Agritourism is rural tourism: types and forms, routes, reviews. Why is a holiday in the countryside so attractive? What is the name of tourism to the village

Is a rather difficult question. And if there is no developed transport infrastructure, then it is practically insoluble. It is impossible to sell the same products grown on the ground, since they cannot be delivered to the consumer. Rural tourism is a different matter! This idea is interesting in every way. Let's take a closer look.

What is the meaning of the idea for a vacationer

What is Rural Tourism? This expression refers to a certain type of recreation for residents of megacities, during which they take part in agricultural work. That is, the townspeople go to the village in order to breathe air, fresh natural products eat, and at the same time also try to live a completely different life - rural. I must say that this idea, on the one hand, is simple, since many people buy for this particular summer residence, on the other hand, it expands the possibilities of "vacationers".

It means that rural tourism is not just a trip to a suburban area, but an opportunity to visit other countries, get acquainted with the way of life and way of life of other peoples. This one differs from any other type of recreation by the opportunity to fully immerse oneself in the way of life that is inaccessible to a city dweller, to feel like a full-fledged inhabitant of the village.

Benefits for the host

It must be said here that the idea gives the villagers literally unlimited possibilities! To develop own business v countryside very difficult. Not because there is not enough hard work or resources. Rather, due to the lack of a consumer. For a successful business, you need a constant influx of people who want to buy its result, otherwise the idea will not pay off.

Thus, rural tourism is becoming a "lifesaver" for those who are actively engaged in the construction of their own business. But that is not all! Who will give up extra working hands! This can only be understood by a peasant who has a lot of things to do and time to spare. And if these "hands" also pay for their living ... rural business becomes not only profitable, but also enjoyable! The peasant (owner) receives such benefits: profit from a tourist, help with the farm, an influx of new communication and information. This is a great example of a business idea from scratch in the countryside.

A bit of history

Rural tourism was born in Europe. This was due to the desire of people with small means to relax in nature. At the same time, they wanted to get all the "charms" of expensive hotels, together with the pleasure of feeling like the "owner" of the land plot.

To meet the demand, those wishing to be offered accommodation with villagers' families for a reasonable fee. I liked the service. Among the clients now are not only families with a small income, but also young people, especially students, people striving for solitude and a natural life. The demand for recreation in the countryside has not been falling for many years, bringing in up to twenty percent of the gross tourism income in some European countries.

Agritourism in Russia

The idea, despite its promising potential, has not yet found massive development in the country. It should be noted that the first to practice it was the Kaliningrad region (to invite foreigners). Due to its sufficient popularity among esotericists, Altai joined it. It is believed that this particular region of the country will become the most promising in terms of the development of rural tourism.

This is due to the fact that many people from all over the world want to live in this modern Mecca. In general, Siberia now seems to be one of the best places for implementing a business idea in rural areas. This territory is sparsely populated, and there are a lot of people all over the world who want to settle here (at least temporarily).

Rural tourism signs

This is considered a type of recreation outside the city, completely environmentally friendly and beneficial to local residents. That is, there are three signs: in the village, without harm to nature, usefulness for the economy. For a tourist, it is necessary to create conditions so that he can comfortably enjoy the chosen type of recreation. That is, in the area where this type of service is developing, a special infrastructure is being created.

It includes places of residence, transportation, places of "work", shops, cafes and so on. Tourists are called "guests" here. They are trying to create a completely home environment. In addition, psychological comfort is an integral part (if not the main one) of this type of recreation. Often people go not so much for impressions and physical activity as for “resting the soul”. It is known that in rural areas communication is more open and sincere, which has a beneficial effect on the nervous system of guests.

Features of rural tourism

This type of business is quite beneficial for the municipal authorities. It does not require public investment, and the return with the right organization will be decent. The only thing that may be required from the budget is the construction (repair) of roads. But this is already their responsibility. The rest of the infrastructure is created by the business owners. There are some risks.

So, an excessive influx of tourists can contribute to the pollution of the area (cars, garbage, and so on). This problem is solvable. The construction of transport service enterprises, as well as paid parking lots can be another idea for villagers or municipal authorities. True, such a business in the countryside will justify itself only in the event of a large influx of guests.

