Scanning the Future of Rural Tourism Development: Advantages and Limits for Sustainable Indicators Approach

Rural tourism is a form of tourism where, by combining activities related to agriculture and tourism, as well as staying in rural destinations, a specific tourist product is formed (Crăciun et al., 2022; Gao & Wu, 2017; Kortoci & Kortoci, 2017; Kumar et al., 2020). According to Karthik (2023), rural tourism combines the traditional values of an area and folk with a stay in nature with the aim of meeting the needs of tourists. In addition, rural tourism is characterized by the fact that all values are actually manifested through the host with their attitude towards guests and the way they treat their family and the land, because agriculture is the primary economic branch related to rural areas (Wijijayanti et al., 2023). According to certain scientists, the basic division of rural tourism is: agritourism (overnight services, catering services, and other active vacation services on tourist rural family farms; ethnic villages; rural manifestations; folklore; etc.), tourism in national parks and nature parks, adventure tourism (walking, horseback riding, sledding, etc.), wine tourism, gastro-tourism, health tourism (spa), hunting tourism, religious tourism, fishing tourism, and cultural tourism (Vuković et al., 2019; Wardana et al., 2020).

Considering the modern way of life, which implies constant exposure to stress (Bojović et al., 2024; Vujko et al., 2017), it is considered that rural tourism mostly attracts people from cities. What attracts tourists to rural areas are different experiences that are offered in villages, and above all, close contact with nature and numerous animals that are kept in the villages and contact with the traditional way of life (folklore, customs, songs, local legends, traditional way of working, etc.). Such interests connect tourists with people who live in places they visit, so in that way, rural tourism is also connected with cultural tourism (Vujko et al., 2021). Another very important aspect of rural tourism is gastronomy. It is strongly believed that food in rural areas is healthier, organic, and that meals are prepared in a traditional way (Obradović et al., 2023; Vuković et al., 2019). Also, quality vines are grown in rural areas, so the wines are authentic and unique, which makes wine tourism develop in rural areas (Vuković et al., 2019).

The paper began with the hypothesis that the development of tourism has positive effects on the development of rural destinations. That forced the question, what does the development of a rural destination really mean? In order to answer this question, it was necessary to pose sub-hypothesis: the survival of a rural destination is conditioned by the development of service activities, such as tourism. That points to the fact that villages in Serbia face serious problems due to the migration of young people from villages to city, and there are many reasons for that. One of the main reasons is the fact that young people have no business in the villages and living in the village is becoming increasingly harder. It was necessary to make a change that would systematically enable young people to stay in rural areas and return from cities. Tourist destinations had to develop through the diversification of different activities. Tourism is precisely one of the activities characterized by the effects of multiplication. This means that within one activity, there are different activities that are conditioned by each other. Similarly, the relationship between tourism and the economy provides multiple opportunities for the development of rural destinations and village empowerment. Therefore, it could be said that the development of a rural destination first of all means sustainable and planned direction of activity with the aim of achieving prosperity and well-being of local population, i.e., proportional relationship of economic indicators of sustainability with sociological and ecological indicators of sustainability in rural destinations.

What represents a research gap is the fact that all rural areas in Serbia are not equally developed, and thus the same development guidelines cannot be applied to all destinations. Local residents of cities perceive vacations in the countryside in a different way than people from the countryside. However, what should be strived for is that everyone understands the importance of rural tourism as a sustainable form of tourism. Three hundred and three local rural residents of 17 Fruška Gora Mountain villages (Vojvodina) were asked to answer certain questions using the modified TIAS scale, with the assumption that the answers would give the ultimate positive attitude regarding the development of tourism in their villages. As expected, the responses of the majority of respondents were positive regarding the development of tourism in their villages, regardless of economic, sociological, or ecological indicators of sustainable development. This led to the conclusion that the negative aspects of development directly depend on the form of tourism and the destination where tourism is developed. Regarding rural tourism, the conclusion is that it is a sustainable form of tourism, which represents a desirable type of tourism with care for the destination, as well as the local community.

