One of the bill’s authors, state Duma Deputy, member of the Committee on agrarian issues Svetlana Maksimova knows about these difficulties from personal experience. In 1997 she created in Tver region own the farm, but in 2005 engaged in agritourism.
“I came on the tour. Children were very interested, they communicated with the animals, fed them. We have the same urban children today do not see any live cows, or pigs – just for the pictures. I’ve done theme parties for the kids, for example, Midsummer, New Year, and that is the work for the country club. Baba Yaga, father frost, snow maiden, the only one we had. Drinking tea from a huge samovar with his boot – everything as it should be,” – says Svetlana Maksimova. According to the MP, about that time, and the idea was to give farmers the possibility of additional legal income, and the inhabitants of cities to rest on the nature and organic farm produce: milk, cheese, cheese. The main issue was that due to the lack of a law, farmers were unable to formalize the income from tourism.
“When I became a member, many have begun to contact me to create a special law on rural tourism so that people could work in peace and know that no one will come and not punish them, in essence, that the relevant code NACE does not exist”, – continues Svetlana Maksimova.
the Development of agrotourism will help to breathe new life into empty territory. Local budgets will receive a new source of tax revenue, and the rural youth an incentive to stay in their homes and to develop innovative new business that has huge potential.
the world tourism organization announced 2020 as the year for rural and ecological tourism. Popular in Europe, this kind of travel takes the second place after the traditional beach holiday. Moreover, this trend emerged long before the start of the pandemic that hit in the first place on cross-border travel. People around the world want to be closer to nature, to breathe clean air and eat natural products. That is why in such countries as France, UK, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Ireland projects in the field of rural tourism is encouraged at the state level. The government perceived them as an important component of comprehensive programs of socio-economic development of the village, which is aimed at reducing the gap between the most backward rural areas and territories with more developed economies.
Russia has room to grow compared to these countries, but it is a mistake to think that the domestic agri-tourism is in its infancy. Since 2013, we have a national Association of rural and agrotPrisma. Last year she conducted a major study, which found the following facts.
In varying degrees, rural tourism today is represented in 64 regions of Russia. There are about a thousand agritourism farms, to which should be added to many craft house, workshops of folk crafts, rural museums of traditional life and so on. In rural areas annually thousands of events for tourists. In 2018, about one in five of the 36 million domestic tourists visited rural areas. Income of rural residents from the accommodation guests can reach 30 billion annually. State support and development of rural infrastructure, and this should contribute to a new law that could double that amount.
Economists and sociologists have concluded that in Russia the pandemic COVID-19 reinforced the nascent migration from cities to the countryside. Most of those who had the opportunity, decided to spend a difficult period of self-isolation in the cottages. But even without this the demand for suburban real estate is growing, and with it the desire of supporters of the “ground” to equip rural life at a new level. The examples are not far to seek: for example, in Konakovo district of Tver region, near the borders of the Moscow region, built a cottage settlement “Ekaterinovka”, which is created the organic garden. The representative of the developer “Retail” Yuri Korobov says she would be open not only to residents but also for tourists.
“we Will organize excursions, where you can see how to grow different crops will show a variety of workshops – from planting cucumbers to pickling vegetables. City kid can’t see. In my opinion, we have a growing generation, which develops a little careless attitude to the earth, to nature. When everyone necessary to the table, you can buy in the store, not thinking where it comes from,” says Yury Korobov. He is confident that the eco farm in the village will help instill in children a love for animals and an understanding of the processes enabling the coexistence of man and nature.
“We want this place has become a point of attraction, because Tver oblast has always been famous for agriculture. I would like to revive it, albeit in a travel format,” continues Boxes. Cows, pigs, chickens, ostriches, goats and sheep, pheasants, wild swans, ducks and even deer – all of this can be seen on the new organic garden. Residents and guests of the settlement “Ekaterinovka” is available for lake fishing and some beautiful Hiking trails for walks in the fresh air.
But most importantly: on farm it is planned to create something like a “herb garden” where they grow plants and seeds, it is��timie to maintain most agricultural crops. “We are in a zone of risky agriculture, it needs a special seed, special culture, some of which in Russia simply stopped producing – imported from Europe. It is important to collect them and save for future generations”, – says Yuri Korobov. He believes that the law on tourism industry in rural areas will also contribute to the development of the relatively new sphere of gastronomic tourism.
Over the past year, a bill on the development of agro-tourism was widely supported. In particular, he was supported by the Ministry of agriculture and the Ministry of economic development of the Russian Federation, as well as several members of the upper house of the Russian Parliament. “I am very grateful to the Deputy of the state Duma Victor Kidjaeva, he has done a lot to clarify the usefulness of this bill. Andrei Isayev and Vyacheslav Fetisov also really helped,” said Svetlana Maksimova. According to the MP, without the joint work of the Committee on agrarian issues and the Committee for physical culture, sport, tourism and youth Affairs, the establishment of such a legislative initiative would be impossible. Svetlana Maksimova expressed hope that the draft law co-sponsored by 25 members and two senators, will be adopted before the end of the autumn parliamentary session.