What can be offered to tourists

I must say that guests come most often in the summer. At this time, they are offered a number of pleasures that they are deprived of due to their urban lifestyle. Among them:

• the regularity and silence of village life;
• vegetables, berries, herbs straight from the garden;
• walks in the open air;
• the ability to drink water from natural sources;
• swimming in natural reservoirs;
• work on the ground;
• caring for animals;
• fresh milk and meat;
• an individual approach to each guest;
• the opportunity to relax with your pets;
• participation in folk festivals and entertainment;
• homely atmosphere and much more that nature gives without stint.

In the fall, there are those who want to learn how to harvest and do homework, dry herbs and berries. And all the townspeople just dream of mushrooms! Thus, rural tourism can become the most demanded type of recreation in the world. It lacks stronger advertising. But this is a matter of time.

Where to start (prerequisites)

For rural people who have no other source of income, rural tourism is becoming more and more attractive. The business plan for the development of such a business is not too complicated (at least at the first stage). But still has some mandatory conditions.

It is necessary not only to burn with an idea, but to have some "start-up" capital. Fixed assets: land plot, house suitable for receiving guests, transport (car, boat, etc.), pets, vegetable garden or garden. For the first time, it will be possible to allocate part of your own living space. It must be equipped with a separate entrance. You need to take care of the dining room, the place where guests will eat. It should be comfortable, spacious and cozy. You will have to cook food in a separate, specially equipped room. Please note that special services are monitoring this issue.

It is desirable that there is a pond, forest, meadows nearby. That is, the area that would be attractive to tourists. Also, the prerequisites include the desire and ability to work, communicate, master new skills (even professions). It should be taken into account that guests will need to be taken care of like family members, cook, clean, entertain. This is serious and hard work.

Desirable conditions

When deciding that this type of activity is right for you, consider the following. Business ideas from scratch in rural areas have more than prerequisites for implementation. There is still not material resources that you need to have in order to make your travel corner competitive. What is meant? Guests will have to not only receive, but also entertain.

This requires skills in organizing folk festivals, knowledge of local traditions and rituals, mastery of crafts (any business that is done by hand from natural materials), and so on. Guests will be grateful if you sometimes tell them about the history of the area, the peculiarities of the culture.

This is not as paramount as material resources, but it strongly affects competitiveness. It is desirable to create your own form style... Whether it's ethnic adventures or fun holidays, choose whatever you like best. Then it will be much easier to interest the guests in it.

How to organize a reception

To organize your stay, you will need a separate room (or building). Usually a house (or part of it) with a separate entrance is used. The room should be equipped taking into account the comfort of the guests' location. That is, you will need to take care of beds, bedding, dishes.

A prerequisite is the presence of a TV, a computer (with the Internet), a telephone connection. Do not forget that rural tourism focuses not only on locals, but also on foreigners. Therefore, conversational skills will be needed (at least - English). In addition, you will need to feed the guests. To do this, you will have to master the dishes not only of the local, but also of some other cuisines (not everyone will agree to a "rustic" table).

In this regard, it becomes necessary to have a supply of food. You need to select it in such a way that guests do not feel inconvenience. It is advisable to inquire about their wishes in advance. Keep in mind that unfavorable reviews (there are enough fans to write them on the Internet) can negate all your efforts.

The main condition is to respect the interests of guests

For a business to go well, you need to be able to attract a client. This is what all marketing textbooks say. Since rural tourism is based on home comfort and comfort, the creation of an atmosphere of benevolence and good nature becomes the first condition for success.

Guests should feel welcome and loved. You need to be able to accept strangers, in fact, people so that they feel themselves not just “buyers” of services, but members of your family. To do this, you need to learn flexibility of behavior, the ability to prevent the development of conflicts in the bud, develop the ability to understand what the interlocutors want.

Some guests will need extra furniture (maybe toys for children). Others will want a lot of excursions. In any case, all guests will walk around the village, communicate with the local population.

And in order for this not to turn into a problem, you will have to negotiate with neighbors, maybe involve them in providing additional services(fishing, holidays, excursions). Since rural tourism involves not only recreation, but also work, you need to plan in advance what you will offer guests.

It is not necessary to put them on heavy and dirty work without prior agreement. And it is not customary to demand a "norm" from guests. It is best to give them the opportunity to try themselves in those types of work that they choose for themselves. But it takes patience and skill to teach.

