Tourism can be considered a complex phenomenon, with multiple implications in the sectors of the national economy, on culture, education and international relations, being one of the characteristics of contemporary civilization. It has emerged and evolved as a consequence of political, economic, social, cultural, technological changes and has registered, in recent decades, a special dynamic in the world economy.
Although in the last hundred years the migration of the population to the urban area has been a continuous phenomenon and numerous socio-economic and cultural changes have taken place, many of the rural settlements have preserved their beauty and authenticity. No matter what the near future brings them, in terms of the new economy, many villages will always adapt their rural life, residential forms - depending on the quality and productive capacity of the land, the power and organization of the agricultural sector, how they all know governments to support them economically and socially, regardless of their political orientation.
At present, it must be recognized that rural settlements have a complex geographical and socio-economic reality and revolve around a generous natural environment, with landscapes and traditions of unparalleled beauty and originality. Therefore, the rural space must be approached through the prism of an equation with multiple elements: historical, geographical, agrarian, housing, traditional culture, all with different structures and typologies.
From the tourist point of view, the villages are characterized by continuous transformations, due to the evolution of external influence factors (for example, CAP policy) or internal (level of development of the economy and general infrastructure, general standard of living, etc.). The reality shows us that the dispersion or concentration of tourist resources is uneven, ensuring the ability to determine the competitive advantage in this economic sector of services. A good knowledge at local and regional level of the rural tourist patrimony allows a careful follow-up of the tourist activities in relation to the existing resources, in order to avoid their overload, their degradation.
Modern society has now come to face a series of problems resulting from its own statement: environmental pollution, urbanization, industrialization, robotization. Under these conditions, many citizens aspire to vacations or weekends in rural areas, close to nature; tries to get rid of mass tourism, of the highly artificialized environments of the coastal or mountain resorts. Therefore, the preoccupation for finding new holiday formulas, new less monotonous and more original destinations has enjoyed and is enjoying the due attention from the tourism organizers.
Along with holidays at sea, in the mountains or for treatment, new holiday formulas, stays in rural areas, farms, stays in holiday villages, but especially in tourist villages - have been imposed lately as a necessity. , as well as "tourist fashion". Rural tourism is no longer just a palliative for the poor and no curiosity, but an alternative, a possibility of recreation away from polluted and heavily artificialized cities, the crowds of large hotels.
This type of tourism and all its subtypes have diversified more and more and expanded territorially. The note of originality and beauty are given by the preservation in time and space of a less altered nature, by the existence of a traditional architecture and ancestral occupations, ethnic, cultural and religious continuity.
In recent decades, rural tourism has experienced an upward trend. In its evolution from simple tourist activities and services, to today's more sophisticated and modern ones, this type of tourism has benefited from favorable development conditions. From the moment that many European countries register better and better economic performances, the income level, the living standards, the free time of the population rise to higher levels.
Rural tourism is, in fact, a possibility to capitalize on the rural space, which highlights specific resources, less known and promoted, without losing authenticity and cultural identity, typical architecture, without "hijacking" the agricultural destination of the land . Rural tourism and implicitly agrotourism can help to diversify and, therefore, to stabilize the local economy, to create business opportunities and, through them, to the emergence of new jobs, the promotion and development of services, the diversification of the use of labor force. work, attracting new investments.
In this context, this book, focused on the latest developments in rural tourism, with all its characteristics - worldwide, European and national, makes a modest contribution to highlighting all opportunities to capitalize on
the natural and cultural potential of the rural area with strong tourist values. By the way it expands, tourism rural shows that it is becoming more and more a phenomenon with a major role in preserving the national popular specificity, and through its future evolution, rural tourism must become a pillar of support of all that means unity, authenticity and originality, which they wanted to it is also supported by the authors of this book.
Rural tourism has the merit of highlighting the fact that everything that is invaluable in terms of wealth and values in the village world, needs to be valued more and passed on to future generations.
The Authors