Agritourism – From Additional Income to Livelihood Strategy and Rural Development

Abstract

During the Romantic period, the Franconian Jura in northern Bavaria, Germany, was discovered as an attractive landscape with aesthetic value. The diversified cultural landscape (rocks, forests, and farmland) and its seasonal variations in land cover are appreciated by tourists to this day, albeit in different form and use made of the scenic beauty. With the modernization and restructuring of agriculture in the 1970s, farming families increasingly seized the opportunity to play a role in rural tourism. In the last three decades, offering holidays on the farm as well as direct sales of their own valueadded farms' products have provided additional alternative incomes.The article draws on a longitudinal study (1977 -2007) which focused on the farming women's agency, coping strategies, visions and wishes against the dynamic changes of the agricultural sector. The rich data enabled the author to give an overview of tourism-related activities within the sample from the point of view of the farming women as well as to construct two case studies that looked at the role of agritourism within the pluri-activities for the women involved and the multifunctional orientation of their farms. While agritourism has become an important permanent livelihood strategy for some farming families, it remains an additional income for others. Either way, it has turned out to be a source of women's growing self-confidence as well as a sustainable ingredient of regional development.

Farm tourism and dilemmas of commercial activity in the home

“…Prevalent themes in the literature are aspects of small and family business development, entrepreneurship and innovation. A few studies of innovation in the area have pointed to the importance of the family and local networks in this reorientation Schmitt 2010). Moreover, research has studied motivations for agri-tourism entrepreneurship (Nickerson et al 2001;McGehee and Kim 2004;McGehee et al 2005McGehee et al , 2007Haugen and Vik 2008).…”

Farm-based Education: A Comparative Study of Romania and Ukraine

“…[3] Results parallel the studies claiming that female farmers are able to manage farms particularly when supported by their children or extended families [17], activities that contribute to the increase of self-confidence. [25] As for hypothesis 2, people from the rural area are also considered beneficiaries of farm education, but in an indirect way, through the development of local economies, through the promotion of local products and culture, and through the support of healthy food among children and youth (supplying fresh fruits and vegetables to school cafeterias through such programmes as "farm-to-school". [28] As for hypothesis 3, it is necessary to mention that students' majors were selected for this study because of their possible involvement as genuine "actors" in farm educational activities.…”

Agritourism: A Possible Alternative to Zimbabwe’s Tourism Product?

“…Schmitt (2010) argued that while agritourism has become an important permanent livelihood strategy for some farming families, it remains an additional income for others. Either way, agritourism has turned out to be a source of women's growing self-confidence as well as a sustainable ingredient of regional development.…”