Exploring rural tourism potential in rural areas of Vrnjačka Banja

Abstract

Purpose. The paper aims to examine the local populace's perceptions towards the possibilities and approaches of developing rural tourism in the rural areas of the Vrnjačka Banja municipality. The goal of the study is to contribute to the understanding of rural tourism development and the promotion of sustainable rural development while actively involving the local population. Methodology. The collected primary data underwent analysis employing descriptive statistics and factor analysis in IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0 software. Findings. The analyzed results of the empirical research has shown that rural tourism in rural areas of municipality of Vrnjačka Banja can be developed by including local population. Implications. The research makes a theoretical contribution by enriching the discourse on the socio and economic prosperity of the community and tourism in rural areas. The practical implications of the paper involve contributing to the formulation future strategies for advancing rural tourism in municipality of Vrnjačka Banja. Moreover, the paper can serve as a basis for future improvements in effective rural tourism management and enhancement of the overall quality of life for the rural community in the Vrnjačka Banja municipality.