As part of the cycle of lectures by new researchers at the Institute of Social Sciences, Sara Stanić Jovanović, a Research Associate from the Centre for Sociological and Anthropological Research, held a lecture on March 19, 2025 in the Great Hall of the Institute of Social Sciences on the topic “Apiturism as a modern trend for rural tourism“.
The lecture was devoted to apitourism or beekeeping tourism. In recent years, apitourism represents a modern trend on the tourist market, but also a development opportunity when it comes to rural tourism. Looking for a way to meet the requirements and satisfy the changed demand on the tourist market, the holders of tourist offers create specific forms of tourism, such as apiturism, based on unique resources, attractive values, as well as the quality of the tourist destination. Created less than a decade ago in the Republic of Slovenia, after the Government of this country adopted a strategy of integrating beekeeping and tourism, it can be classified as selective, that is, specific or special forms of tourism. Due to the health benefits in the segment of apitherapy, it is often associated with health tourism, while its characteristics are inevitably associated with rural tourism. Apitourism promotes the culture and traditions of rural communities in a sustainable way and includes a visit to beekeeping farms where tourists can observe the activities of beekeepers, but also actively participate in them. In this context, apitourism can play a significant role in improving rural tourism and agribusiness.
During the lecture, it was pointed out that weekend tourists who want to relax in nature and escape from the city crowd mostly choose apitourism. The development of apiturism can contribute to the reduction of mass tourism, and further segmentation of the tourist market, as well as product differentiation in the search for the provision of specific services and products compared to competitive ones. During the discussion, it was emphasized that for the further development and improvement of apiturism, a special organization, spatial counseling, as well as adequate training and knowledge of the hosts who organize apiturism are necessary.