Rural tourism is a promising direction. Its development does not require huge investments at the first stage. You can start with the available resources, and only then build up momentum. Moreover, state registration of such activities is required. You will need to comply with all the requirements of the legislation governing the reception of guests and their stay in the local territory.

The aggressive environment of megalopolises is extremely tiring for a person, so many townspeople strive to acquire summer cottages and rural estates, where they go to rest at every opportunity. For those who, for various reasons, cannot afford the purchase and maintenance of a country house, agritourism can be an excellent way out - a relatively new direction, which implies living in rural areas away from big cities, with the opportunity to take part in various cultural and leisure activities.

Considering rural tourism as a business, it should be noted that it is equally of interest to both vacationers and farmers who have at their disposal a sufficient amount of resources to comfortably accommodate several guests. Moreover, tourists perceive the processes familiar to local residents as exotic, and therefore willingly take part in field work, take care of animals, rent boats for fishing and pick mushrooms, thereby bringing the owner of the village hotel a good additional income.

Business specifics

The main feature of rural tourism lies in the living conditions: guests are accommodated in old log houses or in antique-style estates located in areas with untouched nature, far from industrial enterprises and multi-storey concrete buildings. With the exception of complexes with a complete historical reconstruction, such village hotels provide visitors with amenities at the level of resort apartments: the rooms have bathrooms, air conditioners, TVs and refrigerators, and in the dining room guests are provided with three meals a day.

The main meaning of this type of recreation is to separate the inhabitants of megalopolises from the usual hustle and bustle and immerse themselves in a leisurely and measured rural life. In addition, the tours are also of an educational nature: many townspeople have never seen an authentic folk costume, did not sit with a fishing rod at dawn and did not milk a cow.

In Russia, rural tourism attracts mainly women, whose share in target audience reaches 70%. Living in the village can be interesting for other residents of megalopolises - married couples with children and young people who prefer a healthy lifestyle and ecological cleanliness of the environment.

Another rather broad category of tourists is foreign citizens who want to get acquainted with cultural traditions and folklore. For such guests, the natural environment, national flavor and authenticity of rural life are sometimes more important than the presence of a TV in the room. Considering that foreigners choose places for recreation mainly via the Internet, it is necessary to develop their own multilingual website with colorful photographs, descriptions of services and a price list, as well as regularly place ads on foreign travel forums and social networks.

Collective field trips are also common in the corporate environment: managers of various companies buy similar tours for their employees in order to conduct events aimed at strengthening team spirit and working out ways of interaction between employees. Such clients usually rent a hotel for a period of several hours to two to three days and pay much more for it than ordinary private visitors.

Finally, the concept of rural tourism development implies close interaction with tour operators: companies interested in cooperation on favorable terms, will not only post information about the services of a home hotel on their website and in advertising materials, but will also help in the development of a high-quality tourist product, organize a transfer and an entertainment program.

Types of rural tourism

Home hotel customers submit different requirements to organize their recreation: someone just wants to spend time in nature, others are interested in hunting and fishing, and still others come to the village to get acquainted with folklore and folk crafts. In accordance with the list of cultural and leisure activities, there are several of the most popular programs rural tourism:

1. Medical tourism. Has as its purpose the study of means and methods of traditional medicine, the collection of medicinal plants, as well as the conduct of health procedures in demand by people with various diseases;
2. Historical tourism. It is a complete immersion in an authentic old life, including accommodation in reconstructed huts with minimal conveniences and meals with dishes of Old Russian cuisine;
3. Rural ecological tourism. It implies living in a remote village with a disconnected telephone, no television or the Internet. Various cultural events contribute to complete immersion in rural life;
4. Sports tourism. In this case, the countryside is used as a playground for various sports, hiking, orienteering, rock climbing, rafting on mountain rivers, horseback riding;
5. Educational tourism. This type of rural tourism involves the study of classic folk crafts - pottery, artistic painting, wood carving, wickerwork, embroidery;
6. Agricultural tourism. Includes outdoor activities with the opportunity to take part in the main agricultural processes, including grazing, stocking firewood, field work, haymaking, hunting, fishing, picking mushrooms or berries;
7. Folklore tourism. The aim is to study folk art, rituals, oral stories and songs, visit historical sites and museums, as well as festivals and fairs held in rural areas;
8. International tourism. This type of tourism in rural areas can include one or several areas of interest to foreign guests - the study of folklore and folk crafts, history and medicine.

