Determinant Factors of Farmers’ Willingness to Start Agritourism in Rural Nepal

Abstract

AbstractAgritourism in developing countries is regarded as a tool not only for rural development but also for poverty alleviation. However, up until now, the majority of the studies on agritourism have been conducted in economically strong countries, focusing on already-developed agritourism destinations. Thus, the main objectives of this study were to investigate farmers’ willingness before the establishment of agritourism and the factors that are driving their motivation. The results of an empirical questionnaire survey in rural Nepal conducted in August 2017 revealed that farmers are willing to engage in agritourism. Furthermore, the results indicate that agritourism has a statistical connection with elements related to tourism and an element related to agriculture. Specifically, willingness to start agritourism is connected with the types of tourist attracted and the farmers’ willingness to share land resources. Each factor is further explained by employing three different variables. In summary, those farmers who are 21 to 40 years old, have returned from foreign countries, are frequently involved in community activities, and are relatively educated are the potential agritourism practitioners in rural Nepal. This study suggests that policymakers should pay special consideration to farmers with the above traits for agritourism development.