Advances in Sustainable Agritourism Development

Dear Colleagues,

Agritourism combines elements of agriculture and tourism, providing additional income streams for farmers and rural communities. Agritourism services typically include farm tours, participation in farm activities, farm stays, on-site experiences, including dining and food preparation, and direct sales of farm products. Agritourism operations often collaborate with local businesses, such as eateries, accommodation providers and artisans, thereby fostering a network of complementary industries that further contribute to rural development. Agritourism can breathe new life into rural areas by attracting visitors and creating employment opportunities, especially for women. This diversification of rural economies can help mitigate rural–urban migration, reduce poverty and enhance the quality of life for rural communities, while encouraging the preservation of farming, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and contributing to the overall resilience of food systems.

Agritourism activities offer opportunities for the public to engage with agriculture, learn about food production processes and develop a better understanding of where their food comes from. This increased awareness can lead to more informed consumer choices, support for local and sustainable food systems and a greater appreciation for the importance of agriculture in society. Agritourism experiences can also educate visitors about environmental stewardship, conservation practices and the challenges faced by farmers, fostering a sense of responsibility toward food systems. This often involves direct sales of farm products to consumers, such as farm stands, farmers' markets or CSA (community-supported agriculture) programs. These direct market connections eliminate intermediaries, allowing farmers to earn higher profits and have a closer relationship with their customers. By shortening the supply chain, agritourism helps create a more transparent and sustainable food system, where consumers can trace the origin of their food, build relationships with local farmers and support small-scale agriculture. Agritourism experiences often showcase local traditions, cultural practices and culinary heritage. By promoting these cultural assets, agritourism contributes to the preservation of intangible cultural heritage and fosters community pride. Visitors can learn about traditional farming methods, taste local cuisine, participate in festivals and events and engage with local communities.

On the other hand, agritourism is typically associated with practices and farms of pre-industrial agriculture, rendering many farms unsuitable for participating. It may also lead to increased tourism pressures to housing for locals and farmers—especially young ones—gentrification processes, while often boosting the touristification of local economies and takeover of local businesses from outsiders, pushing farmers and other local actors away from the benefits it can provide. It can also promote the “disneyfication” processes in the countryside, through open-air theme parks that are locked in farming and practices that are deemed attractive to visitors and not productive by current standards.

This Special Issue delves into the intersection of agriculture and tourism, focusing on innovative approaches that foster sustainable growth in both sectors, but also with conflicts and negative impacts. With a rich background and history, the topic of agritourism has gained momentum due to its potential to enhance rural economies, promote cultural exchange and ensure environmental conservation.

In this issue, we aim to delve into the intricacies of sustainable agritourism development, providing a platform for researchers, practitioners and policymakers to explore its multifaceted dimensions. Encompassing a broad scope, the Special Issue seeks to cover topics such as integrated and multidisciplinary approaches, comparative approaches (geographically and scalar) from the supply and demand side, with different stakeholders/actors (including residents), innovative community engagement strategies, gender equity, technology-driven enhancements, food system transformation, local food systems and short supply chains, consumer education, touristification and farming abandonment, as well as the development of appropriate policy frameworks and efficient management techniques. This may in turn lead to an improved theoretical and practical understanding of the relationship between agritourism and sustainability issues, as outlined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Special Issue invites a diverse range of paper submissions, including empirical research, insightful case studies, conceptual frameworks and incisive policy analyses. By soliciting such diverse contributions, this issue aspires to foster a profound comprehension of how agritourism can act as a catalyst for sustainable economic growth, cultural preservation and environmental stewardship on a global scale.

Dr. Sofia Karampela
Prof. Dr. Thanasis Kizos
Prof. Dr. Alexandros Koutsouris
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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