Agricultural tourism and its development determinants and barriers in rural areas; Case of Saffron farms in Tiran-va-Karvan county

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Dept. Geographical Sciences and Planning, University of Isfahan, Isfahan.

10.22034/gp.2024.60702.3238

Abstract

In addition to the economic value, agricultural farms and their products can play an important role in tourism, especially in rural areas. This study examines the feasibility of agricultural tourism development in Saffron farms of Tiran-va-Karvan rural areas and attempts to identify and describe its determinants and barriers. The statistical population was the Saffron farmers of the region. The practically experienced Saffron farms tourism, as the dependent variable, and farmers’ individual characteristics, crop’s economic characteristics, and several structural and organizational factors were independent variables of the study, which have evaluated and analyzed through appropriate processing procedures, following the operationalization and data gathering field operations. Based on the results, the limited practically experienced Saffron farms tourism has been positively influenced by factors such as general tourism infrastructures, advertising, demand from local authorities, economic characteristics of the crop, its cultivation history and the level of education of the farmers. Further analysis showed if the region’s potential of Saffron farms tourism, be accompanied by organizational supports and specialized farm amenities as the most important preconditions for farm tourism, and favorable mentalities of farmers to pursue and realize it, will be able to lead the Saffron cultivation system of the region towards the on-farm non-agricultural entrepreneurial activities, especially the tourism, more commercialized and profitable. That way, due to the harvest and post-harvest characteristics of Saffron, the women and even the non-agricultural occupants of the families can have a significant role in this regard.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Full Text

مزارع کشاورزی و محصولات آنها، علاوه بر ارزش اقتصادی می‌توانند نقش مهمی در گردشگری بویژه در مناطق روستایی داشته باشند. این پژوهش با رویکرد توصیفی-پیمایشی به امکان‌سنجی توسعه‌ی گردشگری کشاورزی در مزارع زعفران روستاهای شهرستان تیران و کرون در غرب اصفهان و شناسایی و تشریح عوامل پیشران و موانع بازدارنده آن می‌پردازد. بهره‌برداران کشاورزی زعفران‌کار روستاهای منطقه، جامعه آماری مورد مطالعه بودند که 151 نفر آنان بعنوان نمونه در فرایند پژوهش مشارکت داشتند. تجربه عینی و عملی گردشگری در مزارع زعفران، متغیر وابسته، و ذهنیت‌های فردی، ویژگی‌های اقتصادی محصول و عوامل و موانع ساختاری و سازمانی، متغیرهای مستقل مطالعه بودند که پس از عملیاتی‌سازی و گردآوری داده‌های پیمایشی، هرکدام با پردازش‌ها و شاخص‌سازی‌های مناسب مورد سنجش قرار گرفته و تحلیل شدند. بر اساس نتایج، تجربه عینی و عملیِ اندکی که در زمینه گردشگری مزارع زعفران منطقه وجود دارد، با تأثیرگذاری مثبت عواملی چون زیرساخت‌های عمومی گردشگری، تبلیغات و معرفی محصول، مطالبه‌گری از مسئولین محلی، ویژگی‌های اقتصادی محصول، سابقه کشت آن و سطح تحصیلات بهره‌برداران همراه بوده است. تحلیل‌های بیشتر نشان داد، پتانسیل بالقوه‌ی ناحیه روستایی کرون علیا در رابطه با گردشگری مزارع زعفران، با پشتیبانی‌های سازمانی و فراهم شدن زیرساخت‌های تخصصی مزرعه‌ای به‌عنوان مهم‌ترین پیش‌شرط‌های گردشگری مزرعه، و تقویت نگرش و ذهنیت بهره‌برداران برای پیگیری و تحقق آن، خواهد توانست نظام زراعی کشت زعفران منطقه را به سمت الگوهای کارآفرینانه غیرزراعی با محوریت گردشگری و تجاری‌تر شدن و بهره‌وریِ بیشتر این نظام سوق دهد. با توجه به ویژگی‌های خاص زعفران در مراحل برداشت و زنجیره عملیات پس از آن، زنان و حتی اعضای غیر شاغل در کشاورزیِ خانوارهای روستایی، می‌توانند نقش پررنگ و معناداری در این راستا داشته باشند.

