ism in India _ Article

8/3/2019 ism in India _ Article

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AGRITOURISM IN INDIA THE POTENTIAL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH

Avantikka Raghunandan

Csar Ritz Colleges, Englisch-Gruss Strasse 43, CH-3900 Brig, Switzerland

E mail: [email protected]

Dr. Susan Horner



Eva Schuepbach



ABSTRACT

The aim of this research was to explore the scope for developing Agritourism in India. Theresearch began with a review of an existing Agritourism unit in India to analyze the impacts onfarmers and tourists in that region. Interviews were then carried out with stakeholders from thehospitality and tourism sector. Experts from the agricultural sector in India were also interviewedincluding a pioneer of a large scale Agritourism in India. The research also collected views froma sample of potential Agritourists in India. It is concluded that there is potential for Agritourism in

India to grow into an important source of income for the rural population if the development isfocused on integration and participation.

Key words: Agritourism, Rural India, Baramati Distict, Participation

LITERATURE REVIEW

Tourism is any form of active recreation away from ones place of residence that is inspired by cognitive,recreational and sport needs. (Sznajder, Przezborska and Scrimgeour, 2009). In India, tourism plays avital role as it is one of the greatest sources of income to the nation and contributes a large percentage tothe GDP of the country. According to the tenth Five Year Plan (2002-2007), the Indian Government spent

2.9 billion Indian Rupees on the development of this industry (Gopal, Varma and Gopinathan, 2008) andearned 25 billion Indian Rupees of foreign exchange. Statistics from the Indian Tourism Ministry showthat India had 367 million domestic tourists and 3.92 mill ion foreign tourists in 2006-07, and has earningsand tourism industry created 38.8 million jobs directly or indirectly. India has the perfect combination ofdifferent climates, natural characteristics and socio-cultural entities (Gopal, Varma and Gopinathan,2008), which provide scope for promotion of all season, multi-location tourism products. There are varioustypes of tourism in India such as,e.g., adventure, wildlife, medical, pilgrimage, cultural, heritage, andeducational (Gupta, Lal & Bhattacharyya, 2002). The country is trying to grow the levels of inboundtourism and it has focused on a number of tourism products to target the growing numbers of tourists,including cultural tourism, beach tourism, adventure tourism, ecotourism, and spa and well being tourism(Boniface and Cooper, 2005). All of these tourism products emphasize the opportunity that exists for thefurther development of culturally based tourism as part of the ongoing Incredible India campaign.


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One of the newly developing concepts of tourism in India is Agritourism, defined as (e.g., (Boukov,2008) It refers to the act of visiting a working farm or any agricultural, horticultural or agribusinessoperation for the purpose of enjoyment, education, or active involvement in the activities of the farm or

operation.Two reasons are cited for developing Agritourism; one could be peoples increasing interest inon-farm experiences, and the other could be that they are getting more inquisitive to experience thecountry-life as many have moved towards the cities (Wicks & Merretts, 2003). Agritourism can alsocontribute to the development of cultural tourism as it provides an important resource when it is used incombination with other factors such as traditional crafts, heritage attractions, festivals and special events,and religious sites (Swarbrooke, 1999). The growth of cultural tourism relies on a subtle combination of anumber of tourism resources to target the post-modern consumer who desires wider holiday experiences(Swarbrooke and Horner, 1999).

Different industries are involved in Agritourism like the hotel industry (agri-accomodation), the food andbeverage industry, the recreation industry, the relaxation industry, the sport industry, and the health careand rehabilitation sectors (Sznajder, Przezborska and Scrimgeour, 2009). By combining agriculture andentertainment, the term agritainmenthas even appeared(Blevins, 2003). The term Agritourism consistsof two parts agri-or agro-and tourism;the prefix agri is derived from the Latin term, agerwhich meansfield, and the term agro has a Greek origin from the word agroswhich means soil. This suggests thatAgritourism offers tourists an opportunity to living a rural life in a rural environment, learn about farmingactivities and also about ethnic customs and cultures (Raghunandan, 2010). As such, it may satisfy theemotional needs of a human being as it allows a person to be in direct contact with plants, animals andanimal products (Sznajder, Przezborska and Scrimgeour, 2009), and participate in the food productionprocess.

