Role of Agritourism Activity in Sustainable Rural Development

Dear Colleagues,

The rural environment is an area where a series of disparities and issues manifest. However, it is also the area with an incomparable "wealth", which is reflected in its natural tourist resources, specific manifestations, and certain crafts, ensuring the original products are obtained and its continuity is desirable in order to maintain its sustainability, various traditions and customs, and gastronomic products, which support its authenticity and are top of the tourist's requirements.

In today's world, the interest for tourism in small communities from rural areas is strongly reiterated. Having original resources is seen as having "presentation possibilities", in relation to the rural environment, which includes both agricultural resources and natural or cultural traditional resources. The "mixing" of these resources through agritourism activity, as an opportunity for the rural environment, implies a sustainable "re-imagining" of the development priorities of rural environments and also a possibility to ensure multiple economic, social, cultural benefits and the preservation of a rural world, with all that is meaningful.

This Special Issue aims to provide answers related to the agritourism field and focuses on original aspects intended to emphasize and exemplify the role of agritourism activity in ensuring sustainable rural development. We invite authors to publish original research/studies which discuss topics, including different proposals regarding the stage of capitalizing specific resources from the rural environment through agritourism; the ways in which these resources can be combined, so as to ensure the viable socio-economic development of rural area; comparative studies regarding the role of agritourism in supporting the development of the rural environment in different areas; different strategies for capitalizing local community resources with an emphasis on sustainability, etc.

Topics of interest for this Special Issue may include, but are not limited to:

• Rural development studies through agritourism activities;
• Innovative proposals for "branding" the rural environment with the help of agritourism activity;
• Sustainable ideas for promoting the rural environment through agritourism;
• Agritourism entrepreneurship and proposals for the profitability of local farms through this activity;
• Agritourism—a means/possibility of reducing rural environment disparities;
• Capitalization topics of the resources from the rural community through agritourism;
• The impact of agritourism on the rural environment.

Prof. Dr. Tiberiu Iancu
Prof. Dr. Gabriela Popescu
Dr. Tabita Cornelia Adamov
Dr. Mariana Ramona Ciolac
Guest Editors

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• agritourism
• sustainability
• rural development
• rural entrepreneurship
• rural resources
• agritourism strategies
• agritourism impact
• capitalization possibilities