Theoretical aspects of rural tourism development in Russia

The phenomenon of rural tourism has been known in tourism science and practice for a long time, but there was no unified interpretation of its essence in Russia until recently. In order to systematize and develop the theoretical foundations of rural tourism, the essence of the phenomenon of rural tourism is revealed, the prerequisites, tasks and conditions for its development are determined. The authors propose an adjustment of the term «rural tourism» in the Law on the Basics of Tourist Activity (No. 132) in terms of attributing this type of activity exclusively to the activities of agricultural producers. The study of the theoretical aspects of rural tourism confirmed the importance of activating the entrepreneurial initiative of rural residents, solving multifaceted problems of rural areas. Currently, the relevance of rural tourism development is due to the need to preserve and popularize the rural way of life in conditions of urbanization, improve the quality of life of rural residents, preserve and rational use of historical and cultural values, territorial assets, tourist infrastructure facilities, revitalize and diversify the rural economy, and form environmentally oriented thinking in society.