Although it has traditionally been viewed as being of secondary importance compared to other tourismresources, Agritourism in India offers many opportunities to exploit tourism products. Agriculture is one ofthe pillars of the Indian Economy and contributed 18% of the GDP of the nation in the financial year 2006-07 (Department of Agriculture, 2009). The agricultural sector in India occupies 43% of Indiasgeographical area (Raychauduri, 1994), and development of rural areas in India is currently in thegestation period. Novel service-oriented products such as Agritourism have thus a potential to increase

the competition and productivity of the Indian tourism industry. Agritourism in India is under the guidanceof the Agri Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC), is gradually developing and may be digging forgold in rural areas (Bajpai, 2008). Varma and Gopinathan (2008) stress the Innovative Incomegenerating activity for Enterprising Farmers. Blending tourism and agriculture will help not only in bringingin more income into the farms but also help in providing employment.

In summary, being a land with diversity in geography and culture, India has abundant chances for thedevelopment of Agritourism in the future (Taware, 2006). This study aims at elucidating current potentialsand gaps in developing Agritourism in India using a case study approach.

METHODOLOGY

A case study approach was adapted to carry out this study. Semi-structured interviews were employed togather information from key tourism industry experts. A questionnaire designed for the first part of theresearch was based on published literature and consisted of twelve multi-choice questions as well asopen ended questions to solicit personal opinions. The questionnaires were distributed to guests stayingat the Casino Group of Hotels, Cochin and Nature Trails, and Yercaud during one week from 8 Februaryto 14 February 2010. This hotel chain was chosen because they already have an interest in Agritourismand it was anticipated that their guests were likely to be interested in the concept.

The second part of the research, after the analysis of the questionnaires, used a semi-structuredinterview which was also designed with reference to the published literature. Three interviews weredesigned as follows: one for the representative of the Agritourism Development Corporation of India, thesecond for interviews with successful hoteliers in the southern and northern part of India, and the third forinterviews with eminent farmers from different places in the southern and northern parts of India. All of


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these respondents were personally chosen by the first author of this paper because of their perceivedinterest in the concept of Agritourism. One hundred questionnaires were distributed and seventy five ofthem were completed and returned. Some of the respondents even gave some valuable suggestions from

an Agritour they had taken part in.

The Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 15.0 and Microsoft Excel version 2007 forWindows Vista were used for analyzing the questionnaire and interviews, respectively. An ethical codewas developed for the research in order to keep the data collected confidential when required and tohandle it correctly (Raghundandan, 2010).


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RESULTS

Key findings from the questionnaires

The first question was designed to get a clear picture of the preferences of an Agritourists activities.When data collected from the questionnaires was analysed it was clear that a majority of the participantswanted a fair mix of all the activities. One participant said that he felt as though the development ofAgritourism in India was a splendid idea and that he would come back to India to be a part of the Agritouras he felt that he would learn a lot from that type of tour. Others gave valuable suggestions like going intointricate details of the kind of activities they would like to take part in. One of the respondents, an Indian,had been on an Agritour to Baramati and commented that it was one of the most splendid trips he hadbeen on with his family and also said that the trip was enjoyable because the hosts provided them with afair blend of activities.

The second question was designed to address the type of Agritourist spaces that would be preferred by aprospective tourist. Sznajder, Przezborska and Scrimgeour, (2009) stated that according to a survey inthe United States, people there preferred natural wilderness followed by beautiful landscapes. Our study

revealed, however, that prospective tourists prefered to take part in activities that are held on the farm.There was also a participant who said that - apart from the spaces mentioned above - it would be great ifagricultural universities, museums and research areas could be included.

The next question focused on potential top attractions to prospective tourists. From the questionnaires itbecame clear that the participants in this study wanted to take part in activities that are a perfect blend ofall possible activities. There were also comments saying that Agritourism is like an educationalprogramme on the farm where the tourists learn about farming and live stock and it would be right only ifthe package comprised of a blend of all that happens on the farm. Another respondent said that he wouldbe very upset if he chose something and missed out on another and thus he felt that a perfect Agritourismpackage is one where the tourists live like a farmer and learn about all the activities that goes on in thatfarm. There was another respondent who replied saying that not all tourists would be interested in all theactivities, so it is correct that the host offers a choice of activities to the tourists and they could choose

what they want to do.