Advantages and disadvantages

Among the advantages of agritourism are the following factors:

1. To open a home hotel at a farm, you do not need to obtain a hotel license - you just need to register as a peasant farm or individual entrepreneur;
2. This direction is considered a priority, thanks to which the entrepreneur has the opportunity to participate in the program for the development of rural tourism;
3. If you have a subsidiary farm, you can reduce the cost of meals for guests by using organic products of our own production;
4. The hotel owner does not have to pay rent;
5. Using the surrounding Natural resources and the potential of the region, you can make an exciting program of cultural and educational events;
6. At this stage, the industry is characterized by a low level of competition;
7. To organize rural tourism, you do not need to have experience or special knowledge in this area.

At the same time, negative factors can significantly complicate the work of an entrepreneur and entail additional expenditure of resources aimed at overcoming the consequences of their influence:

1. In rural areas, the infrastructure and resources necessary for a comfortable stay of tourists are often lacking;
2. The activities of home hotels are not regulated by law;
3. Under the influence of urbanization, villagers quickly forget traditions and lose their identity;
4. The development of rural tourism in Russia is hampered by the rapid decrease in the number of able-bodied residents of villages and villages.

Resources required

Of course, not every village will be attractive to tourists: in some settlements attractions or interesting natural resources are absent in principle. Therefore, it is advisable to open a home hotel in a region known for its cultural traditions, crafts, architectural monuments and beautiful landscape.

A big advantage will be the presence of a nearby forest and any body of water - a lake, pond or river: visitors will certainly be interested in such active leisure as fishing, swimming, hiking for mushrooms or berries. Accordingly, an entrepreneur will be able to make money by providing guests with various equipment - boats and catamarans, bicycles, fishing rods, mushroom pickers.

When choosing where to start rural tourism in such an area, it is necessary to pay attention to the availability of any such resources and assess the possibility of using them to develop a program of cultural and leisure activities. In addition, for the service and entertainment of tourists, you can use:

• The manor. Several rooms for guests are allocated in the house, and the surrounding area is put in order, flower beds and lawns are laid here, gazebos, barbecues and swings are installed, parking spaces are equipped;
• Pets. Serving, feeding and grazing chickens, sheep, pigs, cows and horses will become part of entertainment program, and the use of livestock products will provide visitors with fresh milk, meat, eggs;
• Garden. For city dwellers, ordinary agricultural work will become an active and educational recreation - many of them have never seen potatoes, carrots or corn in their natural environment. In addition, dishes from these vegetables can be served at the table in the evening;
• Orchard. Gardening, harvesting and processing crops can also interest tourists. Fresh apples, pears, plums, cherries are eaten or used to prepare various desserts - pies, jams, preserves;
• Russian bath. Bath procedures are used for recreational purposes, supplementing them with homemade kvass or herbal tea. Fans of extreme recreation will want to jump from the steam room into a snowdrift or into an ice-hole with ice water;
• Craft, hobby. Various master classes on wicker weaving, pottery, woodworking, soap making and other works typical for rural life will help to attract and interest clients;
• Special knowledge. The hotel owner needs to learn the art of receiving guests, get acquainted with local historical, architectural and landscape sights for excursions, master the preparation of national cuisine, and improve communication skills on foreign languages to serve foreign guests.

Arrangement of rooms and territory

The manor house, which claims to be a home hotel, has rather high requirements to ensure maximum comfort for guests. Therefore, when improving the local area, it is necessary:

1. Remove all garbage from the site, repair paths, sow lawns with grass and flowers, if possible find and install carts, wheels from them, old agricultural machinery as decorative elements;
2. Equip a parking space for visitors' cars;
3. Clean and put in order the paths to the well, the spring and the reservoir;
4. Avoid the neighborhood with abandoned and dilapidated houses, garbage and dung heaps, livestock farms and other sources of unpleasant smell and noise;
5. Provide a telephone connection, satellite TV and the Internet (many guests will want to immediately post photos on social media);
6. Install artificial lighting on the site;
7. Arrange resting places, install gazebos and garden benches, hang hammocks.

