The Future Development of Rural Areas through the Application of Slow Tourism - A Case Study of Western Serbia

Western Serbia, as a crossroad of different cultures and an area of rich material and cultural heritage imbued with exceptional natural values, has rich potential and developed rural tourism. However, rural tourism can be significantly improved and used in a more adequate way. The chance for the possible development of rural areas can be reflected in changes in the way of thinking and habits of modern tourists, who pay more and more attention to authenticity. Also, there is a chance to define a new horizon for tourism based on the discovery of traditional food and rural communities. This type of tourism can represent slow tourism. The main goal of the paper was to show the link between rural and slow tourism, as well as the possibility of applying the concept of slow tourism in the rural areas of Western Serbia.