Evaluating the Mental-Health Positive Impacts of Agritourism; A Case Study from South Korea

Mehdi Rezaei, Doohwan Kim, Ahad Alizadeh and Ladan Rokni
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Mehdi Rezaei: Deptarment of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
Doohwan Kim: Deptarment of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
Ahad Alizadeh: Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin 15315-34199, Iran
Ladan Rokni: Asia Contents Institute, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 16, 1-16

Abstract: The stressful lifestyle of urban dwellers has increased the demand for green-based leisure activities; considering such growing demand, this paper investigated the potential mental health benefits of agritourism activities. The assessments were based on a questionnaire survey of two groups: visitors of agritourism sites around Seoul and a control group staying home ( n = 200). In addition to measuring the participants’ well-being level and stress level, they were also asked to self-estimate their immediate mood after their activities of the day. The analysis was conducted with R version 4.1.0 to explore the potential relationships and interactions between the activity of the day, perceived psychological factors, and the immediate emotional outcomes. Findings reveal that visitors to the agritourism sites perceived considerable improvement in their immediate mood compared to the control group who stayed home. Results indicate a significant interaction between self-reported wellbeing and agritourism activities and a combined effect on improved mood. Therefore, agritourism can potentially be a resource for a positive mood boost and improved mental health. The suggested practical implications can be applied as strategies to evoke the feeling of more connection to the agritourism activities and raise awareness of potential mental health outcomes.

Keywords: agritourism; mental health; farm tourism; psychological effects; mood boost (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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