Keywords

Introduction

For decades, agri-tourism is recognized as a notion in tourism studies. However, its nomenclature and practice have been evolving for many years. The term agri-tourism in principle denotes the association of visitor amenities and attractions with agriculture that also has connections to farm tourism. In the developed nations, agri-tourism tends to have There are regular accounts, but in Asian countries, this concept has managed relatively less attention both from academics and practitioners. Agri-tourism has links with the social, economic, and environmental sustainability elements and has a strong relatedness to local communities with their attitudes and behavior towards the tourists (Muresan et al., 2016). This consists of diverse leisure and recreational activities for tourists that can be viewed as a unique and innovative diversification strategy for small farms and towns, the farmers’ non-economic and economic benefits, communities, and visitors (Tew & Barbieri, 2012). A good number of rural areas are endowed with natural, historical, and social qualities that both create and behold appeal towards tourists. These appeals can be achieved and exploited in line with agricultural farming activities. According to Fleischer and Tchetchik (2005), such phenomenon is referred to by tourism and agriculture specialists of agri-tourism, farm tourism, or rural tourism because of these terms’ interchangeable characteristics. Agri-tourism can be conventionally featured as the amalgamation of agricultural production and tourism that aims for encouraging both long and short–term visitors to rural areas or farms having the purposes of education, enjoyment, and/or active involvement in farming life or agricultural production and service activities.

Agri-tourism can be featured as one of the most vital local initiatives that can positively affect the development actions of the rural areas (GEOTEE, 2000; Van der Ploeg et al., 2000; Iakovidou, 1997). Agri-tourism concentrates on the most effective and efficient use of the relative advantages of an area. These advantages generally include both cultural natural environments’ protection that is rather important for the agri-tourism products, as well as the promotion in such way, can be sustainable for the rural area’s development. In mountainous countries such as Austria, Switzerland, and Sweden, where intensive agricultural production is difficult, a significant proportion of farmers (more than 10%) are involved in various agri-tourism activities (Bazin & Roux, 1997).

Agri-tourism refers to those touristic activities that generally happen in the rural areas and attached to the rural residents’ agricultural holdings who may or may not be primarily employed in agriculture (GEOTEE, 2000). In theory, agri-tourism properties are cooperative or family-owned businesses that provide lodging in exchange for participation in agricultural or other outdoor rural activities, as well as using or catering to locally produced agricultural products (Vafiadis et al., 1992). Agri-tourism contributes to economic and social development by providing improved living and earning conditions as a result of many activities (Iakovidou, 1997).

Definition and Scope of Agri-tourism

Agri comes from the Latin term “Ager(agri-gen.-Latin)”, which means field, and the Greek word “Agros”, which means soil. When tourism is defined as a type of active recreation that takes place outside of one’s house and is driven by cognitive, recreational, and athletic demands (Sznajder et al., 2009). Agri-tourism is defined as a commercial activity that generates extra income for the owner of a working farm, ranch, or agricultural industry by entertaining tourists (University of California, n.d.).

Agri-tourism is a multi-disciplinary field of research, and the notion has been referred to as agri-tourism, agricultural tourism, agri-entertainment, farm vacation tourism, and farm tourism in the literature. Agri-tourism is defined as tourism that includes agricultural and rural surroundings, as well as agricultural products. Tourists can buy fresh agricultural commodities and products directly from farmers, bypassing the middleman, as part of the agri-tourism concept (agents) (ATDC, n.d.).

In common, such terms denote community events or small-scale farm enterprises showcasing the products and activities of rural producers with the agricultural production heritage or farming regions to visitors. Agri-tourism offers “rural experiences” towards the tourists to generate revenue for surrounding communities and of course, for the farmers. Agri-tourism is a useful and unique tourism product that presents and exposes visitors to rural areas primarily for recreational and educational purposes. Such rural experience conventionally comes with a range of activities and attractions that feature minimal urban and industrial development, open spaces, and opportunities for visitors to directly experience agricultural, natural, and pastoral environments. From the tourism experience perspective, agri-tourism attaches agricultural or rural settings with it. Agriculture relates human foods’ farming with fodder and fiber, beverages, hunting, livestock products, fishing, and forestry. From an agri-tourism viewpoint, agri-tourism scope expands to agro-based small scale industries that are located in the rural areas or countryside. Also, conventional agricultural services, rural culture, values, and belief systems are covered through agri-tourism. A few of the key features of such geographical locations are units of small-scale production, remoteness, low human settlement density, and low degree of specialization (Taware, 2007). Agri-tourism thus refers to tourism activities that attach rural settings with agricultural products, services, or operations on the ground of tourism experiences as paid for by the tourists.

