The article is dealing with problems of emergence of green tourism in Ukraine, analyzing trends of eco-tourism in the world and in Ukraine. The research presented in this paper is the initial step of complex research of green tourism on the theoretic basis of social geography. The green tourism we consider as phenomenon that affects the development of rural areas, and makes a multiplier effect in the socio-economic and cultural spheres of rural areas. The paper is focussing on the regional difference in the development of tourism. The findings of O. Beydyk who created the recreational ranking methods, were taken as a methodological basis for this research. The economic estimation of GDP and the index of recreational and tourist potential of the regions in Ukraine are compared during this research stage.