AGRITOURISM-SUPPLEMENTARY INCOME SOURCE FOR THE RURAL POPULATION

Abstract

Currently, the economic coordinates of the rural environment are strictly dependent on the predominance of agricultural activities and the still high degree of employment in this sector. Thus, in the Romanian rural area, agriculture remains the main economic activity, although there are areas where activities such as forest industries, rural tourism and agrotourism, fishing, etc. dominate. Rural development in Romania must take into account all agricultural and non-agricultural activities that are and can be carried out in rural areas, given the potential of existing resources. [1,5,8] In the context of the multifunctionality of rural areas, complementary activities related to agriculture and the provision of services, must become the priorities of sustainable development programs. For rural communities, agritourism plays an important role in their development, but especially in increasing and diversifying the income of the population. The study undertaken is based on the analysis of existing statistical data at national level, which allowed the substantiation of some ideas regarding the implications that the rural tourism activity has on the entire local economy.