The premises intended for accommodating guests must be equipped with ventilation, lighting and heating systems, bathrooms and showers. Of course, some tourists, in pursuit of historical accuracy, will want to live with stove heating, wash themselves from the stream and sleep on the beds, but the bulk of visitors will prefer this minimal set of amenities:

Equipping living rooms

The area of ​​guest rooms is chosen at the rate of at least 6–7 m² per person for double rooms, or 5–6 m² per person for triple rooms.

Catering

Three meals a day are included in the basic package of home hotel services. To organize it, it is necessary to equip a small dining room for 10-12 people, in which you can also install a samovar and spread sweets on dishes for organizing tea drinking at any time of the day. It is possible that this particular place will become the center of communication and exchange of impressions for guests after a busy day.

The basis of the menu for tourists is made up of simple and unpretentious village dishes prepared from the products farms... This may include:

• Vegetable salads, homemade pickles, fresh herbs;
• Homemade milk, sour cream, cottage cheese and cheese;
• Cutlets, meatballs, homemade sausage, dumplings, shashlik;
• Fish and fish dishes;
• Various cereals, naval pasta;
• Baked potatoes, boiled with herbs, stewed with mushrooms;
• Ukha, cabbage soup, pickles, vegetable and cold soups, borscht;
• Homemade eggs, omelets and scrambled eggs;
• Pies, honey cakes, pancakes, pancakes, homemade jam;
• Compotes, herbal and fruit teas.

You need to be prepared for the fact that some guests from among those who follow a vegetarian or medical diet will find the village menu unacceptable and wish to prepare their own meals using products brought with them or purchased from the farmer. For their convenience, you need to equip a separate kitchen equipped with all the necessary utensils and household appliances:

Guest kitchen equipment

Leisure organization

Few guests will be satisfied with the opportunity to just live away from the city noise, swim in a clean river, take a steam bath and look at live cows: usually people interested in agritourism are attracted by slightly different goals - immersion in rural life, active recreation, participation in agricultural work. In addition, many buy family tours and bring children to the village who grew up in the city and have never seen wildlife. Therefore, a set of various cultural and leisure activities is being developed for guests, including them in a basic package or offering them as additional services:

Agricultural Leisure:

• Collecting berries, vegetables and fruits, working in the field and in the garden;
• Pumping honey, excursion to the apiary;
• Feeding and driving animals to pasture, working as a shepherd;
• Homemade bread baking;
• Arrangement of a smokehouse, smoking meat or fish;
• Collecting sour cream and whipping butter;
• Felling of trees and preparation of firewood.

Leisure:

• Hunting and fishing;
• Horseback riding, sleigh rides, excursion to the horse farm;
• Water procedures, swimming in a river or lake;
• Hiking and cycling;
• Sauna wellness procedures;
• Picnics;
• Access to recreation equipment - balls, badminton;
• Carrying out photo sessions with pets.

Cognitive rest:

• Acquaintance with local customs, rituals and folklore;
• Participation in celebrations, invitation of folk groups;
• Conducting master classes on folk crafts and crafts;
• Excursions to museums, inspection of architectural and natural monuments.

Investments

When developing a business plan for rural tourism, it is necessary to take into account that the work on arranging a home hotel is not limited to renovating the rooms: in order to ensure an acceptable level of comfort and organization of leisure for guests, you will have to clean up the adjoining territory, install air conditioners and satellite dishes, and purchase inventory. It is also advisable to have at your disposal a small minibus for delivering tourists to the place of rest and organizing excursion trips.

The list of costs associated with the creation of a hotel with three triple rooms will include the following items:

Capital investment

Unfortunately, the owners of the farm, who are engaged in providing rural tourism services, do not physically have enough time to serve the guests, take care of the animals and work in the field at the same time. Therefore, several hired assistants must be accepted into the staff of the enterprise:

• Technical worker for washing, cleaning rooms, washing dishes;
• Animator-guide for excursions and master classes;
• Cooks to work in the kitchen.

Costs per year

Income and profitability

Agritourism as a business involves the formation of a tourist product from a whole range of basic and additional services. By default, this includes accommodation in a separate room, three meals a day, the ability to contact animals, engage in outdoor activities and agricultural work. When developing pricing policy one should take into account the tariffs of similar rural hotels located in the Perm Territory, Karelia and Altai: here every day of accommodation costs a tourist 1200–1500 rubles.

