Local community’s role in tourism development

Abstract

The transformation of rural economy is most acute at the local level among the native population. The goal of the article is to define possibilities for participation of local community in development of rural tourism. When applying the participatory approach, the following conclusions can be drawn: 1) when local communities are not actively involved in the development of rural areas and tourism within the local borders, it is almost impossible to speak of any promotion; 2) rural tourism is attractive to the local community, but its ability actively participate in its development is limited by objective and subjective reasons; 3) emphasis on the benefits of rural tourism for the consumers and producers can lead to increased employment and profits for the local community. The assessment of the local community’s capacity to develop rural tourism is a crucial point in its promotion. This in turn leads to further research into the experience of integrating rural tourism into local communities. The results of the article may help in the development of concept papers on rural tourism development and may be useful in some tourism projects.