The last question explored the ideal duration of a stay. It is important to understand that customersegmentation plays a very big role in the success of an Agritourism unit. As mentioned in the literaturereview, the level of education, standard of life, length of stay, etc. are important factors affecting customerchoice. The result of our investigation in India shows that there was almost an unanimous choice insofaras tourists would prefer to stay on the farm over the weekend. It was also surprising that some of theprospective tourists did not mind being a part of an Agritour for more than a week. The interesting part ofthis result is that the majority of the people who wanted to stay longer on the farms were corporateworkers from Europe including British nationals who particularly favoured a longer stay. Some touristsalso felt that staying on a farm for just a few hours is enough.

Key findings from the interviews

Summary of the Interview with Respondent A1

The reason why Respondent A1 was chosen is because he is the founder and Managing Director of theAgritourism Development Corporation of India. In addition, he is the National Tourism Award Winner for2008-2009, for the development of the unique technique of combining Agriculture and Tourism in theBaramati District (Taware, 2010). He mentioned during the interview that Agriculture is the backbone ofthe Indian economy and also that tourism is one such sector that brings in a lot of income especially inthe forms of foreign exchange. He also mentioned that only if villages are self-sufficient, will the nationdevelop because more that 50% of the population of India live in villages. On asking him to share hisemotions on the development of rural tourism, he remembered his childhood memories in a small villageSanghavi in Baramati taluka.


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I was lucky to be brought up as a part of the joint family in the Agri and rural setup in the smallvillage. Unless the villages are self-sufficient, nation cannot progress. We must go to villages in orderto achieve development of villages, the mantra given by Mahatma Gandhi still holds true. ATDC's

mission is to promote agriculture tourism to achieve self-reliant, employment and economic stabilityin rural communities and to attract urban people to get back to the roots, he said. ATDC has beencelebrating May 16 as World Agri Tourism Day since 2008 and the United Nations World TourismOrganization (UNWTO) has now acknowledged these efforts by ATDC and declared May 16 asWorld Agri Tourism Day.

He even mentioned that it is apt and possible to start an Agritourism project in any part of India as it has a

high scope and also that it requires little investment. He also mentioned that anyone with the interest can

start a project because the three major factors that contribute to the success of Agritourism are (i) the

farmer, (ii) the village and (iii) agriculture - all present in India in abundance. He also mentioned that is

important for the organizer to be sure that the tourists have something to see, do and buy. The

respondent also gave information about the initial investment required and the return on investment,

saying that an individual farrner could obtain a loan from the bank, invest a small amount of money

himself, and as a result could make a steady income from Agritourism.

Summary of Interview with Respondent B1

Mr. Sekar is the Managing Partner of GRT Nature Trails Sky Rocca, Yercaud. This hotel focuses onnature trails combined with luxury.

In the interview, Mr. Sekar mentioned that Agritourism is a kind of tourism where the farmer gets theopportunity to entertain and educate those interested with what is his primary source of income.He alsosaid that in the present-day scenario, Agritourism will help the farmers as it will give the tourists newoptions. Mr. Sekar said that he had read in the in-flight magazine on his way back from New Zealand thattodays tourists are more health conscious and they want to learn about how the food that they consume

is produced. They even want to know about how the cows are fed because that affects the quality ofdairy products. He also said that as people want to go back to their roots and learn about the process offood grain production, milk production, meat and poultry, .etc., it is a wise choice to start an Agritourismunit within an existing hotel. When asked about his experience during his recent Agritour, the respondentsaid:

I think this is the best holiday I have been to. The reason I am saying this is that, it is very peacefuland I learnt many things during the entire trip. Not many people know about why the milk of the cowis thick and why it loses its thickness. I love cheese but till date I have never gone into the details ofcheese making and this trip has actually got me thinking. In India, in spite of all the resourcesavailable, people of our age group think it is uncool to be an Agriculturist but they do not realize thatit is that Agriculture that gives them food. I have been pondering so much to the extent that I feel thatevery child should be sent on an Agritour from time to time, it is only then that they learn about the

trouble the farmers takes to provide us with food. I feel, Agritourism is a splendid thing, as it opensones eyes not only towards agriculture-based education but it also instils important values.

When asked who the target market would be, if he were to start Agritourism in his hotel, he said that itwould be anyone who would like to have a different kind of holiday. He also said that he would start bymarketing it to areas around and then he would like to go on a broader scale. Mr. Sekar was confidentthat Agritourism would be successful in India because India is an agricultural based country and due tothe recent problems of water scarcity, farmers are taking drastic changes like committing suicide and thiswould be a great idea for them. He also mentioned that according to some recent tourism surveys, theIndian tourists are no longer prejudiced towards new kinds of tourism and ready to visit new places. Healso mentioned that Agritourism would have some teething problems but should be ready to face thisbecause every business has problems till its gets established well.


