Guide for rural tourism

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Guide for rural tourism

This Guide’s primary purpose is to provide useful tools for women from rural areas, but also for all others, who want to engage in, or are already engaged in rural tourism.

This Guide deals primarily with rural tourism on rural farms (agritourism) and provides a wealth of useful information, advices and recommendations that can be practically applied very simply.

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About rural tourism

Rural tourism has a high potential to stimulate local economic growth and social change because of its complementarity with other economic activities, its contribution to GDP and job creation, and its capacity to promote the dispersal of demand in time (fight seasonality) and along a wider territory.

UNWTO understands Rural Tourism as “… a type of tourism activity in which the visitor’s experience is related to a wide range of products generally linked to nature-based activities, agriculture, rural lifestyle / culture, angling and sightseeing”.

Themes

Is the rural tourism for you

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How to develop a sustainable business

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Tourist offer

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Finances

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Marketing

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Rural tourism and women in rural areas

Empowerment of women is of particular importance in rural areas. Rural tourism led by women not only creates jobs and contributes to economic growth, but also has a significant impact on local communities. In addition, women in rural areas are powerful drivers of change as they contribute to a more inclusive and a society based on justice, especially if they are given equal opportunities and resources to start and develop their business in rural tourism.

Women’s empowerment is considered to have five components:

  • Improving the sense of self-esteem;
  • The right to have their own choice;
  • The right to have access to opportunities and resources;
  • The right to have the power to control their own lives, both inside and outside the home;
  • Empowering them to influence the direction of social change in order to create a fairer social and economic systems, at the national and international level.

7 main challenges faced by women in running a business in rural tourism

  • Limited access to financial resources
  • Balancing responsibilities
  • Inadequate support system
  • Gender inequality
  • Limited knowledge
  • Unfavorable social conditions
  • Self-confidence

Types of rural tourism

The rural tourism can be divided in many branches. In this Guide, we will use the division made by the Croatian Ministry of Tourism, in its Manual for rural tourism, from the year 2011.

RURAL TOURISM

  • village tourism
  •  tourism in national parks and nature parks
  • adventure tourism
  • wine tourism
  • gastro tourism
  • health tourism (spa)
  • hunting tourism
  • religious tourism
  • fishing tourism
  • cultural tourism

VILLAGE TOURISM

  • agrotourism
  • rural camp
  • tasting room
  • traditional villages
  • picnic areas
  • ethnographic collections
  • rural holiday house
  • village events
  • rural B&B (bed and breakfast)
  • folklore
  • rural family hotel

AGROTURISM

  • overnight services
  • catering services
  • other services at a tourist family farm

Among the types of rural tourism, tourism on rural farms (farm tourism), which in some countries is also called agrotourism, is the most recognizable.

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New Sustainable Rural Tourism Learning Opportunities for Women in Border Areas – New Low

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Themes

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Test: EVALUATION OF THE TOURIST POTENTIAL OF YOUR LOCATION

All questions must be answered with YES, NO or MAYBE. If you do not answer all the questions and leave the field "-- Select --" you will not be able to see the test results.

Natural heritage
Tourist offers
Infrastructure on the site
Business potential
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RESULT:

The basis of the concept of rural tourism is the rural household, which represents the initial infrastructure for the stay of guests in a rural area. In order for rural areas to be included in the tourist offer, certain preconditions are needed. This refers not only to the equipment, the space and facilities, but above all, to the preparedness of the household to receive guests. If the rural household wants to be included in the tourist offer, then it must have the desire, abilities and opportunities to provide quality service and meet the expectations of the guests staying in the rural household. Based on your answers, we can consider that your location/property probably has no significant tourist potential. It is necessary for you to invest significant funds in additional facilities and improvement of the appearance of your household, in order to make it attractive enough for tourists.

The basis of the concept of rural tourism is the rural household, which represents the initial infrastructure for the stay of guests in a rural area. In order for rural areas to be included in the tourist offer, certain preconditions are needed. This refers not only to the equipment, the space and facilities, but above all, to the preparedness of the household to receive guests. If the rural household wants to be included in the tourist offer, then it must have the desire, abilities and opportunities to provide quality service and meet the expectations of the guests staying in the rural household. Based on your answers, we can consider that your location/property probably has moderate tourism potential. Consider additional investments to make your household even more attractive.

