The course introduces students to the economics of tourism activities managed within farms, providing concepts and principles to assess their contribution to rural sustainability.
The lectures will provide essential knowledge on rural development, farm economics and management, supply and demand for agritourism services. Guidelines for the formulation of a marketing plan for a hypothetical agritourism project will complete the course.
A set of papers on rural development, agritourism economics and management will be provided to students. The following titles can be considered as essential readings:
Castle E.N. 1998. A conceptual framework for the study of rural places. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 80(3):621-631.
Garrod B., Wornell R., Youell R. 2006. Re-conceptualizing rural resources as countryside capital: the case of rural tourism. Journal of Rural Studies, 22:117-128.
Van der Ploeg GD., Roep D 2003. Multifunctionality and rural development: the actual situation in Europe. In van Huylenbroeck G. Durand G. Multifunctional Agriculture; A new paradigm for European Agriculture and Rural Development. Ashgate, Hampshire, England (pp. 37- 53).
Van Huylenbroek G., Vandermeulen V., Mettepenningen E., Verspecht A. 2007. Multifunctionality of agriculture: a review of definitions, evidence, instruments. Living Reviews in Landscape Research, 1: 3-43.
Busby G., Rendle S. 2000. The transition from tourism on farms to farm tourism. Tourism Management, 21: 635-642
Fagioli Fiume F., Diotallevi F. Ciani A. 2014. Strengthening the sustainability of rural areas: the role of rural tourism and agritourism. Rivista di Economia Agraria, 69(2-3): 155-169.
Flanigan S., Blackstyock K., Hunter C. 2015. Generating public and private benefits through understanding what drives different types of agritourism. Journal of Rural Studies, 41: 129-141.
Streifeneder T. 2016. Agriculture first: assessing European policies and scientific typologies to define authentic agritourism and differentiate it from countryside tourism. Tourism Management Perspectives, 20: 251-264.
Virginia Cooperative Extension 2009. Agri-tourism. http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/310/310-003/310-003.html
Practical activities will be supported by Farminc, an on-line training tool available at URL http://www.unimc.it/farminc
Learning Objectives
Students will be provided of the basic knowledge on the characteristics the agri-tourism activities. The course will introduce them to economic, environmental and social assessment of agri-tourism in the context of rural development. At the end of the course the students will be able to outline a marketing plan for the development of a tourism activities within a farm.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge on agricultural and food economics and policy. Attendance and acquisition of credits of the course on "Agri-food economics" are strongly recommended.
Teaching Methods
Frontal lectures (15), classroom activities (5), visits to agritourism farms (when possible: 1) seminars with experts and agritourism entrepreneurs (4).
Total hours of the course (including private study and examination): 144 (= 6x24) hours.
Further information
The attendance to classroom and seminar activities is strongly recommended. For students attending the course the participation to classroom activities will be the basis for final evaluation.
Type of Assessment
For students attending the lectures: group classroom presentation on an international agritourism case study (15 min; 30%); group submission of a written marketing plan for a hypothetical agri-tourism activity and classroom presentation (20min; 70%).
Non-attending students will be asked to prepare a written draft marketing plan on a agri-tourism case study and to discuss it during a final interview (30 min).
Course program
Rural sustainability. Rural tourism. Basics on farm economics. Multifunctional farming. Agritourism: concepts and definitions. Tourism and the farming activity. Viability and sustainability of agri-tourism. The agri-tourist. Planning a agritourist activity: basics and outline of a marketing plan. Break-even analysis.