The case study has been published in the book International Cases in Sustainable Travel & Tourism and can be purchased from Goodfellow Publishers. To receive an exclusive 10% discount on the book enter the code BESTENGP at checkout when buying directly from the Goodfellow Publishers website. Following the link you can access the free of charge Powerpoint presentation on agritourism in India.

Synopsis and Learning Outcomes

This case study introduces agritourism as an approach to tourism which may pave the way for sustainable development in rural areas. It provides a detailed discussion of the concept of agritourism including the benefits, constraints and success factors involved, using the example of India, a country where 85% of the population depend on agriculture for their livelihood.

The Agri Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) is an initiative which develops, actively promotes and encourages agritourism in the state of Maharashtra. The organisation aims to create sustainable livelihoods in rural areas by providing training, creating employment opportunities and linking tourism with agricultural production and related activities such as the manufacture of handicrafts. ATDC has established 113 Agri Tourism Centres across the state, which are run by local farmers and organisationally connected by ATDC. These Agri Tourism Centres serve predominantly domestic tourists from urban areas, who are provided the opportunity to interact with rural villagers and farmers in order to experience authentic Indian agricultural traditions in unexploited natural environments.

This case study discusses the contributions of agritourism to farmers directly involved as well as to villagers indirectly affected by it. These contributions may range from economic benefits, education and awareness of the necessity to preserve natural resources to promote the empowerment of marginalised community groups.

After completing this case study, learners will be able to:

1. discuss advantages and disadvantages of implementing agritourism in rural areas;
2. distinguish this approach from other tourism approaches; and
3. apply the concept of agritourism to specific cases and different contexts.