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Respondent B2 is one of the Managing Partners of Casino Group of Hotels, Cochin. Though their pilot

hotel is located in Cochin, this group has ten other properties around Kerala. The hotel in Cochin has adifferent theme and most of all CGH focuses on eco-friendly techniques of hotel management. Therespondent said that he had not really thought about introducing Agritourism into any of the hotels butalso mentioned that it would be great idea. He shared his views about how people are losing the familyvalues in India and how they are now busy and hence they do not have time for each other. He alsomentioned that he had heard about Baramati and from his point of view it was a beautiful concept, as itwas located in a place where people get good food, knowledge, clean air to breath and also that it is aplace where people are reminded about the family values.

When asked if he had been on an Agritour, the respondent mentioned that he had always tried to go onone but his busy schedule had not permitted him to do so. He also said that he would grab anyopportunity available to be a part of an Agritour. He said that if it is impossible to introduce Agritourism asa part of any of the existing hotels because they all have a different theme, then he would introduce anew property. He said that, Kalari Kovilakamwhich is located in a rural area of Kolangadu could be a

good choice as well. He also mentioned that the present Kalari Kovilakamwas the palace of theVengunad rulers. The company is using this at the moment as a place for Ayurveda, Yoga andKalaripayattu, (an Indian form of martial arts originating from Kerala and it is also known as the Dance ofSteel). The respondent also shared his views that he would like to implement Agritourism but notimmediately, and he said that it would be a good idea to start an Agritourism project and would also try toblend it with heritage and culinary tourism, so that the tourists could learn a lot from one trip to India.


The final interviewee was with Mr. Virender Yadav, the Managing Director of CozyDeepika Group, since1987 in New Delhi. Mr. Yadav first started a travel agency in the name of Cozy Travels Private Limitedand now they have branches in New York, Moscow, Frankfurt, Hamburg, London, Birmingham and thelatest addition to the list being Bergamo, Italy. Mr. Yadav actually has an agricultural background and he

is a native of a small agricultural village, Sikanderpur Ghosi, Haryana. The recent projects toCozyDeepika Group are two hotels, Umrao Resorts, New Delhi and Umrao Hotel, Amritsar.

Mr. Yadav said that, Agritourism is the process of providing guests with non-expensive accommodationand food, providing maximum exposure to the traditional farmers way of life to the tourists.Mr. Yadavthen recalled the days when his children were little. He said that he did not want them to grow up withoutknowing the worth and value of rural life, so he used to take them to the 400 hundred acre farm in Shona,Haryana, every Sunday so that they would spend time on the farm and learn various things from thefarms, the farmers and the animal units. He said that this practice made his children more humanitarian,they knew the worth and value of agriculture and also valued the food that they consumed every day.

When the author asked Mr.Yadav, if he would consider developing Agritourism in one of his hotels, hesaid that both the present hotels are located in a very commercial area and it would not be right if he hadto start developing Agritourism in these hotels. At the same time he said that he would like to develop

Agritourism on his lands in Shona. These were his exact words:

Developing Agritourism has always been on my mind but I am not able to do it right now due to othercommitments, which is I want to develop Umrao Resorts, New Delhi before the Common WealthGames start in October. At the same time I would like to develop Agritourism in Shona, because it isone of the most fertile lands in India. There is a saying that if you just drop a seed, it will grow on itsown. I want to have an Agri-resort that caters to different segments of people. I would like to focus onaccommodation on the agricultural land, combined with off-the farm education and on the farmpractical experience. During the tour, the guests would live in simple style, yet they would have spenta great time on the farm. Just as my children have learnt many lessons from their weekly trip to thefarm, I want other adults and children to learn a lot as well.


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Mr. Yadav also said that developing Agritourism in India is a great idea as India has a lot of natural andagricultural resources. He also said that as India is a very big country with great geographic variationsand in each area different crops are cultivated. This would help all the tourists learn about the different

geographical areas and different crop varieties.

Summary of Interviews with Respondent C1

Mr. Vijayann P. Rajes is a leading Agriculturist in Yercaud, India. He owns an estate where he cultivatescoffee, pepper and other spices and fruits. Together with his wife, Mr. Rajes, who also has a dairy farm, avermicompost bed, a horticulture section where they grow flowers that are supplied to florists inBangalore, Karnataka. Apart from this they also have an artificially created lake, wherein there aredifferent varieties of fish. Mr. Rajes was the vice-chairman of the United Planters Association of SouthernIndia in 1998 and was the Chairman of the organization in 2006. He is still one of the persons at the helmof affairs of the organization.

