Introduction of Sustainable Development Aspects in the Field of Rural Tourism in Ukraine

Abstract

Features of rural tourism are considered within the concepts of sustainable development and sustainable tourism development. Possibilities of assessing the degree of implementation of aspects of sustainability at the level of the tourism process participants are highlighted. The monitoring of the state of achievement of the goals of sustainable tourism development is platformed by the survey of owners of rural hospitable estates in Ukraine – members of the NGO “Union for Promotion of Rural Green Tourism Development in Ukraine”, providing for the initial assessment of the implementation of aspects of sustainable development in the field of rural tourism in Ukraine. The latter allowed us to identify the main sociodemographic indicators of the owners of rural hospitable estates in Ukraine and their farmsteads. The analysis of the level of estate owners’ acknowledgment of the concept and goals of sustainable development, the study of the nature of the use of hired labor by the owners of rural hospitable estates, the level of implementation of aspects of environmental friendliness and responsible consumption serve to reveal the state, opportunities, and prospects of cooperation of rural hospitable estates with other participants of the tourist process. It was found that the owners of estates not only have a common understanding of the concept of sustainability and its relevance but also actively endeavor to implement certain aspects of sustainability in the provision of rural tourism services. Highlighted criteria for sustainability of rural hospitality services – economic (profitability, demand, stable tourist flows, expansion of activities, etc.), sociocultural (cooperation and partnership, cluster interaction, preservation of local traditions, opportunities for learning and personal development, etc.) and environmental (waste management, responsible consumption of resources, etc.). The current needs and mechanisms of further acquaintance of the owners of rural hospitable estates with the issues of sustainable development are determined. Identified ways to ensure more sustainable activities for the provision of rural tourism services at different levels – the level of rural hospitable estate, community level and state level as elements of a complex, continuous and multifaceted process.