Agri-tourism Is a Tourism Offer

Agri-tourism is a different research area that covers rural environments, followed by its agriculturally produced products and processing and packaging. This tourism type also covers agriculture-dependent services, communities, cultures, and belief systems of the rural area. Agriculture in the latest understanding is divided into two distinct and separate areas: first, urban agriculture, and second, rural agriculture. Thus, agri-tourism denotes the activities that aim at developing the social and economic development of the general countryside and rural regions of a country. Agri-tourism’s location widely covers the land areas that are not covered by cities, industrial parks, towns, suburbs, and urban areas. These locations are termed as country, hinterlands, or countryside invariably. Researchers have related other forms of tourism with agri-tourism in few instances. For example, George and Rilla (2011) viewed agri-tourism with nature tourism, or Slocum and Curtis (2018) attached agri-tourism with food tourism. This affirms that agriculture itself can offer tourism in many different forms.

Daugstad and Kirchengast (2013), in their research, explored how summer farmers in Valdres (Norway) and Bregenzerwald (Austria) have been playing their double roles as tourist hosts and farmers. The research, with the support of interviews with farmers, discussed the ways within which such double roles were staging of summer farms and influencing the tourist-host interactions. This research also outlined how the discourses of heritage and authenticity were manifesting themselves therein. The research found that in both Norway and Austria, summer farms were the objects of “idyllisation”. The research found that these farms were well suitable for agri-tourism because of their less detrimental to the environment and culture and more intimate capacities than mass tourism. The research suggested that a key characteristic of this agri-tourism settings was a pseudo-backstage arrangement – a frontstage that was seen as an “actual” backstage.

Koutsouris, Gidarakou, Grava, and Michailidis (2014) outlines the (agri-) tourism entrepreneurs’ and their businesses’ profile followed by the estimation, comparing, and applying a full account approach, the earned cash flows from tourism farming. The research also outlined the owners’ and their businesses’ socio-economic characteristics’ influences in tourism businesses’ effectiveness. These identified issues are considered as insufficiently dealt with in the global (agri) tourism literature studies. The findings of this research covered in mountainous Corinth in Greece presented that the relationship between agriculture and agri-tourism is rather weak with non-residents. Tourism development opportunities are mainly exploited, implying the tourism development benefits’ leakage from the local economy. When the accommodation business gets differentiated, the owners’ relationship to agriculture presents that the combination of farming and tourism supports the farming households. Still, the local farmers were able to capture the opportunities marginally.

The above Table 14.1 elaborately shows agri-tourism as a tourism offer that can have application in Bangladesh’s similar context as an agricultural country.

Table 14.1 Agri-tourism as a tourism offer
Full size table

Agri-tourism in Bangladesh

Dhaka Tribune (2020) and the Daily Star (2020) reported that there is some major revenue-generating sources in Bangladesh. These are agriculture, industry, services, and tourism and belong to the service industry. The tourism industry’s contribution in the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Bangladesh increased to 9.44% in 2009–10 from only 7% in 2004–05. The tourism industry is believed to have the capacities for ensuring economic development subject to the political will and effective and proper marketing strategy implementation.

On the ground of activity nature, location type, and duration of the stay, tourism can be classified in diverse ways as cultural tourism, heritage tourism, geo-tourism, historical tourism, adventure tourism, agri-tourism, and eco-tourism. Among these and few others, agri-tourism can be viewed as essential for saving the native fruits, crops, vegetables, fish, flora, and fauna.

Agri-tourism is the vacation type where hospitality is offered both to individuals and firms. This can include the opportunity to view and often assisting with farming during the tours. In these tours, tourists get opportunities for picking vegetables and fruits, riding horses, honey tasting, shopping in farm-stands, or gift-shops for purchasing locally and regionally produced or hand-crafted gifts. Each of such farms commonly offers both memorable and experiences as suitable for almost all tourist types. In some cases, tourists become more interested in learning the ways of food production. Some tourists also tend to meet the farmers, food producers and want to meet and greet them.

Bangladesh is traditionally a country with fertile and alluvial land where more than 70% of the population relies on agriculture. The country can have some selected zones for agri-ecological and sustainable farming. Apart from these, several agriculture enterprises can be established for the well-being of the local goat, poultry, buffalo, and cow farms for eradicating poverty. This can become a good lesson for a tourist to learn the ways of farming in eco-friendly ways.

