Perspectives of rural tourism in the middle Lithuania region

Abstract

Favorable conditions have emerged for the changes of rural development policy and promotion of new approaches after accession of Lithuania to the European Union. One of the areas supported by the Rural development program is the development of rural tourism. Research object is Middle Lithuania region. It was chosen due to nice landscape, good natural conditions for rural tourism development and authentic ethnic environment. The development of rural tourism homesteads are determined by various factors: both natural (forests, water bodies, diversity of nature) [1,2], and human created factors (quality of services, sports and entertainment offer, ethnic environment) [3]. There were 661 rural tourism homesteads in Lithuania in 2016 and since 2013 this number gradually increased by 41 (6.6%). There were 149 rural tourism homesteads in the Middle Lithuania region in 2016 which is 22.5 % from the total number in Lithuania. The goal of the research is to analyze the current state of rural tourism and its development opportunities in the Middle Lithuania region