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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Sustain. Tour.
Sec. Social Impact of Tourism
Volume 4 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/frsut.2025.1498749
This article is part of the Research Topic Agritourism and Local Development: Innovations, Collaborations, and Sustainable Growth View all 5 articles

Exploring the Supply Side Dynamics of Agritourism in Tamil Nadu

Provisionally accepted
Sarath Sennimalai Sarath Sennimalai 1,2*Badiya Venkata Rao Badiya Venkata Rao 3
  • 1 Nitte University, Mangalore, India
  • 2 NITTE School of Management, Karnataka, India
  • 3 National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study investigates the supply-side dynamics of agritourism in Tamil Nadu, focusing specifically on the motivations, operational challenges, and expectations of farmers regarding sustainable agritourism development. Agritourism, as an emerging sector, presents significant opportunities for economic diversification, rural development, and cultural heritage preservation. The research examines the socio-demographic profiles of 20 agritourism farm owners in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu and analyzes their motivations for engaging in agritourism activities. This study adopts a mixed methods approach using grounded theory to investigate the unique supply-side aspects in Tamil Nadu, such as farmers' motivations, operational challenges, and resource utilization. A structured questionnaire utilizing a fivepoint Likert scale was employed to assess these motivations. The results reveal a strong emphasis on heritage preservation and economic sustainability. Key motivations identified include generating additional income, preserving rural heritage, and diversifying farming operations. However, the study also highlights several barriers to growth, such as inadequate agritourism licensing, insufficient public awareness, and limited marketing efforts. To address these challenges, the study recommends the establishment of a dedicated agritourism development committee, the implementation of specific government guidelines, and the integration of agritourism into school curricula. These measures are intended to promote sustainable growth, create employment opportunities, and enhance the visibility of agritourism in Tamil Nadu. This research provides valuable insights for both practitioners and policymakers, aiming to foster a robust agritourism sector that balances economic viability with cultural preservation.

    Keywords: Agritourism, Supply side, Farm owners, motivations, expectations

    Received: 19 Sep 2024; Accepted: 27 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Sennimalai and Rao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Sarath Sennimalai, Nitte University, Mangalore, India

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.