Rural tourism potential in the development of the agriculture-industrial complex

Abstract

This study explores the potential of rural tourism in the context of sustainable societal development. The demand for tourism services in the post-COVID-19 period is analyzed, as is the trend of travelers' ability to pay for tourism services and the spectrum of tourism offerings. The objectives and directions of investment programs aimed at developing rural tourism and the issues associated with its development are identified. For 59% of European countries, rural tourism is a direct priority in their development, and 66% of European countries have state investment programs for rural tourism. The research results showed an increase in the level of travel by tourists in the post-COVID-19 period, characterized by a desire for lower costs when consuming relevant services. It has been revealed that the policy directions of countries regarding the development of rural tourism can be direct or indirect as part of the overall tourism development policy. Rural tourism offerings have several drawbacks that have led to dissatisfaction with demand, and as a result, most travelers have a desire to receive rural tourism services but do not utilize them due to the aforementioned reasons. The study forms the structure of rural tourism services based on the examples within the European Federation of Rural Tourism Offerings and potential directions and strategies for their further development.