The Golija mountain is one of the most attractive areas for rural tourism.Gora Golija je ena izmed najatraktivnej{ih podro~ij za kme~ki turizem. MARINA TODOROVI]Marina Todorovi}, @eljko Bjeljac, Rural tourism in Serbia as a way of development in undeveloped regions ABSTRACT: Our aim is to define the importance of rural tourism in Serbia for the development of Serbian rural areas. This paper presents Serbia as a country of varied, well-preserved nature, with many attractive and representative elements, and a developmental priority oriented towards ecological and village tourism, which has strong chances on the picky international tourist market. As Serbian rural tourism is only beginning to develop, we identified its potentials for further development, but also pointed out the weaknesses which are now obstructing the growth of this, in many ways the most perspective form of tourism in Serbia. Rural tourism in Serbia as a way of development in undeveloped regions

Regionalization is a contemporary conception of a development within a society. We are interested in cooperation at regions whose area is intersected by the national border. One of those borders is the Drina River that in different periods had changeable role of connecting or separating. In this way we want to stress the necessity of making a stronger, functional connection and developing of overall process of integration in the Podrinje region, on a land between the two republics-Serbia and the Republic of Srpska, because we think that this area has the most reasons for that, but so far it has been done very little. The first attempts to form Euroregions in Lower Podrinje region have already started, but it lacks many activities for this area to receive a cross-border role that it deserves

According to the 2002 data of the European Committee, 40% of the EU territory and 25% of its population are situated within the border areas. These areas are the key development factor of European integration, as well as of establishing of economic and social connections. (European Communities, 2002, pp.6.

The complex transitional process of the central and eastern European countries from the centrally-planned economy towards the market economy has been characterized by numerous conflicts and dramatic changes, particularly in the production sector. Taking into consideration that industry had the dominant significance in the economic structure shortly before the collapse of communism, the primary focus of the reforms was directed towards its restructuring. Therefore, the deindustrialization, as the process of the economic, social, spatial and ecological changes connected with the reduction of the productive activities, has been an integral part of the transitional process in these countries. While some regions/cities reacted positively on the changes and had the advantage in the newly created circumstances, others faced with serious problems, weakened their position considerably in the local and regional frames. Thus, the spatial structure of industry was also modified on different levels of the territorial hierarchy. The uncompetitive economic base, spoiled environment, together with other unfavourable factors in many-structural industrial centers/regions has slowed down the exceeding of the structural lacks by taking them into a phase of stagnation or regression. In comparison with other post-socialist countries, the transitional process in Serbia was marked by a series of uniqueness as due to different historical heritage, circumstances in which the process had begun so due to applied policies of adapting and restructuring.

Our aim is to define the importance of rural tourism in Serbia for the development of Serbian rural spaces generally. This paper presents Serbia as a country of varied, well-preserved Nature, with many attractive and representative elements, and with a developmental priority oriented towards ecological and village tourism, which has a strong chance on the choosy international tourist market. As the Serbian village tourism is only beginning to develop, we identified, in this paper, the potentials for its further development, but we also pointed out the weaknesses which are now obstructing the growth of this, in many ways the most important, form of tourism, in Serbia