feeding are one of the essential charms. Rural tourism, according to the scientist, is every type of tourism that takes place in a rural environment and uses its values. Rural lifestyle, nature, scenery, culture, architecture and the like are the main attractions.
Agritourism -organized stay of tourists in a peasant family engaged in agricultural and other activities. The basis of the agritourism offer is accommodation, which can be combined (depending on the conditions) with two meals a day or the possibility of buying fresh food on the spot and self-catering. The components of agritourism are not new; most of them are everyday. In addition, agro-tourism includes some elements of personal selling and various kinds of participation and observation of the agricultural production process. Most often, for entities that offer agritourism services and products, it becomes an additional source of income.
The idea of agritourism is based on the belief that the farm is the main object that can provide tourism services. Having free labor, housing resources, combined with their own inexpensive food and through entrepreneurial activity, it can replenish its income. However, practice shows that agro-tourism activities are carried out by other interested economic entities, namely: various commercial structures, primarily those located in a territory that, due to its natural and climatic features, is suitable for tourism. There are known examples of international capital's interest in agritourism activities in the most picturesque areas and investing in such projects, which provide a quick return on invested capital. It may happen that after some time the peasants will remain outside the market of the most attractive tourist services and products, and will also be forced out of the most attractive places of a recreational nature.
Agritourism is an intermediate form that belongs to rural tourism and is close to farm tourism. Agritourism can be characterized as a form of recreation that is implemented in rural areas with typical agriculture, based on the use of lodging facilities and recreational activities associated with the management of the peasant economy and its environment (natural, industrial, service), maintaining a close relationship with the peasant economy or its equivalent using residential and commercial buildings, as well as food supply, involving a wide range of recreational entertainment both outside the farm and on the farm itself.
Agritourism can be defined as a type of rural tourism of an educational and entertaining nature, associated with the use of private households of the population, or lands of agricultural enterprises that are temporarily not used in the agricultural sector.
The main figure in ensuring the functioning of these types of tourism, organizing recreation in the countryside is the rural family, which provides housing, food and introduces the peculiarities of the countryside.
Agritourism as a phenomenon contains the following components:
A tourist wants to relax in ecologically clean and attractive places, establish contact with the owners (take part in housekeeping), spend time actively, learn the culture and traditions of the area;
The owner - offers his own premises and meals, can be a leader, an organizer of free time, an interesting conversationalist;
A peasant farm is a neatly arranged place of rest, which, while maintaining its main function, at the same time provides vacationers with the opportunity to contact domestic and farm animals;
Village - a community of people united by customs, plans, which from an organizational point of view constitutes a complementary way of life (division into various services), but at the same time it is a territory with an infrastructure that satisfies the needs of tourists;
Natural environment - clean air, proximity to lakes, rivers, forests, the opportunity to admire the picturesque landscapes.
Agrotourism provides income not only to the farms that provide services, but also to the owners of shops, gas stations, artisans and other villagers. This is where the so-called avalanche effect, which drives the local economic infrastructure (Figure 1.5). As a result, income received from tourists will increase the demand for other types of services that may not have anything to do with tourism.
Note that the concept of "rural tourism" and "agritourism" are not equivalent, although these types of tourism are closely related. In general, rural tourism, in addition to showing the process of production of crop and livestock products and home processing products, covers those types of human activity that are attributed to the rural lifestyle, culture, and religion. The focus on agritourism activities without rural tourism is artificial, since individual peasant farms make up a significant part of rural areas.
In the countries of the European Union, the village performs many non-agricultural functions, and the difference between agritourism and rural tourism is significant there. In areas where agricultural production is significantly dispersed or fragmented, where a well-organized rural community lives compactly, it is more appropriate to use the concept of "rural tourism". With the development of urbanization processes, the importance of the traditional rural community fades into the background, as the role of cities increases. Therefore, perhaps in the future the term "agritourism" will be used more often.
On fig. 1.6 shows a pyramid that shows the place of rural tourism and agritourism in relation to other forms of tourism activities. Above is the type of tourism on the pyramid, then its scope and significance.
Rice. 1.6. V
In the problem of a relatively clear definition of various types of tourism among scientists, it is urgent to resolve the issue of the validity of the allocation of agro-tourism, since tourism, like agro-tourism, aims to satisfy the needs of a tourist related to travel, knowledge, recreation, recreation or sports. Therefore, the question arises, are there signs that distinguish agritourism from other types of tourism? If so, then the allocation of agritourism is justified. Increasingly, within the framework of tourism, sectoral areas are singled out, for example, tourism associated with the production of wine. (wine tourism), gastronomic tourism (food tourism), ecotourism and the like. And yet the main factor is the visit to the peasant economy and rural areas. There is no reason not to distinguish between agritourism and purely rural tourism. So, the answer to this question is at least partially yes.
Here are three main features that are characteristic of agritourism and distinguish it from the generally accepted one.
The first feature there is an opportunity to satisfy the human need to participate in the process of food production, in the life of the peasant family and the local community. Agrotourism in this way is difficult to understand, but it is quite an ambitious form of tourism. This type of tourism is not interested in the bulk of tourists, but only those who want to combine relaxation with the acquisition of new skills.
The second characteristic agrotourism, in comparison with mass tourism, has the opportunity to satisfy the cognitive needs of a person in the field of agricultural production and ethnography. Agritourism creates conditions for the knowledge of the life of peasants, their culture and customs in the regional dimension.
The third sign agritourism is the ability to meet the emotional needs, which are in direct contact with domestic and farm animals; products of plant and animal processing; satisfaction of the need to experience a rural idyll, which is associated with the surrounding atmosphere, silence, background noise of the village, and the like. If agro-tourism is devoid of the element of knowledge, does not provide for the emotional needs of a person, but is based only on rest, recreation and satisfaction, then it does not differ from conventional (typical) tourism.
- Kudla N. The role of local governments in the development of agro-tourism movement / N. Kudla // Economics of APK. -2006. - No. 2. - S. 31.
- This is not yet a complete illustration of how tourist spending affects the economic activation of the territory and generates the creation of new jobs. This becomes obvious when tourism in a particular area reaches a significant level. Attention: if the purchase of goods and services is carried out from external sources (outside a certain territory), then part of the income is not part of the avalanche effect, but "flows" from this area (while being part of the avalanche effect of the region and the whole country).