GENESIS OF AGROTOURISM IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The article analyzes agrotourism as a qualitatively new, rapidly developing area of tourism activity, which includes a specific range of services. Based on the use of theoretical and empirical sources, the authors reveal the genesis of agrotourism in Ukraine. Various approaches to understanding rural tourism in both domestic and foreign literature are analyzed. This allowed the authors to reveal the genesis of various concepts for the development of rural tourism. Agrotourism is considered as a separate subspecies of rural tourism. It is shown that agrotourism synthesizes ethnographic tourism, ecological tourism, can have a different degree of activity and cultural and educational richness. It is substantiated that there are objective reasons for the development of this type of tourism in Ukraine, while the authors emphasize that tourism is an underestimated asset of Ukraine. It is proved that the development of rural tourism will solve a number of problems in rural areas, including the creation of additional jobs, improving living conditions in the countryside through the development of appropriate tourism infrastructure. The article considers a two-level approach to the formation of the concept of agrotourism development: at the expense of own resources without attracting the necessary investments from outside and as the main business, providing the maximum range of recreational services aimed at using all aspects of rural life that are attractive to tourists. It is noted that in the context of the natural resources of Ukraine, agrotourism is one of the priority areas for the development of tourism. The solution of basic tasks to increase the popularity of Ukrainian agrotourism is considered. It is shown that a factor in the development of the agrotourism market is that it is being built "from below" - practically without the participation of central structures. The problems of the development of agrotourism are also indicated: the lack of clearly articulated political decisions to support agrotourism, there is no nationwide program and financial support. The article proves the importance of agrotourism for the socio-economic development of the regions of Ukraine, through an increase in agrocultural production, the sale of local food products, a reduction in migration outflow, an increase in the standard of living of the rural population as a whole, and an increase in the entrepreneurial activity of the population.