Making Agri-Tourism a Sustainable Business : Daily Current Affairs

Relevance: GS-3: Agriculture.

Key Phrases: Triple Bottom line Approach; important factors in sustainable businesses and the development paradigm; a niche and an emerging market segment; Eco-friendly tourism experience; address the ‘hollowing out’ effect of rural decline; Land consolidation through cluster-based farming or One District One Crop services;

Context

  • The Triple Bottomline Approach of Planet, People, and Profit seems to be one of the best approaches in sustainable businesses and the development paradigm.
    • Proper policy attention and implementation toward Agri-tourism fulfil these criteria.

Key Highlights

Present Scenario

  • Agri-tourism is a niche and an emerging market segment of the tourism industry.
    • The global market was valued at $42.46 Bn (2019 )
    • It is expected to reach $62.98 Bn by 2027 (CAGR of 13.4% 2020-2027).

What is Agri-tourism and what is its status in India?

  • Agri-tourism is a non-urban hospitality product.
  • It serves an agrarian lifestyle, culture, and heritage with abundant natural resources.
  • As per the 2019 Business Economics report, revenue from agri-tourism is growing at an annual growth rate of 20% in India.

Why agri-tourism & What can it offer to farmers?

  • Rising demand for natural and rural destinations as tourist attractions
    • This is due to rapid climate change, tourism induced pollution levels and GHG emissions.
    • Eco-friendly tourism experiences such as agri-tourism can help meet such demands.
  • Addressing challenges of agriculture
    • India’s agriculture has been under stress due to
      • increased input costs,
      • volatile returns,
      • climatic adversaries,
      • land fragmentation, and so on.
    • As per World Bank’s 2021 report: Despite agriculture being a mainstay of the economy, farmers have shifted to other industries for alternative livelihoods and income diversification.
    • Agri-tourism can address the ‘hollowing out’ effect of rural decline and restore farmers’ confidence in agriculture and ecosystem-based services.
    • It provides income-generating activity for farmers and strengthens the economic, cultural and ecological resilience of rural regions.
  • Fulfils triple bottom line approach
    • Agri-tourism serves a dual purpose of
      • supporting the incomes of farmers (People and Profit) and
      • creating novel tourism forms for tourists (Planet and Profit)
    • Since it addresses People, Profit and Planet, it contributes to economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability.
  • Brings a positive attitudinal change toward farming
    • Agri-tourism acts as both a promoter and inhibitor to changing farmers’ attitudes toward farming.
      • Promoter - Use the land which would have been left fallow.
      • Inhibitor- Prevents farmers to cultivate, and instead uses the portion of land for tourism activities.
    • Once this becomes a lucrative income, it will help to reduce disguised unemployment in agriculture
    • Agri-tourism brings value propositions to various business segments.

Characteristics of Agri-tourism

  • Its market is split into
    • activity,
    • sales channel,
    • and region/spaces

Activity Segment

  • This categorises this market into
    • on-farm sales,
    • outdoor recreation,
    • agritainment
    • educational tourism, and so on
  • Based on activity, the on-farm sales segment accounted for a 57.9% share of the pie.

Sales Channel segment

  • This segment bifurcates into
    • travel agents and
    • direct
  • The travel agent segment held a 67.5% share.
  • Physical evidence, people and process as essential determinants of service marketing can affect agri-tourism sales destinations.

Region-wise segments

  • This includes
    • North America,
    • Europe, and
    • Asia-Pacific including India, Latin America, the Middle East, and
    • Africa.
  • The North American region held a 38.7% share in 2019.

Policy attention needed

  • Greater policy attention in developing countries is a must, especially in countries where the populace is either directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture.
    • To address perpetual adversities like
      • uncertain cash flow,
      • recurring debt trap and
      • unpredictable climate,
    • agri-tourism can be promoted as an important alternative.21`
  • The survey indicates that tourists prefer to visit agri-tourism centres with a larger area and multiple fun and recreational activities. This contrasts with the very purpose of agri-tourism which is to support small and marginal farmers.
    • Land consolidation through cluster-based farming or One District One Crop services can be helpful in this regard.
  • Social/ impact investors can mobilise private equities into agri-tourism based on the stage of the business and the business model adopted by Agri-preneurs.
  • The Agri Tourism Development Corporation can attract start-ups and impact investors to harness the business potential of the agri-tourism landscape in India.

Conclusion

  • An enabling environment is required for agri-tourism to thrive and have a 15-20% share in the tourism industry. The Union Budget 2023-24 can increase allocations for such green ventures.

Source: The Hindu BL

Mains Question:

Q. What is Agri-tourism? What are its benefits from the perspective of Indian Farmers? What steps can be taken to popularise it?