Abstract:
Under the former regime, it was a phenomenon to stay in the countryside during the weekend.
People fled from cities to the country, back to nature so they could relax in the fresh air and get
away from the bustle of the big city. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, it was finally possible
to travel abroad. Subsequently, the need for cottage getaways or countryside tourism was
retreating. However, in recent years, Czechs have increasingly preferred rural accommodation
once again, often linked to agro tourism. The main purpose is to learn about the life of farmers,
to see traditional crafts, work and customs. Activities in typical rural conditions, such as hiking,
offer people from cities a chance to return to a more natural way of life and nature itself.
Frequent phenomenon is also the possibility of unpaid work in the production of agricultural
products or animal care. Last but not least, visits to wine cellars can be considered as a part of
the agro tourism as well. The objective of agro tourism is to maintain and expand cultural and
social traditions.
Main target is to find out the current situation and trends in rural accommodation and agro
tourism. The research question is what impact does the realization of accommodation activity in
the countryside have, whether it is desirable for surroundings or not, and to provide a general
definition of rural areas. For these purposes, comparative methods were used, especially for the
processing of the theoretical starting points of the studied area, as well as the methods of
analysis, sorting or generalization. Statistical methods from the research carried out in 2017 were
also used. As a result it has been found that there was recently an extensive and intense increase
in the number of rural facilities. In order to provide a necessary response to this increase, the
state administration through the Ministry for Regional Development in cooperation with the
Association of Rural Tourism and Agro tourism introduced the Official Uniform Classification
of Private Accommodation and implemented other categories such as Farm Holidays, Rural
Holidays and Rural Experiences.
This rise in the number of facilities is a concern for local citizens because they know it will have
effect on their usual habits. On the other hand the positive impacts prevail, especially in the
economic, employment and infrastructure area. However, it is necessary to keep in mind that this
development should be controlled and regulated with respect to the surroundings and links to our
ancestors. It is obligatory to preserve the typical character of our countryside with all its natural
beauties and also maintain it for future generations |