References

Amar, Timur. (1400). Rural Development in Iran: Discussions on Goals, Prospects and New Requirements, Territorial Capabilities, Knowledge-Based Society and Social Policy from the Perspective of Experts. Edited by Hamed Ghadermarzi and Ali Shirkani, Kharazmi University Jihad, Tehran. [In Persian]
Esmailizadeh, Hassan; Tabrizi, Nazanin and Mehdi Ramezanzadeh Lesboi. (2019). Measuring the Participatory Behavior of the Local Community in the Development of Agricultural Tourism (Case Study: Si-Sakht City). Studies in Urban Structure and Function, 6(20), 127-146. https://doi.org/10.22080/shahr.2019.16037.1752[In Persian]
 
Heydari, Zahra, Badri, Seyed Ali and Mohammad Reza Rezvani. (2016). Analysis of Factors Affecting the Participation of the Local Community in the Development of Agricultural Tourism (Case Study: Rural Areas of the Central District of Tonekabon County). Geographical Planning of Space, 6(21), 13-26. [In Persian]
Rezaei Adriani, Monireh, and Mahin Nastaran. (2017). Feasibility study of agricultural tourism project in orchards and farms in the suburbs of cities (case study: northern part of Nazhvan region of Isfahan). Heritage and Tourism, 2(7), 153-179.
     https://www.sid.ir/fa/journal/ViewPaper.aspx?id=466525[In Persian]
Riahi, Vahid, Azizpour, Farhad, and Zari Ghasemian. (2019). Factors affecting the preparation of development vision plan in the rural area of Hezarjerib (Eastern Mazandaran). Geography and Planning, Volume 24, No. 72, 291-267. https://doi.org/10.22034/gp.2020.10857[In Persian]
Anabestani, Ali Akbar, and Zahra Mozaffari. (2018). Explaining the factors affecting the tendency of villagers to agricultural tourism (Case study: Model villages of tourism in Fazl district, Neyshabur city). Tourism Planning and Development, 7(24), 123-145.
     https://doi.org/10.22080/jtpd.2018.1827[In Persian]
Moradi, Nosrat, Nouri, Seyed Hedayatollah, Moradi, Kobria and Shirko Pasandi. (2017). An analysis of the satisfaction level of flower and plant tourists during peak times of entry to Mahallat city. Geography and Planning, Volume 21, Issue 60, 261-239. https://doi.org/101[In Persian]
Maududi Arkhodi, Mehdi, Ferdowsi, Sajjad and Narges Rahimi Taghanaki. (2014). Analysis and explanation of factors of agricultural tourism development in rural areas (Case study: rural areas of Saman city). Geography and Planning, articles ready for publication. https://doi.org/10.22034/gp.2024.59093.3200 [In Persian]
Nowroozi, Asghar and Effat Fathi. (2018). Evaluating the potential of agricultural tourism development and determining its acceptance in the target community (farmers and tourists) in Lenjan County. Geography and Development, 16(51), 241-260
     https://doi.org/10.22111/gdij.2018.3872  [In Persian]
Annes, A., Bessiere, J. (2018). Staging agriculture during on-farm markets: How does French farmers’ rationality influence their representation of rurality? Journal of Rural Studies,63,34–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2018.07.015
Bairagi, V., Munot, M. V. (Eds.). (2019). Research methodology: A practical and scientific approach (1st ed.). Chapman and Hall/CRC, New York. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781351013277.
Bhatta, K., Itagaki, K., Ohe, Y. (2019). Determinant factors of farmers’ willingness to start agritourism in rural Nepal. Open Agriculture, 4(1), 431–445. https://doi.org/10.1515/opag-2019-0043
Chawla, D., Sondhi, N. (2015). Research methodology: Concepts and cases. Vikas Publishing House Pvt. New Delhi, pp. xxiv + 670.
Choenkwan, S., Promkhambut, A., Hayao, F., Rambo, A. T. (2016). Does agrotourism benefit mountain farmers? A case study in Phu Ruea district, Northeast Thailand. Mountain Research and Development, 36(2), 162–172. https://doi.org/10.1659/mrd-journal-d-15-00111.1
Chesky, A. (2009). Can agritourism save the family farm in appalachia? A study of two historic family farms in Valle Crucis, North Carolina. Journal of Appalachian Studies, 15(1/2), 87–98. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41446820
Ciolac, R., Iancu, T., Brad, I., Adamov, T., Mateoc-Sîrb, N. (2021). Agritourism - A business reality of the moment for Romanian rural area’s sustainability. Sustainability, 13(11), 6313. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116313
Dubey, U. K. B., Kothari, D. P. (2022). Research methodology: Techniques and trends (1st ed.). Chapman and Hall/CRC, New York. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315167138.
