Agritourism and Local Development: Innovations, Collaborations, and Sustainable Growth

Agritourism is a subset of rural tourism with significant potential for social, economic, and environmental impacts. It offers potential pathways for rural sustainable development, with effects on the environment, agricultural heritage, and economic growth. The unchecked human impact, rapid urbanization, and extensive infrastructure development worldwide continue to degrade the natural and social fabric of rural areas, eroding their unique recreational appeal and leading to potential detrimental effects. Engaging in agritourism offers a localized remedy by revitalizing rural economies, diversifying income sources, promoting sustainable land use practices, and providing an avenue for safeguarding rural heritage through the preservation and perpetuation of traditional practices and indigenous knowledge. While the realization of sustained positive impacts from agritourism hinges upon strategic planning aligned with the principles of sustainable development, currently, agritourism faces early-stage development characterized by inadequate support from national tourism policies. As such, implementing balanced and practical policies in agritourism development stands as an important factor in countering the crisis observed in many rural regions globally. Moreover, recognizing the involvement of diverse actors, facilities, and resources is important, as mismanagement of these elements could impede progress toward sustainable development.

The aim of this Research Topic is to gather studies that emphasize that agritourism is not just about short-term economic gains but aims for sustainable, long-term growth that benefits local communities and the environment. It also suggests that innovation and collaboration in agritourism are pathways toward achieving this sustainable growth, giving a holistic view of how these elements interconnect. This Topic aims to set the tone for discussions that cover various aspects of agritourism, emphasizing its potential
for positive development while highlighting the importance of sustainability for its long-term success. We therefore encourage papers that include, but are not limited to the following:

- The dynamic relationship between agritourism and local development, exploring its potential for fostering sustainable growth in rural areas;
- Underlying processes driving such sustainability;
- Integration and utilization of indigenous knowledge systems in agritourism;
- Societal changes, and opportunities and challenges in the journey toward sustainable agritourism;
- Strategic planning and inclusive policies and their impact on positive social, economic, and environmental impacts;
- Innovative approaches, collaborative strategies, and sustainable practices that drive sustainability and economic growth within the agritourism sector;
- Motivations and experiences of players within agritourism – both the supply and demand perspectives;
- Agritourism case studies in both developed and developing destinations.
- Disadvantages and advantages of agritourism development and their perception by guests and hosts.
- Rural Tourism issues in China.

The current agritourism research indicates that most of the studies on agritourism have been conducted in developed nations with more established agritourism destinations while in developing countries, agritourism is often overlooked due to it being under-researched. This Research Topic aims to gather diverse case studies showcasing examples of both successes and challenges in various agritourism ventures to give an understanding of sustainable agritourism development globally.