Scientists believe (An & Alarcón, 2020; Chen et al., 2023; Ćurčić et al., 2021) that it is rural tourism that is crucial for the sustainable development of rural destinations, which can be seen through economic indicators of sustainability (Akhtar, 2023; Boley et al., 2018; Petelca & Garbuz, 2020; Quaranta et al., 2016), sociological (Dezsi et al., 2014; Petelca & Garbuz, 2020; Quaranta et al., 2016) and ecological ones (Ahmadi et al., 2018). This primarily means that by deciding to engage in rural tourism, the local population opts for the preservation of local identity, traditions, and customs, but also the strengthening of autochthonous, traditional, and ecological production (Garrod et al., 2006). Relying on the postulates of sustainability, rural tourism has minimal impact on the environment and the traditional values of rural destinations (Germanovich et al., 2020). Even more, it is such a form of tourism that contributes to the protection of local ecosystems and culture, and at the same time affects the economic development and prosperity of rural destinations (Nastić et al., 2024), primarily through the creation of new jobs, the strengthening of local entrepreneurship (Panić et al., 2024), and the empowerment of women (Maksimović et al., 2019; Vujko et al., 2019). According to Fallon and Schofield (2006), rural tourism represents responsible tourism that has a friendly relationship with rural destinations and the local population, i.e., natural and cultural resources (Han et al., 2021). Thus, rural tourism is a form of tourism that provides numerous opportunities related to sustainable development, on which both local and national strategies can be based (Vujko & Gajić, 2014), primarily because the basis of sustainable development are networking and effective cooperation of certain public and private sector interest groups (Nelson et al., 2021).

There are numerous good practice examples of how rural tourism has a positive impact on the development of rural destinations. Acccording to Bodorkós and Pataki (2009), Hungary has focused its sustainable development on the development of sustainable forms of tourism. This is primarily where rural tourism is found. In that sense, Yanan et al. (2024) point out that rural tourism contributes to the revitalization of rural areas, thereby achieving long-term prosperity of the entire country. It is important to determine the development of tourism in the direction of sustainable rural development, which strengthens the local community, organizes numerous workshops, implements various strategic projects, and strengthens entrepreneurship. Back in 1973, the “Pro Natur” campaign was implemented in Hungary, which even then emphasized environmental protection, rural tourism, and sustainability as the main foundations of tourism development. Characterized by traditional houses, čikoši (shepherds), traditional gastronomy, wine, and traditional musicians, Hortobađ is the first and the largest (52 thousand ha) national park of Hungary (currently: 82 thousand ha), where a large number of events are held throughout the year with the aim of promoting nature protection, preserving old crafts, and nurturing traditions.

According to Iorio and Corsale (2010), who investigated the attitudes of the local population regarding the development of rural tourism in Romania, and Matei (Titilina) (2015), it can be concluded that the population of Romania supports the development of rural tourism, and their positive attitudes stem from various forms of education and awareness-raising workshops on the importance of tourism development for local communities, especially rural ones. The rural population of Croatia has a similar attitude. According to Botrić (2023), due to the increased awareness of the importance of tourism development, the population is ready to invest its resources in the development of tourism and help in the transformation of rural areas into rural tourist destinations, while respecting all the principles of sustainability indicators. An interested local population is one of the most important links in the process of transforming comparative into competitive advantages of destinations.

On the other hand, there are scientists that believe that the negative impact of the development of tourism in rural destinations is greater than the positive one (Baral & Prasad Rijal, 2022; Huo et al., 2023). They believe that these negative impacts are felt precisely through indicators of sustainability, namely economic (seasonality, competition, unskilled labor and others), sociological (loss of cultural identity, disappearance of traditional value system, infringement of human rights, crime, prostitution, etc.), and ecological (devastation and degradation of cultural heritage, noise, pollution, and others). According to An and Alarcón (2020), the development of tourism has a negative impact on space in terms of its destruction and devastation, change of use of space, and uncontrolled construction. Scientists who advocate the negative aspects of tourism development actually point to the danger of uncontrolled tourism development (Roodbari & Olya, 2023), believing that it can lead to the destruction of the environment and the traditional identity of the local community, which then again has a negative impact on the further development of tourism and quality of life (Kachniewska, 2015).