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In order to increase the competitiveness of the enterprise, it is recommended to reduce the cost of services during periods of decline in tourist activity and thereby attract customers who want to save money on vacation. Thus, taking into account seasonal fluctuations in attendance, a farmer who rents out three triple rooms can receive an income of 1.74 million rubles during the year:

Home hotel income

An increase in the company's profitability is facilitated by the provision of a set of paid services, the list of which is formed depending on the resources available in the area: for example, if you have a horse farm, you can organize horseback riding, and if there is a reservoir, you can rent boats and fishing rods. When drawing up a business plan for agritourism, it is necessary to analyze all the available opportunities, and then develop a price list taking into account the depreciation of equipment and the cost of cultural and leisure activities:

Additional income

Thus, the total annual turnover home hotel will exceed 2 million rubles. Taking into account running costs, you can calculate the main economic indicators project and expected payback period:

Calculation of economic indicators

Conclusion

Being engaged in the development of rural tourism, one cannot be satisfied with what has already been achieved. In order for visitors to return to the hotel every year, the quality of service should be constantly improved, the surrounding area should be landscaped, new excursions and entertainment events should be thought out. However, the most important factor contributing to increased guest loyalty is the special home environment that needs to be created on the farm through the constant display of hospitality, friendliness and willingness to provide guests with the necessary assistance at any moment. At the same time, gratitude and enthusiastic customer reviews will serve as a worthy reward for the efforts made.

Once upon a time, many children spent the summer with their grandmothers in the village: they breathed fresh air all day long, swam in the rivers, drank homemade milk and picked berries and mushrooms in the forest. Helping the grandmothers with the housework, the grandchildren got acquainted with the peculiarities of rural life. But these days, most grandmothers themselves were born in the city. And the living conditions that were considered normal 50 years ago are unlikely to suit modern children and their parents.

Rural tourism has long been popular abroad. But, fortunately, in recent years, a lot of rural tourism objects have appeared in Russia, making the rest of children in the village not only interesting and useful, but also comfortable.

Classification of types of rural tourism

You can rest in the village in different ways. And it is better to immediately decide what exactly the family is waiting for, going on such a vacation. Depending on this, you can choose both the locality and a certain recreation center, a farm or a homestead.

1. Simple stay in the countryside.
2. Life in the village with immersion. This is no longer just life in the countryside, but an introduction to rural labor, animals and plants. Accommodation in less comfortable conditions is possible.
3. Agritourism, work on the farm with the provision of accommodation and meals.
4. Sports tourism, including horseback riding, dog or reindeer sledding, hiking or cycling.
5. Gastronomic tours.
6. Ethnographic tourism. Travel to villages with strong folk traditions.

Holidays with children in the countryside

Recreation centers located in villages are usually small. They allow you to be in silence, finally, to spend time with the whole family, not in a hurry. Children can taste real country goat or cow milk here. After all, city children are often unfamiliar with the taste of fresh milk. And many adults have long forgotten the taste of real country sour cream and cream.

There is often a forest nearby where you can pick berries and mushrooms. And just take a walk with the children, show them powerful pines or white birches, oak groves or hazel thickets. In the spring you can see lilies of the valley in bloom, and in the summer you can collect fragrant wild strawberries.

There is usually a river or lake near the base where you can go fishing. Dads and sons will like it most of all. Mothers and daughters can take a boat ride through the backwaters with beautiful water lilies. And swimming in a clean river will delight everyone.

And in the evening, the whole family can watch the deep black sky with bright stars. After all, this never happens in the city.

After spending just a couple of weekends in the village, both adults and children will feel like after a good vacation. In adults, working capacity will increase. Children will release their irrepressible energy and expand their horizons. And the family will become more friendly and united. Joint rest contributes to this much better than sitting in different corners of the apartment in front of televisions and computers.

Immersion

If the children are no longer quite small, then it is quite possible to allow them to plunge into the real village life. In remote remote villages, houses are provided without running water. They drink well or spring water. Perhaps the children will see a real well for the first time in their lives. And such water tastes much better than even bottled water. What can we say about the liquid that flows in most cities from the tap.

Gas is usually available. And most often you can order food preparation as well. But for those who want to, there is an opportunity to cook on an open fire. And sometimes there is a real Russian stove in the house. Of course, it is not easy to cook in it from habit. But the hospitable hosts will certainly help. And then the whole family will be able to appreciate the taste of real Russian cuisine. And in winter it is so nice to warm up on the stove!

