Rural tourism, agro-tourism, ecotourism and sustainable tourism are effective tools for the economies in transition. Overall, tourism acts as a stimulator factor of the global economic system, which is of great importance in the structure of the economic mechanism and an active role in the development and modernization of a country economy. As well, rural tourism has an impact on the global strategy of socio-economic development of the country, at the branch level as well as locally. This article describes the role of rural tourism in regional development of a locality, region, country.