Influence Analysis of Different Factors from the Tourism Sector on Rural Gross Value Added: Cross-Section Analysis at the EU Level

This article investigates the impact of rural tourism on the economy and on sustainable development in rural areas of EU member states. Rural tourism is a distinct form of tourism carried out in rural areas, which attracts tourists interested in authentic experiences, nature, and local culture. The article explores the multiple ways in which rural tourism influences the economy of rural areas. This paper seeks to identify factors that can enhance economic development in rural areas through the tourism sector. Therefore, various indicators of rural tourism and businesses operating in the accommodation sector will be analysed in order to determine their influence on gross value added. The analysis used the linear multiple regression method to determine the influence of these factors on gross value added. The analysis of the data identified that the founding countries of the European Union have a developed rural tourism activity, with the most nights spent as a tourist occurring in rural areas in France and the most rural accommodation establishments occurring in Italy. At the same time, Germany recorded the highest number of employees in the accommodation sector in 2021.