Rural tourism as a factor of integral and sustainable development of rural areas and Villages of Serbia and Voivodina

Rural tourism is an important component of integrated and sustainable development and revitalization of villages, as well as an important factor in encouraging the development of local agricultural and non-farmer activities in rural areas and villages, and also a special incentive to employment. In many countries of the European Union rural tourism is included in the development strategies of regions and rural areas and villages. Rural tourism helps maintaining the population in place, creates new jobs, and contributes to socio-economic progress of outstanding areas. In Serbia, also in Voivodina nearly half of the population lives in villages and the region has numerous resources for rural tourism development. Rural tourism can also play an important role in increasing the diversity of the tourist offer in Vojvodina. This work highlights the importance of rural tourism in the function of the revitalization of the village, focusing on the challenges of the environment and the possible directions of development in the context of creating a recognizable tourist product and brand of rural tourism in Vojvodina, which could target both domestic and international market.

Keywords: Rural tourism, Serbia, Vojvodina, revitalization, marketing