The paper begins with the initial hypothesis that the development of tourism has positive effects on the development of rural destinations. The authors wanted to show the opinion of the respondents of rural destinations based on certain economic, sociological, and ecological indicators of sustainable development, assuming that they will have positive attitudes. Sociological indicators refer to the quality of life in terms of interpersonal relationships. It means the advantages and disadvantages of meeting new people of different races and nationalities, and interacting with them. Sociological indicators are closely related to economic ones. If tourism develops, it is logical to assume that the economic well-being of that development will be felt, although that can also have its negative effects. On the other hand, environmental indicators point to all aspects of the environment. Environmental issues form the core of sustainable development and are inextricably linked with the economic and sociological component. The connection of the community with its environment is complex and includes both the exploitation of tourist resources and the consumption that affects both the local and the global eco-region, but also the impacts that tourists have on each individual. In order to check the effects of tourism development, the authors used indicators of sustainable development, assuming that these attitudes are positive.

In the research participated 303 local residents from 17 Fruška Gora Mountains villages of Vojvodina Province. The villages that were chosen and analyzed in this paper include: Neštin, Banoštor, Rakovac, Susek, Krčedin, Maradik, Stari Slankamen, Čortanovci, Jazak, Vrdnik, Irig, Neradin, Rivica, Ledinci, Bešenovo, Grgurevci, and Laćarak. The paper presents a unique model for measuring the impact of tourism development on the attitudes of the local population (most often in rural areas), called TIAS (tourism impact attitude scale). The original scale developed by Lankford and Howard (1994) is composed of 28 items grouped into two factors, however, this paper presents a modified version of this scale with four factors (findings) around which nine variables are grouped.

The respondents were guests of very important ethnic festivals that were held in the area of the Fruška Gora National Park in 2023. The events at which data were collected are as follows: Pudarski dani (grape days) in the town of Irig; Karlovačka berba grožđa (grape harvest festival) in the town of Sremski Karlovci; and Ethno Festival in the town of Inđija. Respondents approached the stand of the Tourism Organization of Vojvodina, where they agreed to participate in the research. The research shows the results of all participants who approached the stand.

The environmental factors of sustainable development that contributed to putting forward the second sub-hypothesis, according to which tourism has a negative impact on the environment and is not and cannot be sustainable for rural destinations, are in question. With a series of variables of the second factor, the authors aimed to verify whether the respondents have some negative notions of tourism development.

Factor 3 – (concern/support for local tourism development) includes a statement (factor 3a): “I oppose the construction of tourist facilities that will attract a large number of visitors to my neighborhood.” The authors wanted to verify the sub-hypothesis, according to which the local population is against the development of tourist infrastructure and superstructure, which would have a negative effect on the local community. The authors made an attempt to examine the invariability of the respondents’ attitudes with a series of negative statements, which turned out to be a very good move when checking the consistency of the initial hypothesis.

As for factor 4 (general opinion on tourism development), the original TIAS scale in its configuration has statements that support the development of tourism. Here, the authors expected a positive attitude of the population, i.e., approval of supporting the development of tourism by decision-makers, because it implies the development of rural areas. Here, statement– “The municipal government is right if it supports the development of tourism” (factor 4a) and sub-hypothesis 4 referred to the fact that the population of rural destinations supports the development of tourism in their villages.

To understand the relationship between gender and these economic indicators, the study used Pearson chi-squared tests for each variable separately. For p value that is greater than 0.05, it means that there is no statistical significance in relation to the gender of the respondent.

In the research participated 197 male and 106 female respondents (in total 303 respondents). These are respondents who are directly involved in the tourism industry, most often in the field of catering. The assumption was that such respondents are competent to give answers about the impact of various aspects of tourism on the lives of the local community.

