Conceptualization and Potential of Agritourism in Extremadura (Spain) from the Perspective of Tourism Demand

José Manuel Sánchez-Martín (), Rebeca Guillén-Peñafiel, Paloma Flores-García and María José García-Berzosa
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José Manuel Sánchez-Martín: Faculty of Business, Finance and Tourism, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de la Universidad, S/N, 10003 Cáceres, Spain
Rebeca Guillén-Peñafiel: Faculty of Teacher Training, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de la Universidad, S/N, 10003 Cáceres, Spain
Paloma Flores-García: Faculty of Business, Finance and Tourism, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de la Universidad, S/N, 10003 Cáceres, Spain
María José García-Berzosa: Faculty of Business, Finance and Tourism, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de la Universidad, S/N, 10003 Cáceres, Spain

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 5, 1-34

Abstract: The current literature considers agritourism as a valid option for promoting the development of rural areas. This would be achieved by increasing agricultural incomes. However, numerous scientific studies have revealed the difficulty in reaching a consensus on the very concept of agritourism. In addition, the definition of agritourism is rarely related to the opinion of the demand. For this reason, this research aimed to understand the idea that tourists have about this variety. To this end, more than 500 surveys were carried out, from which the tourists’ conception of agritourism and the activities it entails were deduced. Other questions were also analyzed to determine whether the conception varies between those who have already performed this type of activity and those who have not yet had the opportunity to do so. From this, we can deduct the interest that visitors have in agritourism products, evidencing their potential. This interest is deduced through the visualization of different landscapes and activities of interest to tourists. Under these four central points, the aim was to understand the aims of agritourism in Extremadura (Spain). At the methodological level, a combination of descriptive statistics and spatial statistics was used, highlighting the use of cluster analysis. The results show a significant lack of knowledge of the meaning of agritourism, especially among those who have never practiced it, and of the activities associated with it. At the same time, the selection of landscapes preferred by tourists makes it possible to establish areas with potential for the development of these activities. Likewise, knowing which activities are of interest to tourists also helps to generate complementary activities and to better target the design of agrotourism products.

Keywords: agritourism; tourism space; cluster analysis; planning; Geographic Information System; Extremadura (Spain) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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