The basis of the concept of rural tourism is the rural household, which represents the initial infrastructure for the stay of guests in a rural area. In order for rural areas to be included in the tourist offer, certain preconditions are needed. This refers not only to the equipment, the space and facilities, but above all, to the preparedness of the household to receive guests. If the rural household wants to be included in the tourist offer, then it must have the desire, abilities and opportunities to provide quality service and meet the expectations of the guests staying in the rural household. Based on your answers, we can consider that your location/property probably has high tourism potential!

Test: EVALUATION OF THE TOURIST POTENTIAL OF THE REGION

All questions must be answered with YES, NO or MAYBE. If you do not answer all the questions and leave the field "-- Select --" you will not be able to see the test results.

Natural heritage
Cultural heritage
Active vacation
Services
Tourist infrastructure
Attitude towards tourists
Traffic
Tourist attractiveness
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RESULT:

The heterogeneity of a territory is one of the characteristics of tourism, a tourist product and a tourist destination. Destinations are specific mixes of different components and can offer a large number of related products and services. All these components (products, services, as well as the geographical and cultural features themselves) represent the factors of a tourist destination. All these elements, factors, are also called tourist resources. Resources are all the potentials on which the development of an area and tourist activity could be based, that is, all the means that can be brought to a useful purpose. Based on your answers, it can be concluded that your region does not have significant tourist resources and does not have significant tourist potential. In other words, a large number of tourists will not come to your region. The key question for you is whether you can have such a high-quality offer that tourists will visit you just because of it?

The heterogeneity of a territory is one of the characteristics of tourism, a tourist product and a tourist destination. Destinations are specific mixes of different components and can offer a large number of related products and services. All these components (products, services, as well as the geographical and cultural features themselves) represent the factors of a tourist destination. All these elements, factors, are also called tourist resources. Resources are all the potentials on which the development of an area and tourist activity could be based, that is, all the means that can be brought to a useful purpose. Based on your answers, it can be concluded that your region does not possess significant tourist resources, but that it has its own specificities, which represents a moderate tourist potential. In order for your entrepreneurial venture in rural tourism to be successful, you must create such an offer on your tourist farm, which will be attractive enough to attract tourists.

The heterogeneity of a territory is one of the characteristics of tourism, a tourist product and a tourist destination. Destinations are specific mixes of different components and can offer a large number of related products and services. All these components (products, services, as well as the geographical and cultural features themselves) represent the factors of a tourist destination. All these elements, factors, are also called tourist resources. Resources are all the potentials on which the development of an area and tourist activity could be based, that is, all the means that can be brought to a useful purpose.

Based on your answers, it can be concluded that your region has significant tourism resources, which is an excellent prerequisite for the success of your venture in rural tourism!

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Test: PERSONAL ASSESSMENT

All questions must be answered with YES, NO or IMPROVE. If you do not answer all the questions and leave the field "-- Select --" you will not be able to see the test results.

Personal Qualities
Business Experience
Skills

Do you have at least basic knowledge on:

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RESULT:

An entrepreneur in rural tourism is a person who organizes and manages his tourist household based on his own initiative and assumes significant business risks. Willingness to take risks is one of the basic desirable qualities of a future entrepreneur in rural tourism. There is no universal recipe for success, however, successful entrepreneurs in rural tourism share certain common personal qualities. Those qualities - in addition to a combination of more or less fortunate circumstances and more favorable and less favorable environmental conditions - enable sustainable and profitable household management. Every entrepreneur should have a certain set of personal qualities and skills that will ensure his survival in the turbulent tourist world. Although a set of personal characteristics does not guarantee success by itself, it also does not necessarily mean that you will be unsuccessful in a business. Based on your answers, unfortunately, we cannot claim that rural tourism is a good option for you, as it may not suit your personality type. Work on yourself, study, read, watch what others are doing. In the meantime, consider other options for diversifying your rural business.

There is an opportunity to engage in rural tourism, but additional efforts are needed.

An entrepreneur in rural tourism is a person who organizes and manages his tourist household based on his own initiative and assumes significant business risks. Willingness to take risks is one of the basic desirable qualities of a future entrepreneur in rural tourism.

There is no universal recipe for success, however, successful entrepreneurs in rural tourism share certain common personal qualities. Those qualities - in addition to a combination of more or less fortunate circumstances and more favorable and less favorable environmental conditions - enable sustainable and profitable household management. Every entrepreneur should have a certain set of personal qualities and skills that will ensure his survival in the turbulent tourist world. Although even a perfect combination of personal characteristics cannot guarantee success, based on your answers, we can consider that you possess enough personal qualities that are a good prerequisite for success. Go ahead, rural tourism is a good option for you!