DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL TOURISM IN LITHUANIA

Lithuanian geopolitical surrounding, abundance of tourism resources makes a favorable condition for development of rural tourism. During the last decade amount of households involved in rural tourism increase 6 times - from 67 households in 1999 to 398 households in 2005. Rural tourism attracts more and more peoples - in year 2005 the were 155 thousands visitors, of which 17.9 thousands foreign people it is 2 times more than in 2003. In the article authors studying rural tourism development problems and most significant presumptions for it, analyze factors, determining competitiveness and popularity of rural tourism. Aim of research: to formulate directions of rural tourism development and to suppose means for intensifying rural tourism services. Research showed, that most significant problems for rural tourism development is lack of information, scarcity of finance resources, uncertainty of services quality, undeveloped rural tourism infrastructure. It is recommended these most important directions for rural tourism development - to activate attraction of capital, to pay more attention to services assortment and quality, to develop infrastructure in country side.