Students of the schools, colleges, and universities can spend leisure time trying out organic farming in both rural and semi-urban areas. On the other side, both the researchers and students can share views, opinions, and thoughts with the farmers and relevant people. They can teach them and acquire indigenous knowledge about farming from the farmers in return. At present, sustainable cultivation becomes a necessity for ensuring organic foods for the present and future generations. Both the agri-tourists and researchers can often share their experiences with the indigenous farmers about global warming, climate change, crisis for extracting more groundwater, arsenic pollution, bio-fertilizers, the importance of vermicomposting, etc.

Both the agri-tourists and indigenous people can exchange their knowledge and ideas on poultry farming, followed by the importance and benefits of poultry manure in agriculture, etc. Bangladesh is featured as an extreme sufferer from natural calamities and land-based degradation. Thus, both the international and national agri-tourists can share and exchange their views with the local farmers for reducing climatic impacts on water, land, health, forest, and fish resources.

The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) can take up projects to represent the farmers’ indigenous capacities for protecting the land, ecology, and environment among the international tourists. This can support attracting them that can enrich the agri-tourism industry in the country. The agricultural products’ suitability is different across the country. For example, Barisal and Chandpur are known for fishing, the lands of Kushite are fertile for tobacco, Mymensingh is famous for paddy, Sathkhira for prawn, Dinajpur for its wheat, Jessore for flowers, and so on. Thus, Bangladesh endorses a good number of available options to promote the concept of agri-tourism and to trace out newer means that can have contributions in the national economy.

Bangladesh, as an agricultural country, possesses the capacities for competing with other member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). To do this, agricultural development needs to be considered seriously through the formulation of comprehensive strategies and involving the farmers and the local population. Bangladesh has the capacity to increase its agri-tourism potentials with ease with a substantial margin and effective marketing and promotional initiatives. With considerable and effective actions and policy planning and implementation, the tourism industry of Bangladesh thus can be turned into a significant contributor to the national GDP.

For marketing agri-tourism, the application of geographical information systems (GIS) can be highly effective and very important. Through such systems, the relevant tourism authorities can become able to sell agri-tourism products and services, indigenous farming tools, as well as can present suitable localities to incorporate diverse animals and plants, can elucidate geo-demographic features, cultural diversities, and socio-economic conditions of the farmers, indigenous peoples, poultry managers, fish collectors, and others. All these efforts can support knowing the most responsible people for agricultural development.

The gradual intensification of the wider global agricultural business has already started for exterminating the local farming systems around the world. Agri-tourism is thus cannot be viewed as the only way to involve local farmers in the local climatic issue reduction process but this can become an area of concern to consider seriously.

Why Agri-tourism in Bangladesh?

The importance and position of agriculture on the Bangladesh national economy is overwhelming and confirmed to support agri-tourism. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2020) data show that in Bangladesh GDP, the contributions of agriculture are 17.5%, 70.1% land area used for agriculture, and 48.4% of the total population are employed. Country or rural farmers generate their livelihood and income from agriculture and meet their daily demands of nutrition and food supply. In most cases, these farmers struggle to meet household and relevant expenses or maintain a quality life suffering from lower-income and poor financial conditions. As a reason, the development of agriculture becomes essential in the country to provide the daily needs of these hard-working farmers, increase exports and trading activities, reduce unemployment issues, and offer raw materials for industries that can be achieved with agri-tourism. This type of tourism can also be applied to persuade and inspire the farmer communities to raise their produce in an eco-friendly way and for conserving the farms’ biodiversity (Dangol & Ranabhat, 2007). This also allows tourists to come in closer contact with the village, rural dwellers and get engaged with conventional agricultural productions. Tourists also avail the opportunity for knowing the diverse indigenous agricultural practices as crop harvesting, marking and conserving, organic vegetable production, fresh fruit picking and converting into marmalade, and others (Pandey & Pandey, 2011).

In Asia, Nepal is awarded with the agro-biodiversity and exaggerate with the tranquil geographical landscape and location. In Nepal, rice, wheat, and maize are the main crops. “Terai” is the storehouse of Nepal that has tourism potentials. In the high hills, buckwheat, barley, millet is a few of the major crops, and citrus, coffee, tea, cardamom, ginger, etc. are important cash crops. The practice of off-season and on season vegetable production in the entire country can attract agri-tourists. These agri-tourists come closer to the rural and natural activities to be entertained, participate, and feel pleasure for leisure activities.

