RURAL TOURISM AS A FACTOR OF REVITALIZATION OF RURAL AREAS IN SERBIA

This paper examines rural tourism as an important auxiliary component of economic growth that can ensure the sustainable development and revitalization of Serbia’s rural areas. The creation of extra revenue for rural households through a variety of operations, assistance, and complementary offers is therefore the main goal of growing this type of tourism. Therefore, the intention of this study is to investigate the possibility that rural households in Serbia could support themselves through rural tourism and grow to the point where they could serve as a useful basis for the development of rural areas. There is no doubt that Serbia has a wealth of natural resources that can be made more valuable through rural tourism. State participation, suficient infrastructure, the use of existing funding sources, and eficient marketing are necessary to accomplish this. Supporting different collaboration models with registered rural holdings is essential in order to combine resources, expertise, and skills. Within the context of the EU IPARD initiative, special emphasis should be paid to the potential use of incentive financing programs for the growth of rural tourism.

KEYWORDS / КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ: 

Rural tourism, rural areas, diversification, rural economy, financing

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT / ПРОЈЕКАТ:

Research was funded by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, grant no. 451-03-136/2025-03/200009 from 4^th February 2025.

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