Rise of Agritourism in India: A Scoping Review
S. Sinha *
Department of Agricultural Economics, School of Agricultural Sciences, Sister Nivedita University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Md. H. Ali
Department of Agricultural Economics, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Distt. Nadia, West Bengal, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Agrotourism also known as agritourism, is a form of tourism that involves visiting rural areas to explore agricultural or farm-based activities, as well as to experience the culture and traditions of rural communities. This type of tourism mostly takes many forms, including farm stays, vineyard tours, rural bed and breakfasts, and other farm-based accommodations. Agritourism is a new phenomenon for Indian tourists (Eco India, 2017) department and hence has a great scope for tourists to explore and experience authentic Indian tradition and farmers and also can fetch extra income through their regular activities. Above 70% of the population are living in more than 6 million villages (Incredible India, 2017). The current study aims to understand the demand and supply pattern of budding agritourism sector of India. Through understanding limitation, farmer’s determination and perception, the research study also provides strategies to overcome the problems in order to conduct agritourism. This research paper begins with literature review which is followed by introductions to tourism in India and the study area. The qualitative research methodology is used (Semi-structured online questionnaire and interview) followed by analysis and the findings are discussed before conclusion.
Keywords: Agritourism, demand and supply, SWOT analysis