Flanigan, S., Blackstock, K., Hunter, C. (2014). Agritourism from the perspective of providers and visitors: a typology-based study. Tourism Management, 40, 394–405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2013.07.004 
Henderson, J. C. (2009). Agro-tourism in unlikely destinations: a study of Singapore. Managing Leisure, 14(4), 258–268. https://doi.org/10.1080/13606710903204456
Jiao, Y., Zhang, Y., & Meng, Z. (2019). Tourism as Development Aid: Policies and Challenges for Tourism Planning in Xinjiang, China. Tourism Planning & Development, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2019.1597762
Kerlin, M., O’Farrell, N., Riley, R., Schaff, R. (2022). Rural rising: Economic development strategies for America’s heartland. Rural rising: Economic development strategies for America’s heartland, McKinsey & company. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/rural-rising-economic-development-strategies-for-americas-heartland
Kokko, A. 2011. An exploration of agritourism: Topics, literature and areas for future research. http://annekokko.com/resources/an%20exploration%20of%20agritourism%20-%20akokko.pdf; accessed on 21 April 2015.
Lefebvre, M., Espinosa, M., Gomez y Paloma, S., Paracchini, M. L., Piorr, A., Zasada, I. (2015). Agricultural landscapes as multi-scale public good and the role of the common agricultural policy. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 58(12), 2088-2112.
Oğur, A. A., Kalonya, D. H., Gülhan, G. (2021). Evaluation of the perception of change in tourism and agriculture after the slow city branding: The case of Seferihisar. Megaron, 16(4), 605-619. http://dx.doi.org/10.14744/megaron.2021.49358
Paladan, N. (2020) Community-based approach in developing farm tourism. Open Access Library Journal, 7, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1107043.
Pezzi, M. G., Faggian, A., Reid, N. (Eds.). (2020). Agritourism, wine tourism and craft beer tourism: Local responses to peripherality through tourism niches (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429464102
Phillip, S., Hunter, C., Blackstock, K. (2010). A typology for defining agritourism. Tourism Management, 31(6), 754–758. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2009.08.001
Roberts, L., Hall, D., & Morag, M. (Eds.). (2004). New directions in rural tourism (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315248097
Rogerson, C. M., Rogerson, J. M. (2014). Agritourism and local economic development in South Africa. Bulletin of Geography. Socio-Economic Series, 26(26), 93–106.
     https://doi.org/10.2478/bog-2014-0047
Salukvadze, G., Backhaus, N. (2020). Is tourism the beginning or the end? livelihoods of Georgian mountain people at stake. Mountain Research and Development, 40(1), R28–R36. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27002115
Saufi, A., O’Brien, D., & Wilkins, H. (2013). Inhibitors to host community participation in sustainable tourism development in developing countries. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 22(5), 801–820. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2013.861468
Schilling, B. J., Sullivan, K. P., Komar, S. (2012). Examining the economic benefits of agritourism: The case of New Jersey. The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 3, 199-214. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2012.031.011
Sznajder, M., Przezbórska, L., Scrimgeour, F. (2009) The concept of agritourism. CABI Books. CABI International. https://doi.org/10.1079/9781845934828.0003.  
Torres, R., Momsen, J. H. (2004). Challenges and potential for linking tourism and agriculture to achieve pro-poor tourism objectives. Progress in Development Studies, 4(4), 294–318. https://doi.org/10.1191/1464993404ps092oa
Wessels, W. J., & Tseane-Gumbi, L.A. (2023). Investigating the physical infrastructural aspects as determinants of tourism development in South African cities: a case of Mahikeng. South African Geographical Journal, 105:4, 500-515. https://doi.org/10.1080/03736245.2023.2183891
Wicks B. E., Merrett C. D. (2003). Agritourism: An economic opportunity for Illinois. Rural Research Report 14(9):1–8.
Xiao, Y., Luo, D., Yin, K. (2018). Change of farmers’ household livelihood strategies based on the coastal rural tourism background. Journal of Coastal Research, 83, 225–228. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26542960
Yang, M., Hens, L., Ou, X., Wulf, R. (2009). Tourism: An alternative to development? reconsidering farming, tourism and conservation incentives in Northwest Yunnan. Mountain Research and Development, 29(1), 75–81. http://www.jstor.org/stable/mounresedeve.29.1.75

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics