HISTORY OF BIRTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL TOURISM

Abstract

In the second half of XX-th century the interest to the rural tourism has raised. The processes of urbanization and globalization have made the rural tourism actual and profitable kind of activity that holds its strong place in the world tourism market. It is considered as an important segment of modernization of the agricultural economy, favours to solve the task of economic, social and spiritual revival of the village, to create new jobs, to raise the welfare of the population, as well as to reduce social tensions. However, in order to organize the activity with providing of the rural tourism services, it is necessary to study history carefully of its formation both in Ukraine and abroad. It is necessary to take into account the specifics of rural tourism development in different countries. The purpose of the research is the determination of the preconditions of the birth of the rural tourism, the analysis of the historical stages, the models of its formation and development in Ukraine and abroad. During the research it is established that the birth of rural tourism took place in distant antiquity, and its formation as an organized kind of activity occurred in the 1970s. That time, this alternative type of employment was stimulated with the aim to stop the mass migration of the population from the countryside to the city. It is determined that the impetus for the popularity of the rural recreation is the global phenomenon of urbanization – urban residents are seeking for peace, dimension in sparsely populated areas. Analyzing the publications of the scientists, it was found that in some countries the stimulus to provide tourist services in rural areas was targeted influence from the side of public authorities aimed at supporting of unpromising agricultural areas, restoring the balance between urban and rural areas, strengthening the financial position of farmers without big investments, recreation for the low-income groups, etc. In the regional programs of development of the domestic tourism it is important to take into consideration the preconditions of birth, historical aspects of formation and specific features of rural tourism development in different geographical regions. The implementation of the best practices in the activities of modern farmsteads of the rural tourism, agritourism enterprises of Ukraine will give the possibility to diversify the kinds of activities in rural areas, to improve employment opportunities in the rural areas, to reduce the outflow of youth to the city, to improve social and household infrastructure, to increase the production of environmentally friendly products, to raise the level of business culture of rural population, etc.