Mr. Rajes had a lot of information regarding Agritourism and he defined it as, Agritourism is theintroduction of non agricultural semi-urban and urban people to the day to day life on a farm producing

some Agri or farm based product.Mr. Rajes also mentioned that developing Agritourism would createnew employment opportunities in the rural areas that would add to the income of the farmers and he alsomentioned that Agritourism prevails among coffee growers. When questioned if the development ofAgritourism would reduce the production of food grains, Mr. Rajes responded by saying:

I do not believe that Agritourism will reduce the availability of food products, because the public andpolicy makers are not aware of the hardships faced by farmers in rural areas, who without basicinfrastructure and comforts under extreme sacrifice work to make food available. Agritourism willbring awareness to the public at large who will realize the contribution of Agriculturists and theimportance of food security to a nation. Policies of Government usually follow public opinion, andtherefore Agriculture will eventually benefit.

Mr. Rajes also felt that the development of Agritourism in India would be absolutely feasible and hisreasons were that many children in cities are not aware of the basic information of how or where their

food comes from or how much effort goes into the production of the food they eat each day.. They alsohave to be sensitized as to how human beings depend on nature for their survival. Climate change, globalwarming and eco-sensitivity will have more relevance when seen from an agro perspective. He alsomentioned that Agritourism offers an opportunity to have a meaningful holiday combined with a learningexperience. Apart from recreational activities, Mr. Rajes also said that on his estate, he would giveinformation to the tourists on farm management and also sensitize them on the dignity of labour. He alsofelt that the uniqueness offered by Agritourism is One gets the unique experience of watching the day today functioning of an operational farm by living with those who run it probably for the fourth or fifthgeneration and the passion with which they do things.

Summary of Interview with Respondent C2

Mr. R.K.Raghunandan is an agriculturalist and has turned into an Exporter of agro-based products. He isthe Managing Partner of M/s. Green India Exports, Pollachi, India and M/s Saffron and Green, UK. Green

India Exports produces and exports many eco-friendly products such as Coconut Shell Ice-cream Cups,Natural Wild Bird Feeders, Coir peat products (soil substitute) and Natural Vanilla Beans.

When asked what in his point of view is Agritourism Mr. Raghunandan replied, Agritourism is tourism atthe agricultural farm level. The tourists will be a paying guest of the farmer, who will in turn charge a feefor food and accommodation and all the amenities provided by him to the tourist.He felt that Agritourism would increase employment opportunities on a small-scale because most of thefarm work would be done by the host and the guest. He also stated that the young professionals who nolonger want to stay in India due to job scarcity would have a new choice. He felt that by implementingAgritourism, the income of the farmer would increase as he would produce food and agro based productsand in addition to that he would also host Agritourists, and this would be an additional source of income.The author wanted to know his point of view on the quantity of food products if the agricultural land isused for tourism purposes for which Mr. Raghunandan responded by saying that tourism will be a part of


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the farm but it will not take away all the farm lands. He also said that it would not reduce the amount offood grains produced because the farms where the tourists will be staying will produce up to 60% of theirfood requirements. Such farms will sell their surplus produce in the market, and hence will increase the

food products availability.Mr. Raghunandan also said that he would think about an Agritourism unit in his farm which would offer arange of recreational attractions. Apart from the recreational activities, Mr. Raghunandan also said that hewould provide information to the tourists regarding successful management of farms, the process of foodproduction, farm management and the importance of being eco-friendly. In his point of view, Agritourismwould be very successful in India because India is an agricultural based country, where agriculture ismore of a culture than a profession, but he also mentioned that immense efforts are required. His exactwords were:

Agritourism could be a success in the long run only if there is enough publicity, sincere efforts andmeticulous planning by the Agritourist promoters and Managers and most importantly Agri-Tourismshould be advertised, promoted and encouraged by the Indian Government. It would be successfulbecause it is so different from the various types of tourism that exists at the moment. Agritourismgives to the tourists a first-hand feel of the cultural practices of each region, social customs, locallifestyle, and also helps the tourists to know about the agricultural methods and practices of regionalfarmers. Another important fact is that my friends, from the metropolitan cities, often comment thatthey want their children to know the value of nature, agriculture and the environment. They also saythat they are envious about the fact that my children have knowledge about farm and agro activitiesand can also know how to handle issues on the farm. I would say that providing this knowledge to allthe children and adults would be a great idea.

