Implementation of information and communication technologies as assumption for successful development of rural tourism in the Republic of Serbia

The rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has a wide application in numerous activities today. It is necessary to look at the possibilities of implementation and impact of ICT on development of rural tourism. Bearing in mind that rural tourism in Serbia is in the initial stages of development, it is expected that the implementation of ICT could contribute to the increase in tourism, reducing the costs of promotion and business, strengthening the competitiveness of rural tourist destinations, etc. The paper examines the character and dynamics of the current development of rural tourism in Serbia and Europe. Previous experiences in the application of ICT in tourism have been analyzed. Examination of the impact of ICT on the competitiveness of Serbia as a tourist destination by correlation analysis has been carried out. The necessity of forming a unique database of accommodation facilities of rural tourism and the importance of linking them to some of the global distribution systems (GDS) have been pointed out. It is expected that the application of ICT in rural tourist business will increase farmers? turnover and their income. Furthermore, it can contribute to better promotion of rural tourist destinations and enable better monitoring of the character, dynamics and intensity of development of rural tourism. Given the positive impact of ICT on the business results, it is expected that the competitiveness of Serbia as a tourist destination will increase.