Demographic aspects of rural tourism: problems and solutions

The contemporary relevance of ensuring sustainable rural development stems from the growing economic and social backwardness of rural territories on the one hand, and their ultimate importance for the state in the context of food security, preservation of soil and environmental resources, and the use of agricultural, production and labour potentials on the other hand. One of the key conditions for sustainable rural development is population strength- ening in rural areas and its sufficient employment. The article analyzes the current demographic problems of rural development, based on the example of Stavropol region. The authors describe threats to sustainable rural devel- opment such as unemployment and depopulation, as well as substantiate the practicality of diversification of traditional rural sources of income by means of tourism and other alternative activities. The research is performed on the base of actual materials and the results of studies related to the rural tourism development, and also using the authors' observations. The authors have used monographic, sociological, economic- statistical methods of research, the systematic approach and comprehensive analysis. Rural tourism today should be seen as an important development direction of entrepreneurship and diversification in rural areas, as one of the important areas of sustainable development, and as a form and the chance of economic, social and cultural revitalization of rural areas as a whole. This makes the study of essence and prospects of this business direction development of high priority.