Mr. Raghunandan also said that, Agritourism is personal, simple and ethnic. It is completelydifferent from any other form of tourism, which makes the whole concept unique in its ownspecial way.

SUMMARY

Using survey questionnaires, this study shows that people are not ignorant towards the concept ofAgritourism and are ready to try it if it is developed further (Wicks and Merretts, 2003). They also offerideas about possible areas for development and are interested in culturally based experiences.

In the interviews, the expert from the field of Agritourism commented that the development of Agritourismcould be the best thing that happens to India because there is a huge population depending onagriculture. Also, 50% of the population in India still lives in villages. If India wants to move forward, thedevelopment of the villages should hence be one of the important things to be considered. He alsomentioned that it is easy to set up an agritourism unit as the key requirements are agriculture, village andthe farmer, and also that the investments are comparatively low and the return on investments iscomparatively high. These technical points were the main differences when compared to the otherinterviews conducted with the other experts from the hospitality and agricultural sectors.

The most important issue apart from the development of Agritourism for increasing the gross domesticproduct is that all six respondents focused on the importance of the knowledge on Agriculture and otherfarm activities to people living in the urban areas. They also focused on the lack of awareness amongstchildren regarding human dependence on nature, the environment, the process of food production, theefforts put in by the farmer and many more issues.

The analyses of the questionnaires from the respondents in the hotel sector showed that all of them wereaware of the existence of the concept of Agritourism but only one of them wanted to implement itimmediately. Respondents B2 and B3 also wanted to develop Agritourism but not immediately. Thecommon feature about respondent B1 and B2 is that they wanted to implement Agritourism in one of theirexisting properties while respondent B3 wanted to have it in a special location, which focuses only onAgritourism. The other common factor about respondent B1 and B3 is that they were both considering the


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development of Agritourism as an option but respondent B2 did not have it as an option but it hadbecome an option after the interview.

Most of the points made by the two agriculturists were common but the most important difference was thelocation of their respective agricultural lands. Respondent C1, had his estates in one of the hill stations inIndia where crops like coffer, pepper, cardamom, oranges, peaches, etc are cultivated whereasRespondent C2, had his farm in the plains where the climate is comparatively hot and also where thecrops cultivated are rice, coconuts, mangoes and other tropical crops. The interesting fact is that, thoughthe idea, motive and value might be the same; the tourist experience would be completely different. Therecreational activities would be different as well, due to the location and ethnicity of the two places(Blevins, 2003).

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The primary aim of this research was to gain a clear idea regarding the development of Agritourism inIndia with the help of the secondary sources. India, being an agriculture-based country, has the perfectcombination of different culture, geographical characteristics, and socio-cultural entities. India hasdiversity in agricultural climate as well, by which means that different crops are cultivated in different partsof the country, hence giving the tourists a wider choice in Agritourism (Bajpai, 2008). The exist ingAgritourism Unit in the Malegaon village has become a boom to the farmers as it has changed their livesto a considerable extent. It has converted the farmers to become entrepreneurs and has also helpedthem to learn soft-skills like hosting guests professionally on their farm and also about marketing theirpersonalized product. Agritourism has not only increased the profit levels but has also helped the farmersdevelop their self-esteem and also given them a new meaning to life when they thought that their life wasover when they were struck by the great drought (Taware, 2006). Agritourism has also helped the farmersto effectively use the available resources and it requires no special qualifications.

The interviews with the experts all came to the same conclusion, namely that the development ofAgritourism in India would be good idea for the economy and that it would help instilling important values

in the children of today. The questionnaire among the prospective Agritourists also claimed that thedevelopment of Agritourism in India is a good idea and it also went into details regarding the consumerbehaviour and segmentation.

All the experts felt the development of Agritourism in India would be an idea that will be welcomed bypeople from different walks of life and the customers in the hotels supported this view (Gopal, Varma andGopinaham, 2008).

In spite of the sincere efforts taken by the present Agritourism entrepreneurs, organizations and theMinistry of Tourism, this piece of research showed that there is much more to be done in this field in orderto make the Agritourism business successful. Some recommendations are outlined below.

Recommendations to the present and future Agritourism Sectors:

Different packages of varied duration should be designed for the tourists keeping in mind theconsumer behaviour and segmentation in order to have a completely customer-friendly package.