First, factor 1 was analyzed, i.e., benefits from tourism development for individuals and the local community (personal and community benefits). The finding that was found to be key within this factor is that tourists have more opportunities to meet new people, which has a positive effect on their lives. This factor was the leading sociological indicator of the sustainable development of tourism in rural destinations. Bearing in mind the starting hypothesis of the work, the assumption that the respondents would have positive answers regarding this question turned out to be correct (298 respondents agree with positive changes from the development of tourism). Analyzing Table 1, it can be concluded that there is no statistically significant difference in relation to the gender of the respondents, considering that both male and female respondents gave completely uniform answers regarding this question.

In the context of the second factor 2 (negative impacts of tourism development), ecological indicators of sustainable development of tourism in rural destinations were analyzed here. By examining Table 2, it can be concluded that the respondents in most cases do not agree with the statement that the number of visitors should be limited. This indicates the attitude of the respondents that they benefit from the development of tourism and it can be assumed that the main benefit is economic one (Arslanturk et al., 2011; Blake, 2009; Sančanin et al., 2023).

Nevertheless, a statistically significant difference was observed in the respondents’ answers in relation to gender (Table 2). It can be assumed that this is a difference related to differences in employment opportunities in rural tourism (Balaguer & Cantavella-Jorda, 2002). Rural destinations represent patriarchal communities where the male principle still dominates (Schrock & Schwalbe, 2009). One can say that it is a question of disproportionality in relation to economic conditions and indicators, although both agree that rural development should rely on tourism and tourism is a sustainable opportunity.

Table 3 shows that respondents in most cases believe that tourism does not have a negative impact on the preservation of the environment in rural areas. This turned out to be a very positive statement, because it fully coincides with the basic principles of sustainability, and above all that tourism affects the raising of awareness of the need for conservation, but also provides certain financial and other resources for the rural destinations preservation and increases their economic importance (Nunkoo et al., 2020). The data from Table 3 indicate that there is no statistical significance when it comes to respondents’ answers in relation to gender.

When it comes to noise, scientists agree that it is a problem that, in addition to drastically disrupting public order and peace, largely affects the health of the population and prevents its normal functioning (Temelkov & Gulev, 2019). It is a problem that requires deeper research and a systemic approach. However, when it comes to the research, Table 4 shows that, in most cases, the respondents do not agree with the statement that tourists make noise and thus have a negative impact on environmental protection. This data again indicates that tourism in the villages under examination is not excessive and that the positive aspects of tourism development are felt in those areas, not the negative ones. When it comes to the given statement about noise, both sexes have an equal attitude, given that no statistically significant difference was observed (Table 4).

Another ecological indicator of sustainable development is waste (Table 5). In fact, scientists agree that negative impacts are not equally observed everywhere and that the extent and type of impacts depend primarily on numerous factors. One of the factors is the contractive zone of tourist motives, i.e., the level and type of attractiveness. Also, even with this question, no statistical significance was recorded in the answers in relation to the gender of the respondents (Table 5).

The majority of respodents do not agree with the statement that tourism reduces the opportunity for outdoor recreation (Table 6). A proposal for future research can be precisely the views of respondents how tourism has influenced the increase in opportunities for outdoor recreation in rural destinations. Table 6 shows that there is significance statistical difference in answers in relation to respondents’ gender. In order to explain this (Table 6), it is necessary to investigate a certain relationship between gender and sports. Some scientists claim that men practice sports more often than women, so considering the sample of respondents, it can be assumed that this is the reason for this state of affairs (Perić et al., 2019).

The vast majority of the respondents do not agree with the statement that tourism has influenced the increase in the crime rate (Table 7). It should be said that there is no statistical significance in the answers in relation to the gender of the respondents, i.e., both genders agree with the statement that tourism has no impact on crime in their places (Table 7).

When it comes to factor 3 (concern/support for local tourism development), the authors wanted to verify the sub-hypothesis 3 that the local population is against the development of tourist infrastructure and superstructure, which for the local community would have a negative effect. Table 8 shows that the largest number of respondents oppose this statement. The fact is that tourism cannot take place without an adequate infrastructure network and an adequate superstructure. Table 8 shows that there is no statistically significant difference in the respondents’ answers in relation to the gender.

