On Wednesday, April 17, a bill was introduced to the State Duma that will become the legal basis for the development of a new tourism sector in Russia – rural tourism (agritourism).
The bill was introduced by a group of deputies from the United Russia faction, including Victor Kidyaev, Andrey Isaev, Svetlana Maksimova.
Representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia also took an active part in the revision.
"We propose introducing a definition of rural tourism (agritourism) into the Russian Federation's tourism legislation, which involves travel to domestic agricultural producers. Corresponding amendments regarding state support for this type of activity are being made to the law on agricultural development," he said. Kidyaev.
According to him, the bill has already received support from the government and experts, and is considered important for the industry and promising for the Russian economy. In many countries around the world, the development of agritourism is currently becoming a trend; this market is growing and attracting increasing investment. Furthermore, providing a new type of accommodation and tourist services will allow agricultural enterprises to diversify their revenue structure.
"This is especially important for them during the off-season, when non-core income allows them to maintain their business and use less borrowed funds during the new season. In the long term, a vibrant tourism industry in rural areas will spur the development of infrastructure, supplies, and any related businesses," the deputy believes.
In his opinion, the initiative could bring the greatest benefit to small settlements that do not have large enterprises on their territory, but are interesting from a tourism point of view.
Source: trn-news.ru