Integrating Green Tourism and Bioenergy for Sustainable Rural Development: the Example of the Hemp Cluster in Sumy Region in Ukraine

Institute of Market Problems and Economic-Ecological Research of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Department of Economic Management of Natural Resources, Frantsuz’ky Blvd, 29, 65044 Odesa, Ukraine

^* Corresponding author: hannashevchenko@gmail.com

Abstract

Institutional support for the transition to sustainability, agricultural traditions, as well as land use regimes create favorable conditions for the development of bioenergy, in particular in the field of biomass related activities, in rural territories of Ukraine. The purpose of the study is to analyze the factors and substantiate the relationship between green tourism and bioenergy in the context of expanding areas of sustainable rural development, on the example of agro-tourism hemp cluster in Sumy region in Ukraine. The research methodology: the theoretical-game approaches to balance the interests of stakeholders in rural development are applied in the paper, namely in the context of renewable energy, waste management and recreational and tourism activities. SWOT analysis was also applied with rationale of strategic directions of agro-tourism clusters development in the conditions of transitive economy. The rationale of proposals for improving the institutional support of sustainable rural development at the regional level allows to form a basis for increasing the level of investment attractiveness of projects such as agro-tourism hemp cluster. Besides, recommendations for the integration of green tourism and bioenergy are focused on the advanced development of rural areas with the involvement of other sectors of the economy, in particular, waste management.