Based on evidence from nine countries (UK, ), this special issue analyses the fabrics of farm tourism in Europe. It identifies two main development trends: on one hand, a small scale and dispersed activities, at the other hand a product in response to tourist market demand. A brief overview of existing farm tourism practices in the European rural areas indicated an interesting interface between the forms and dimension of farm tourism embeddedness in local environment and at the same time, the ways and range of internationalization of farm tourism business.

The heterogeneity and huge regional diversity as key determinant of Slovenian rural areas have not been considered enough in the case of regional development directing. Extensive and multilane questionnaire of case study areas (the survey included 10 selected problem areas) pointed out the most evident development problems and future development opportunities. The latest ought to be respected with the planning and guidance of endogenous regional development. The demographic potential as the basis condition for "realistic planning" is upgraded with the de facto household vitality (i.e. demographic vitality), which enables the most reliable demographic structure review. Various forms of demographic vitality significantly determine the approaches and measures for regional development stimulation. The mentioned are successful only with the simultaneous identification of endogenous resources, stimulation of social capital and human resources as key factors of endogenous development as a whole

In Slovenia, farm tourism is among the most important supplementary activities on farm. On the other hand, its role within tourism sector is rather modest. The paper approaches the phenomenon of farm tourism from tourism supply and demand perspectives. Employed qualitative methods involved farm tourism holders and potential tourists on farm. The results have pointed out that the occurrence of tourist farms is primarily the result of farmers' needs and opportunities, and only on the second place of expressed demand of tourism market. Farm tourism supply and demand factors are interrelated in a rather complex way. Supply is only selectively influenced by (perceived) demand since farm tourism providers stick to extant idea/image of farm tourism and they are not putting it in question. In this way they also affect tourism demand since they shape a specific construct/image of farm tourism which attracts only some types of tourists.Izvleček: Turizem na kmetiji je v Sloveniji med najpomembnejšimi dopolnilnimi dejavnostmi.Po drugi strani je njegova vloga v okviru turizma precej skromna. Prispevek obravnava turizem na kmetiji tako z vidika turistične ponudbe kot povpraševanja. Izvedena je bila anketna raziskava med člani kmečkih gospodinjstev na turističnih kmetijah, pa tudi intervjuji z njimi. Poleg tega je bilo opravljeno anketiranje potencialnih turistov na turističnih kmetijah. Rezultati so opozorili, da je razporeditev in ponudba turističnih kmetij v prvi vrsti odvisna od potreb in pričakovanj lastnikov kmetij. Ponudba in povpraševanje turističnih kmetij sta tako povezani na precej zapleten način. Povpraševanje le selektivno vpliva na ponudbo, saj ponudniki tovrstnih storitev večinoma oblikujejo/gradijo na obstoječi podobi. Na ta način tudi vplivajo na oblikovanje specifične podobe turizma na kmetiji, ki (ne)privlači določene vrste turistov.Ključne besede: turizem na kmetiji,podeželska območja, turistično povpraševanje, razvoj podeželja, Slovenija

Contemporary Slovene rural areas as multifunctional localities with heterogeneous and mosaic structures and, exposed to enormous restructuring, are trapped between traditional processes and structures on one side and modern development processes on the other. Goriška (predominately a rural area) is part of a strongly integrated cross-border region with a very diverse geographical structure, huge historical, cultural and natural heritage and a significant share of LFAs with increasing levels of interregional disparities. This paper focuses on networking of SMEs in these Slovene rural areas. The results confirm the complex nature of the relationships between favourable business environments (built-up and supportive business milieu) and processes of embeddedness and international integration.