Rural tourism as an alternative direction of activity diversification of agricultural products producers

The article highlights the peculiarities of the diversification of the activities of producers of agricultural products, in particular in the context of the development of rural tourism. The works of domestic scientists devoted to the development of rural tourism in Ukraine and the diversification of agricultural enterprises were analyzed. A number of methods were selected for this study. The essence of the concepts "rural tourism", "diversification of activities", etc. has been determined. The main directions of diversification of agricultural development are graphically depicted. It is described that farming, ecological tourism and agrotourism are the main types of green tourism in Ukraine. It is indicated that the production of agricultural products often does not provide an adequate level of income to those engaged in it, which serves as a reason for the search for new ways of obtaining profit. It was found that the diversification of activities and the development of green tourism in rural areas have a positive effect on the socio-economic situation of the territories, is a catalyst for the development of infrastructure and the growth of employment of the population in rural areas. It is indicated that the development of green tourism allows preserving local traditions and culture of the population, gastronomic preferences and own authenticity. It has been established that green tourism is mainly carried out by medium and small producers of agricultural products - farmers and households. The dynamics of changes in the number of tourists in the field of green tourism in Lviv region are shown. A number of problematic aspects have been identified that negatively affect the development of rural tourism, in particular, the lack of a legal framework and effective state policy regarding activities in the field of rural tourism, the poor condition of transport routes in rural areas, insufficient funds to start this type of activity. The problem of the lack of adequate statistical information on the activities of business entities providing rural green tourism services has been established. It is proposed to improve the regulatory and legal support of activities in the field of rural tourism and to implement local measures to stimulate the implementation of such activities, as well as the need to create an effective mechanism of communication with society.