engleski

Rural tourism in the function of sustainable development in Croatia

Rural tourism has not so far been explored enough in the Republic of Croatia. This is probably due to the lack of statistical data and inadequate statistical benchmarks. In the Republic of Croatia, rural tourism is one of the most promising selective forms of tourism. The aim of this paper is to point out the importance of rural tourism in the Republic of Croatia, with an analysis of the current situation and the problems enco-untered. The results of the research clearly indicate the spontaneous development of rural tourism, without sufficiently concrete development measures. It can be concluded from the research that rural tourism in the Republic of Croatia is still in its infancy. Unjustifiably neglected rural areas can and must be included in the strategic deve- lopment of tourism and thus be recognized on the international tourism market. The development of rural tourism will significantly contribute to the growth of native popu-lation standards. The diversification of the rural economy is also necessary due to the changed demand trends and rural development in the service of the country’s econo-mic prosperity. Accordingly, the basis of rural tourism is sustainable development, which is reflected in the revitalization of already existing resources for tourism purposes. With the development of rural tourism, the Republic of Croatia has great prerequisites for extending the tourist season and giving new quality to overall Croatian tourism, since rural area accounts for 92% of the territory of the Republic of Croatia and about 40% of its population lives there. There is a potential for implementing all of the above through the implementation of EU green policies and the application of knowledge and skills of EU Member States with experience across smart villages. The methods used were: desk research, analyses, syntheses, and descriptions.

resources, sustainable development, revitalization, smart villages

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