As an agricultural country, Bangladesh also has immense prospects to develop agri-tourism. Agricultural production techniques differ from region to region. The hard-working Bangladeshi farmers tend to convert the fields into opera house theaters where they are used to sing “Asaregeet”, the local songs. These farmers can also exchange feelings, emotions, and experiences with the tourists. The mutual understanding and exchange of the farmers’ feelings can fascinate the agri-tourists quickly.

Agri-tourism Potentials in Bangladesh, as Supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

In many developing countries, including Bangladesh, several bottlenecks have blocked the progress of rural and agricultural development. Agri-tourism can become a valid and useful tool to address issues to ensure community participation and sustainable development. The industry should be given top priority. It has the potential to make a significant contribution to Bangladesh’s overall economic development. It is important to remember that this is a new and profitable industry. People involved in this industry, both directly and indirectly, need have access to a variety of logistics services. It will provide a new opportunity for the country to establish additional job possibilities. It will also assist in attracting more local and international tourists to these beautiful locations. It’s past time to get this firm up and running using cutting-edge technology. Agri-tourism’s potential for both rural development and agriculture can have few drawbacks.

Addressing the Issue of Underemployment

Bangladesh has a large number of jobless people. This industry can employ these massive individuals. It will not only serve to raise the level of living, but it will also aid in economic development. As a result, agri-tourism will open up new options for unemployed people to work in the business. They can also serve as tour guides and helpers, and agri-tourism can become a reliable source of revenue and subsistence.

Financial Facilities Arrangements

The financial crisis is quite a common issue for both agriculture and relevant rural industries. In general, industries in the rural areas mostly suffer from liquidity issues. One of the basic reasons for this issue is the uneven distribution of financial arrangements and cash flows between the urban and the rural areas. Financial benefits commonly favor the urban areas in most of the developing countries, including Bangladesh. Capital and cash flow injection by agri-tourism can support in solving liquidity issues to promote agriculture and other rural industries.

Communication System Facilities Development

Bangladesh’s communication system has improved, and products can now be easily transferred from one corner to another. People can take advantage of this chance to start an agri-tourism business. Furthermore, better transportation and transportation infrastructure reduce the average cost of producing agricultural products.

Infrastructural Facilities Development

Infrastructure facilities have greatly improved in recent years. It will make producing agro-products easier for them. To grow the agri-tourism industry in Bangladesh, more people need be employed in it. Furthermore, the expansion of infrastructure amenities has made agribusiness very straightforward and convenient.

Expansion of Training Facilities

Because of the training facilities, Bangladesh has a bright future in agri-tourism. In the field of agri-tourism, certain private groups offer various types of training opportunities. Furthermore, several colleges offer a variety of degrees in this field. As a result, suitable training from various public and private training institutions is required to do this company.

Constraints and Issues for Agri-tourism Promotion in Bangladesh

Any country’s economic progress can be accelerated by properly utilizing and managing agri-tourism. Many underdeveloped countries were able to rebuild their economies by focusing on agri-tourism. Because Bangladesh is a nation of natural beauty and fertility, agri-tourism is a growing sector. However, the primary impediment to successful utilization is the lack of a coherent strategy and low participation among farmers and other local residents. Bangladesh’s agri-tourism development is slowed by the lack of a geographic information system (GIS). The potential for agri-tourism development is further constrained by the local climate problem, which is particularly vulnerable to atmospheric and land-based degradation. Natural climate change has a huge impact on the country’s land, water, forest, health, and fish resources. Agri-tourism development may be hampered by a lack of or absence of public utilities (water, canal, and thermal energy) in rural areas, as well as local apathy. One of the key flaws is the infrastructure (energy concerns, low road equipment quality, and a poorly designed utility distribution network). The country’s agricultural industry has suffered a shortage of labor force due to job loss, natural disasters, local peoples’ migration, and so on. The skilled labor shortage is also the outcome of more attraction to the manufacturing and service industry than agriculture. This increasing workforce and labor shortage for agriculture lead to employment imbalance in the country. Bangladesh can hardly capitalize on the tourism potentials mainly suffering from the lack of local tourism brands and products, lack of skill, and expertise development training, lack of dedicated tourism enterprises and experts’ guidance and relevant issues. Climate change, saline intrusion, and frequent droughts are all problems in Bangladesh’s south and north. The overwhelming emphasis on urbanization, as well as water constraints in the dry season due to unresolved river-related issues with neighboring nations, have hampered the development of agri-tourism in Bangladesh.

