Experience of the People’s Republic of China in implementing policy of rural tourism

The article is devoted to the policy of the Chinese authorities on the rural tourism development. Currently, rural tourism, according to the Chinese authorities, is an additional opportunity for developing rural areas and improving the well-being of rural residents, in addition, it is a way to increase consumption within the country. During the study, the main stages of the rural tourism development in China were identified, and both the importance of tourism in general for the country's economy and rural tourism separately were considered. Regional differences in the development of rural tourism in China have been studied, which are reflected in the author's map diagram of rural tourism indices in the provinces of the PRC. Based on analysis of articles by Chinese authors the article determines characteristic features of rural tourism in China and models based on various forms of participation and interaction of agricultural producers, their associations and authorities. The authors consider unique popular forms of rural tourism in China “Nong Jia Le” (“Happy farmhouse"), the experience of creating thematic “charming towns” and “charming villages”, allowing to solve employment problems in rural areas. Modern models for the revival of rural areas of the PRC are presented through the development of different rural tourism formats, such as a country hotel, a cultural and creative type, a pastoral leisure style, and a health and sports type. Based on documents created by various ministries and departments of China, the main directions for implementing national and regional policies for the development of rural tourism, as well as the role of tourism in the revival of rural areas, have been identified. At the end of the article, the possibility of using similar experience of the PRC for the Russian Federation is considered.