The last analyzed factor was factor 4 (general opinion on tourism development). According to Table 9, respondents in most cases agreed with the attitude of the need for support. As sub-hypothesis4 was related to the fact that the population of rural destinations support the development of tourism in their villages, it turned out that this sub-hypothesis is correct, i.e., the data confirm this statement. On the example of the local population, a positive attitude favors supporting the development of tourism. Table 9 shows that there is no difference in the responses of the respondents in relation to their gender.

What tourism definitely brings to local communities is meeting a large number of people (Jepson & Sharpley, 2015). This affects mutual understanding, reducing differences between certain groups of the population, but also nations or races. Direct contact between local residents and tourists contributes to better understanding, which in turn results in better tolerance and overcoming prejudices (Lin et al., 2017; Lindberg et al., 2021). Bearing all this in mind, sub-hypothesis 1 proved to be correct and was confirmed, since the respondents had a positive attitude regarding this statement. Iorio and Corsale (2010), and Matei (Titilina) (2015) showed in their works that the attitude of the local point of view is of crucial importance for supporting the development of rural tourism. Direct contact between people is what leaves an impression, and rural tourism has the ability to absorb all the negative aspects of the modern way of life (Lutterbach & Beelmann, 2023; Maiti et al., 2022).

The impact of tourism on the environment is something that has been increasingly discussed and studied extensively in recent years. The term “sustainable tourism” has become the starting point for developing any form of tourism (Ghaderi & Henderson, 2012). In order to be sustainable, it is necessary that all aspects of the impact of tourism on the environment, which are reflected through the development of infrastructure, building tourist capacities, and the relations that tourists have with the environment, should be positive. This is primarily because a modern tourist demands a healthy environment, healthy food, and healthy mutual relationships based on support, tolerance, and understanding (Kachniewska, 2015). Some of the negative consequences are soil erosion, increased level of pollution, endangerment of natural habitats, increased pressure on endangered species, forest fires, but also impacts on traditional values, family relationships, shortening and change of folk customs and customs, etc.

However, the question arises as to whether the tourists are those who come to rural destinations. Considering the speed of the modern lifestyle and the amount of stress people are exposed to, it could be expected that rural destinations will have more and more visitors in the future. However, scientists argue that environmental impacts mostly depend on the behavior of tourists (Nunkoo & Ramkissoon, 2012). Bearing in mind that rural tourists are precisely a sustainable, highly conscious category of tourists who are educated and possess knowledge about the connection between the quality of the environment and the economic sustainability of tourist development (Gautam & Bhalla, 2023), it is quite a logical outcome of such responses. Also, one of the needs noted among these tourists is the enjoyment of peace, quiet, and well-being of rural areas and surroundings. First of all, this means that the local population considers rural tourists desirable, and it indicates that tourism in rural destinations is a sustainable and logical choice of economic activity that the population in addition to agriculture should be engaged in.

Numerous studies show that nature and the natural environment have a calming effect on people, which automatically lowers blood pressure and improves the general psycho-physical condition of people (Panić et al., 2016). If rural tourism is regarded as a form of tourism that takes place in the natural environment, it can be observed that the connection between health and that form of tourism. On the other hand, it is a form of tourism that is quite complex and as a tourist product it appears as a unity of different services: recreation in the countryside, enjoyment of peace, quiet and different rural landscapes, and also participation in numerous rural jobs and activities (Sun et al., 2023). Therefore, the purpose is mainly recreation, which actually means that there are no negative environmental impacts. According to Bojović et al. (2024), the influence of tourists on rural destinations was presented and showed a high level of awareness of these tourists about the importance of sustainable development and environmental protection, which made them a highly desirable category of tourists.

As far as tourist criminality is concerned (Pavón-Benítez et al., 2021), it should be said that it is a form of crime that is committed during tourist trips, in tourist destinations, regardless of whether it is a physical space (tourist locations where attractions are located) or in catering facilities (facilities for accommodation, food and drinks). According to Brown (2015), this term implies classic property crime, which is characterized by massive manifestations in a small area or in a certain period of time and the rapid mobility of their perpetrators. In addition to the commission of criminal acts, this term includes other sociological phenomena such as: prostitution, drug addiction, gambling, begging, pornography, and others. Park and Stokowski (2009) claim that the crime rate increases proportionally with the development of tourism, however, in the case of rural tourism this is not the case. All these data actually refute the set sub-hypothesis 2 that tourism has a negative impact on the environment and that it is not and cannot be sustainable for rural destinations.

The local population is aware of the importance of investments and the construction of facilities that, in addition to tourism, will also have other purposes. According to Vujko and Gajić (2014), the development of rural tourism directly depends on the support of municipal authorities. Investments and the tourism development plan rely on the primary goals set by certain documentation (Ruiz-Real et al., 2022). Research conducted by Monterrubio et al. (2020) and Panić et al. (2024) show that the negative or positive perception of the development of tourism in a destination depends on the form of tourism that develops there. Ingelmo (2013) confirmed this in his research showing that sustainable forms of tourism, such as rural tourism, are supported both by the local population and by tourists. The development of rural destinations is then something that is expected and desirable, because such development should be in accordance with all principles of sustainability. Atzori et al. (2018) confirmed this attitude in their research pointing out that the destinations are a reflection of the form of tourism that is developing in those destinations.

The effect of multiplication will come to the fore, where positive economic changes in the life of the local population are reflected through the overall effects of consumption obtained by adding up all the individual effects of the integrally connected economic branches that make up tourism. In addition to this, the tourism suprastructural and infrastructural network will be developed, because various projects and investments will be involved in the whole process, which actually represents an indirect effect of tourism development on the economy. It is important to do research that can give such positive results and confirm hypotheses, because in this way the decisionmakers in tourism are additionally influenced, so that certain segments within the tourism industry gain importance and are supported. When it comes to Serbia, the government of Serbia is preparing a decree that will infiltrate more money precisely into the development of rural tourism, which represents a push-up effect on the determination of households and local residents to start engaging in tourism or to improve their services, so as to attract a larger number of domestic and foreign tourists.

In the light of the above, it can be concluded that residents are open to the development of tourism in their localities and tourism is a desirable activity for development. Thanks to visitors new jobs are created. This primarily refers to the fact that the main prerequisites for the development of tourism in a destination, even in rural areas, are the existence of accommodation facilities, food and drink facilities, as well as an adequate infrastructure network. A greater number of visitors will require the redetermination of the local population to engage in rural tourism and open their households to tourists. Some will adapt their households to accommodate tourists, others will produce food and drinks, others will be engaged in the production of various items and souvenirs, yet others will provide some specific services, such as workshops and seminars, and the will be also those who will not be directly related to tourism at all. However, without them, the tourist service (such as transport, trade, mediation, etc.) will not be complete.

The findings highlight universal conclusions that can be applied to tourism development policies in other regions. Tourists who come to rural destinations are people who understand the importance of the word “sustainability,” which puts them in the category of desirable tourists and rural tourism is a sustainable form of tourism, whose development is accompanied by positive, supportive effects of planning, construction, maintenance, and management.

Considering all the effects of tourism development, both positive and negative, one can come to the conclusion that the future lies only in the development of sustainable forms of tourism. Tourism based on sustainable development aims to develop tourism with planned and directed activities related to sustainability through the positive aspects of the three most important sustainability indicators: economic (economic effectiveness and efficiency for the benefit of tourists and entrepreneurs and the local population, but also for the entire region and for the entire state); sociological (overcoming various prejudices, reaching a high level of social intelligence and quality of life, while preserving the traditional values of the community); ecological (preserving the environment and achieving the necessary balance between man and nature).

Modern tourism implies a change in certain patterns of tourist behavior, including demand. It is believed that tourists are looking for quality rural destinations that develop sustainable and responsible tourism. This primarily refers to those aspects of rural areas that can satisfy some of the following needs: health and recreational needs, the need to return to nature and traditional values, the need for peace and quiet, the need to participate in ecologically certified production and consumption of food and drinks (wine, brandy, beer, homemade juices), the need for accommodation in a rural environment, in facilities made of natural materials suitable for rural areas, etc. It has been noticed in recent years that the movement of “green tourists” who are looking for motifs which could be found in the natural environment and non-urbanized rural and other protected areas is becoming more and more popular. Also, in great demand are spaces where free movement, self-exploration, and self-fulfilment are possible, spaces where there is a possibility of religious tourism as well as curious tourist attractions. Also, an increasing trend of shorter educational family trips was noted.

