TOURISM AS A DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY OF RURAL AREAS IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Abstract

Rural areas cover a significant part of the territory and the total population of the Republic of Serbia. However, the population of these areas is mainly engaged in agriculture, with greater poverty than urban areas. Therefore, it is necessary to foster better integration of the primary sector with other sectors, especially with the manufacturing industry, first of all with the food industry and the tertiary sector, i.e. tourism, to provide additional income for the rural economy. The subject of this research is the role and importance of tourism in the development of rural areas of the Republic of Serbia, with the aim of indicating that tourism represents one of the significant opportunities for the future sustainable development of rural areas of the Republic of Serbia. This paper will also analyze the impact of tourists’ overnight stays by type of tourist resorts on the share of tourism in GDP, with an emphasis on the rural tourist households.