Proceedings of The 6th International Academic Conference on Management and Economics
Year: 2023
DOI:
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Agri- Ecotourism – A tool for Sustainable Farmer Tourist Development in India
Dr. Jolly Masih, Dr. Neha Saini, Abhijit Bhagwat, Ashish Sharma
ABSTRACT:
Present study investigates the interactions between farmers and tourists (domestic and foreign) to design novel framework for sustainable Agri-ecotourism venture in the state of Rajasthan in India. Farmers’ motivational factors for a conceptual Agri-ecotourism venture are studied alongside the tourist expectations who would like to experience the Agri-rural adventure via tourism. The findings of the present study indicate that the provision of self-employment for family members is considered to be an important expectation of farmers from an Agri-ecotourism venture. Further, it is observed that factors such as the interaction with service providers, security and trust, quality food and water are perceived to be the most important by domestic tourists while expressing least interest towards purchasing opportunities. Foreign tourists give more emphasis on service quality and majorly appreciate the culture, values, traditions and local food of rural communities of India; however, they also report low level of interpersonal congruency. Thus, by highlighting these factors, this study attempts to create a bridge between farmer and tourist expectations on Agri-ecotourism ventures, and showcases the rich cultural and rural heritage of India to the world.
keywords: agri-ecotourism, sustainable tourism, ecotourist circuit, farm diversification, farm income