REGIONAL AND TRADITIONAL PRODUCTS AS AN IMPORTANT PART OF RURAL TOURISM OFFER

Abstract

Transition to market economy resulted in changing the main objective of agricultural economy but also caused decrease of agricultural income for most of the farms. As a consequence farms have been forced to seek additional sources of income. For a significant part of them rural tourism and accompanying services create such a chance. Growing interest in spending holiday and free time in rural areas and agritourism farms has been seen as partial solution of rural population’s economic problems. Traditional and regional products can be a specific part of agritourism product, create regional identity and uniqueness. Paper presents results of surveys conducted in agritourism farms in Czorsztyn, Wadowice, Andrychow and Bochnia Districts and samples of dwellers of Tarnow and Nowy Sącz. The surveys concerned gastronomic activities – board for tourists offered by agritourism farms and farmers knowledge of traditional and regional dishes and products. The survey of town dwellers concerned their expectations towards full- or part-board offered by agritourism farms and also their knowledge of traditional and regional dishes and products.