Agritourism and the farmer as rural entrepreneur: A UK analysis

Phelan, Chris orcid iconORCID: 0000-0002-1836-043X and Sharpley, Richard (2010) Agritourism and the farmer as rural entrepreneur: A UK analysis. In: NeXT Tourism Entrepreneurship Conference, 26th-27th April 2010, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

[thumbnail of Agritourism_and_the_Farmer_as_Rural_Entrepreneur_A_UK_Analysis.pdf]
Preview
PDF
389kB

Official URL: https://works.bepress.com/chrisphelan/1/

Abstract

Farm-based recreation or agritourism is increasingly seen as a diversification strategy to promote a more diverse and sustainable rural economy and to protect farming incomes against market fluctuation. Thus, farmers are increasingly being recognised as entrepreneurial, needing to develop new skills and capabilities to remain competitive. However, few studies have addressed the role of entrepreneurship within the context of the diversified farm tourism business. This paper examines the range of skills and competencies that farmers in the North West of England identify as important for successful diversification and explores the extent to which these competencies are evident. The findings indicate that although farmers are increasingly turning to agritourism as a means to generate additional income, they lack many of the fundamental business competencies required for success. A finding which has implications for rural development policies and signals the need to address these skill deficiencies through farm advisory processes and via more effective training and support of agritourism providers.


Repository Staff Only: item control page