Agrotourism as a means of diversifying the rural economy and sustainable regional development

Abstract

This article explores the role of agrotourism in the socio-economic development of rural areas. The essence of the concept of agrotourism and its relationship with rural, ecological, and ethno-cultural tourism are analyzed. Agrotourism is substantiated not only as a separate direction of tourism services but also as a means of diversifying the agricultural economy, forming additional sources of income, creating new jobs, and developing local infrastructure. The importance of agrotourism clusters, which ensure cooperation between agricultural producers, tourism organizations, service sector entities, artisans, and local authorities, was also highlighted. As a result of the study, organizational and economic directions for the development of agrotourism in the regions and an improved model of the agrotourism cluster were proposed.