Development possibilities of rural tourism activities in the Almaj Valley area, Caras-Severin County

Rural tourism and agrotourism have an extremely important contribution in rural area’s development, not only in financial terms but also in terms of increasing and improving the quality of life of residents from these areas. So, the development of these forms of tourism is required in the rural area, both economically and socially. Known as an important ethnographic area of the country, with traditional elements specific, Almaj Valley through natural and cultural potential available, it stands more and more lately by intensifying rural tourist and ecotourist activity. However, tourist infrastructure is very underdeveloped, to rural communities returning the mission to get more involved in this purpose, having in view, the national and international recognition of the high tourism potential of this area Romanian area still retains, quite well, the traditional, cultural, ethnographic and folklore valences specific to rural areas, providing favorable conditions for development of rural tourism and agrotourism. Romanian villages have a rich tourist potential, having diversified tourist resources: traditions, customs and folk values, cultural monuments, historical and art and an unpolluted natural environment with a rich natural tourism potential. Almajului Depression known as well as the Almaj Country, Almajului Valley or Bozovici Depression is situated in the South-East side of Banat Mountains, in the south of Caras-Severin county, near the Parallel 45°, being an intramountainous depression, of ellipsoidal form of NE-SW orientation, belonging to Nera basin

Agritourism-capitalization possibility of rural community resources

Agritourism activity supports rural development because it capitalize agricultural resources from rural area and community and it also use crafts, traditions and other resources of local community, thus ensuring long-term sustainable development. Agritourism can come as a salvation for the sustainable development of localities with specific resources, but also as a salvation in terms of passing on to future generations valuable resources, largely lost in many rural areas. In the maintenance of the tourist vocation of these localities, the inhabitants of these areas and the tourists must participate equally, the desired goal being the increase of tourists' interest in these areas, the maintenance of the specific lifestyle and why not the profitability of the conservation of these resources for those involved. Where it is possible to ensure the conservation and valorization of these resources through tourism, villages have "a new chance at life", turning into permanent tourist locations. The sustainability of agritourism, or the "health" of the rural environment, derives from the fact that this activity cannot be dissociated from the economic, social and cultural life of the community. Between tourism and the environment there is a close relationship based on: environmental elements considered tourist attractions; tourist facilities and infrastructure; and the impacts generated by tourism development. The link between agritourism and the sustainability of rural communities derives from the definition of this activity