In the paper, rural tourism is presented as a sustainable form of tourism, and what proved to be innovative is the fact that the local population fully supports the development of tourism in the places they come from, they are open to contacts and they support the development of infrastructure and investments. Research has shown that rural tourism would minimize otherwise negative effects of tourism development, such as pollution and uncontrolled construction. Also, the development of tourism would raise women’s awareness and promote female entrepreneurship, which is also a very important indicator of sustainable development.

The Government of Serbia is preparing a decree that will allocate over one million euro in grants for rural tourism, which represents a push-up effect of the determination to engage in rural tourism (about EUR 25 thousand per household). In Serbia, 742 registered rural tourist households are currently evidenced through the e-tourist information system, which is an increase of one third compared to previous years. This indicates that the local population is becoming aware of the importance of tourism development to their communities. Of the total number of registered households, even 148 are farms and ethno houses. Vojvodina is particularly rich in farms, so it can be expected that this number will increase significantly due to regulations and subsidies from the Government of Serbia, the Ministry of Tourism and Youth and the Provincial Secretariat for Economy and Tourism. What the farms are particularly famous for is gastronomy and a healthy authentic way of life, to which more and more tourists return. Life in a modern environment implies a lot of stress, which can be relieved in rural areas, which offer a whole range of possibilities. And yet, there are certain limitations when it comes to the development of rural destinations, namely accommodation capacities.

There is a need in the tourist market for more accommodation capacity in rural destinations. In order to overcome this problem, it is necessary to make an additional effort and educate, empower, and economically support a local population in an effort to opt for rural tourism. It is also necessary to stimulate the return of young people to the villages. One of the positive examples are the subsidies of the Government of Serbia and the Ministry of Rural Care for the purchase of a country house with a garden. Of the 4.7 thousand villages in Serbia, as many as 1.2 thousand are deserted, and according to the Ministry of Rural Care, as many as 150 thousand houses are empty and nobody lives in them. Such researches are an encouragement to decision-makers that the local population is aware of the importance of rural destinations and village life, as well as tourism is sustainable for the development of rural areas. There are also similar examples in other regions where young people are trying to return to their villages. Thus, two municipalities in Croatia, Legrad and Magadenovac, offered country houses in those municipalities at a tender, at a price of only EUR 1. In addition, the decision-makers offered other numerous benefits for those returning to the villages, with the only condition being that the buyers must stay in those villages for a minimum of 15 years.

The paper began with the initial hypothesis, according to which the development of tourism has positive effects on the development of rural destinations. The research showed a positive attitude of the respondents in relation to this statement, which confirmed the initial hypothesis. The local population agreed with the view that tourism in their villages is a desirable activity, and therefore a sustainable one.

However, there are certain obstacles when it comes to the development of rural tourism. First of all, there is insufficient support from state institutions, and then insufficient investments in the development of rural tourism and insufficient projects supported by the Science Fund and other relevant Ministries. What is indisputable and what turned out to be the main conclusion of the research is the fact that rural tourism is a sustainable form of tourism that supports the preservation and revitalization of villages, rural destinations, and the traditional way of life and working. Therefore, it is important that rural tourism receives sufficient financial support from state institutions, and that more local residents become actively involved in tourism activities, which, alongside agriculture, is increasingly becoming a primary source of income and development for these communities.

In order for rural tourism to become a priority development factor for a region or country, it is important that it be recognized as a sustainable form of tourism. To achieve this, further research is needed, so that rural tourism gets the place it deserves in official tourism development strategies. This ensures longterm sustainable development, whereas education, various projects, and understanding the local point of view with the positive aspects of the development of rural tourism makes it possible to minimize possible negative effects. This research has certain limitations, which are primarily reflected in the sample size. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct research continuously, but also expand it to a larger territory, and even to the entire country.