Rural tourism in Lithuania: present situation and future possibilities

Abstract

The article deals with the development of rural tourism as an important part of tourism sector in Lithuania. Rural tourism is very popular among the local population, and more than 10 years after the beginning of the rural tourism boom, demand in this sector still exceeds supply. According to the data of the Lithuanian Department of Statistics (LDS) in 2009 there were 588 rural homesteads engaged in rural tourism. Despite rapid development, potential supply of rural tourism is not nearly enough used in Lithuania. According to Lithuanian State Department of Tourism (SDT), about 7000 country people can go into rural tourism business in Lithuania. The territorial distribution of rural tourism homesteads is rather uneven. Lithuania offers a wide range of rural tourism services. The article also deals with some possibilities of investment and factors to bear in mind when selecting an investment rural tourism spot