The townspeople can learn to milk a goat or cow, mow hay, bake real country bread and make homemade cheese. The kids will gladly feed the numerous animals. And finally, they will see animals not in the picture or in the zoo, but in normal conditions. And if the animals have babies: chickens, ducklings, calves - then children's delight is guaranteed.

I must say that you can communicate with animals at recreation centers with excellent conditions, where the village atmosphere is combined with the usual urban comfort.

But the gadgets are better left at home. During a good country holiday, the children will not have time for them. And adults do not hurt at all to have a real break from work.

But you need to be ready for such a vacation. Not all adults and not all children like the lack of basic amenities. If at least one person in the family is not ready for some time to do without the usual comfort, then it is better to find another accommodation facility. Otherwise, the rest will be ruined for everyone.

Leisure

In the countryside, there are activities for lovers of outdoor activities.

Horseback riding is especially popular. Routes vary in difficulty depending on preparation. For children and beginners, short walks on a relatively flat road are suitable. Experienced riders can go on challenging hikes for the whole day.

Sleigh rides and ATV rides are offered in winter. And in the summer you can ride bicycles.

And of course, what a vacation in a village without a real Russian bath, smelling of wood and smoke, with brooms and honey, diving into a snowdrift or pouring icy spring water. And what could be better than aromatic herbal tea or foamy kvass after a bath.

You can go on vacation to the village for a few days. And you can spend the whole vacation like that, having gone not to a neighboring village, but somewhere further away, to another region. Ecological rest is a great alternative to the usual lying on the sea beach. Although the village, with a strong desire, can be found near the sea. And for fans of excursions, ethnographic rural tourism is perfect.

If earlier vacation was associated with the hot south and the sea, then in modern world there are many interesting options for those wishing to relax. And a worthy place among them is occupied by rural tourism (aka rural or agritourism). This is a great opportunity for a city dweller to change the environment, take a break from the familiar environment, and be alone with nature and with himself.

What does rural tourism offer?

A classic of the genre is living in a wooden hut or in a small, but at the same time rather spacious stone house in nature, far from civilization. Very often there is a forest or lake, river, meadows nearby. You can spend the night in the hayloft. As a rule, tourists are invited to completely share the everyday life of rural residents, although this already depends on the specific program. Some tours involve only rest: the host side will be engaged in all matters.

The list of entertainment is of great interest for obvious reasons. Again, it all depends on the specific travel farm and program. Here's a short list:

2. Sometimes it is planned to visit local historical, architectural and natural attractions. It all depends on where the farm is.

3. Often the program includes boating on a river, pond or lake. Reservoirs are quite common. Just don't forget about safety!

4. Participation in various national entertainments, folk rituals and traditions is in great demand. It is very fun, for example, to meet Maslenitsa in the village.

6. Many people enjoy communicating with animals. In Russia, it is not difficult to find farms where they keep not only goats or cows, but also horses, ponies, etc. Children are usually delighted with such leisure activities.

7. Forest trips are also common. You can look for mushrooms, berries, flowers, or medicinal plants. True, to collect the latter, appropriate preparation is needed.

Naturally, all this does not exclude passive rest. Rural tourism is good because it allows you to change the environment and completely plunge into another world. After such adventures, it is especially pleasant to return to civilization.

Who is village tourism suitable for?

If you cannot imagine a vacation without all the benefits of civilization, then this option, most likely, will not be to your liking. But if the craving for nature and for simple rural joys is very strong, then it is worth trying at least once.

Village tourism differs from a regular trip to the village in that it is a service. You can negotiate everything in advance. And if you are not attracted to work in the garden or, say, cooking on your own, then no one bothers to discuss such moments. When visiting relatives, it can be inconvenient to refuse to help. As a result, the weekend is often spent on repairs, cleaning, or other things.

Rural tourism is primarily a type of recreation. You can choose what you like and what you don’t. And no one will be offended.

Rural tourism benefits

Organized trips to the countryside are often cheaper than visiting another country. In addition, to change the environment, you do not have to draw up a bunch of documents, spend time and money on this. And you will not need to experience acclimatization, which is important. And also rural tourism helps to understand and love the native country, to see its wealth and versatility. In short, it is a fun way to relax and change your surroundings.