There should be support and coordination between the local entrepreneurs from the same field,so as to have more effective promotion, and this could help in cost effectiveness as well.

There should also be coordination between the other businesses that are directly or indirectlylinked to tourism, in order have a much more successful business because for tourism to be successful,different businesses have to work together.

Constant revaluation is required so as to stay on top of the market because Agritourism is simple,personal and ethnic and this gives people the ability to co-exist among other Agritourism entrepreneurs.

The Agriculturists should focus on their regional speciality alone and not try to bring in somethingthat does not fit into the geographical and cultural profiles of the location.


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Tourists prefer places with easy accessibility, and a good infrastructure is the key. Hence, theinfrastructure and facilities have to be developed in a simple yet clean and comfortable way. The hostsshould also be sure that the guests feel safe and there could be easily accessible medical help at any

time of the day. Planning is necessary for the efficient and effective use of all kinds of resources, especially inrural areas of India that have limited funds and resources. Good planning is required for promotion thetourist activity so as to have connections with the local businesses that connect to tourism. Planning forthe development of tourism should be incorporated into the overall economic strategy of the communitydue to the interdependence of the community. Hence, tourism planning needs the commitment of thevarious stakeholders of the community.

In a country like India where times have changed from being a male-dominated society to anequal society, the authors feel as though there would be more supporters to Agritourism if there weremore women involved in the development of the projects.

Recommendations to the Hospitality Industry:

Hospitality and Tourism are complementary and one cannot be fully successful with just havingone of them, hence the author feels that it would be a good option to include Agritourism in hotelpackages.

A particular segment of tourists who would prefer a totally up-scale kind of accommodation at anAgritourism unit. As per traditions, the place where a person learnt and practiced Yoga was supposed tobe simple but today there are special luxury resorts to serve that purpose. In the same way, the authorbeing aware of the mentality of people in the home country feels that upscale Agritourism units withaccommodation facilities with star rating would be a good option.

The ability to act local but think global. The author means that the hoteliers should be able tohave the hotel designed in a local way, yet keeping in mind the global consumer behaviour andrequirements.

Recommendations to the Local Authorities The local governments that are in charge for the successful operations of any local organizationsshould be aware of the advantages of having an Agritourism unit.

They should encourage community leadership so that the people are more involved in the projectand support agriculturists who want to start agritourism.

Taking the example of Baramati, the farmers aspiring to be agritourism entrepreneurs receive Rs.500,000/-, as bank loan so that they could start their own unit, and this loan-plan became successful afterthe persuasion of the local governing bodies and the ATDC. In the same way there should beorganizations and governing bodies all over the country so that Agritourism could be successfullydeveloped in India.

There should be an increase in the community support. There is a famous phrase the crabmentality, which means, if I cannot have it, neither can you and this is very common in the rural areas ofIndia. The author feels that the local bodies should organize awareness camps and encourage people to

work together so that they and their future generations can co-exist. There has to be immense community efforts and support that has to be a part of the developmentof Agritourism in India because it is a new concept with a totally different nature and the local governmenthas to be able to offer this support.

Issues that Need Attention:

Publicity: Publicizing a rural Agritourism unit is a difficult task to be carried out individually, henceAgritourism entrepreneurs of the locality should join together and publicize their units in which informationtechnology could play a very important role for marketing and publicity.

Transportation: It is difficult to reach rural Agritourism units due to poor road conditions, whichhave to be repaired. Tele-communication is another facility that has not reached some of the villages.


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Hence, it is absolutely important for the government to develop roads, transportation facilities andtelecommunication.

Accommodation: Neat and clean accommodation is an absolute necessity for an Agritourism unit.

Urban Indian and foreign tourists will have these as one of their main expectations. Clean water andtoilets should be available as well. In addition to this, clean potable water should be available forconsumption.

Networking: Private and public stakeholders at the state and national level should lend a helpinghand to agriculturists who want to start Agritourism units.

Capacity building of farmers: Farmers need to be briefed about the project, the advantages of itsimplementation, the facilities that are required, hospitality, public relations and other soft skills which theyare not aware of.

Safety and security of tourists: Agritourism units are located in rural areas which lack accessibilityand medical help. There may also be threats of theft, wild animals, etc. Hence, the local population aswell as the host should be aware that the safety of the tourists is one of the key issues that affect thesuccess of the business.


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