Marketing Facilities that are Available for Agricultural Products

Agri-tourism marketing in Bangladesh is challenging to plan. A number of steps must be followed in order for products to be distributed from manufacturers to customers. In Bangladesh, a lack of suitable storage and warehousing is a key impediment to agri-tourism. Furthermore, manufacturers do not obtain fair pricing for their goods, and as a result, they are sometimes afraid to sell them. Raw material prices change as well, posing a significant challenge for the country’s agri-tourism development.

Middlemen’s Role

Middlemen are essential in getting items from manufacturers to customers, but they can also be used to manipulate the market. Manufacturers often claim that middlemen do not offer them with reasonable prices for their goods. For their own benefit, they aim to grab the market both directly and indirectly.

Land Scarcity

Bangladesh is a small country with a dense population and one of the world’s most densely populated countries. In rural areas, people are also losing their farms owing to floods and other factors. As a result, the average size of cultivable land is shrinking every day, posing a serious threat to Bangladesh’s agri-tourism industry. People are losing interest in this industry since the profits are so low, deterring the manufacturers from growing their property.

Education Facilities Development

The literacy rate in Bangladesh is rising every day, yet the new generation is exhibiting little interest in agri-tourism. The majority of educated people are relocating from rural to urban areas in search of better work opportunities.

Lack of Facilities for Credit

Another issue that has arisen in the development of agri-tourism is the availability of loans. Manufacturers are having difficulty obtaining financing from banks and other financial organizations.

Policy Implications for Investment and Development for Agri-tourism in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is an agricultural country with more than 70% of her population depending on agriculture. There are some agro-ecological zones in the country with suitability for sustainable farming. For sustainable farming, Bangladesh needs to formulate comprehensive strategies with the local people and the farmers’ involvement. For marketing agri-tourism products and services, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be important. GIS can help the authorities and management of the tourism industry sell agri-tourism products and tools of indigenous farming with ease and present suitable localities to incorporate diverse animals and plants. GIS explains geo-demographic features and can simply contain the cultural diversities and socio-economic situations of the rural farmers, poultry managers, fish collectors, and indigenous peoples. This can help for knowing the people having responsibilities to feed the people in Bangladesh. Agri-tourism’s success of agri-tourism entirely on proper planning and coordination and execution in a systematic and organized manner. Responsible agencies of the GoB, financial institutions need to play effective and useful roles to develop agri-tourism. The government tries for initiating a project for supporting the famers’ indigenous capacities for protecting land. In specific, the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) can help for promoting agri-tourism. The country makes an effort to encourage university and college students to use their imagination to incorporate organic farming into their studies. This incorporation can be an extra-curricular activity dedicated to the community’s well-being and service. For strategic promotion, the GoB can publish both creative and attractive advertisements in magazines and travel guides for spreading the word through both the local and overseas travel agents, tour operators, and travel writers.

The development and retention of entrepreneurial spirit within the “natives” can be influenced by agri-tourism. This tourism type can merely be developed under the risk assumption conditions by the relevant rural households. However, agri-tourism relies on the human health and “health” of the environment development. Within such development, agri-tourism can achieve the key objective and that is the rural environment’s sustainability. Proper and effective marketing can offer complete and relevant data and information. This can also increase respect for a destination’s social, natural, and cultural settings and enhance the customers’ satisfaction. Tourism marketing, including direct sales, advertising, and customer service, may benefit from the proper and successful use of technology and the Internet.

Advertisement is portrayed as a non-personal method of mass communication that can provide a product with a greater level of familiarity. Various tourist attractions can be advertised on television, radio, newspapers, and magazines, with persuasive messages to entice potential tourists. Some convincing and appealing advertising, such as “Beautiful Bangladesh/Beautiful Rural Bangladesh,” can be shown (The Daily Observer, 2019; the Daily Star, 2017). Through appropriate policy formulation and implementation, proper usage of the fundamental resources—land, water bodies, forests, and human resources—can boost overall production from land, water, and forest, resulting in sustainable development. Agri- tourism’s rural to urban migration reduction plan also helped to lower marginal poverty. More attention to rural infrastructure, security measures, safety and security, incentive, and continual training for rural farmers, youth, and women is required for sustainable agri-tourism. The private sector’s involvement also ensures agri-long-term tourism’s viability. In the context of Bangladesh, effective collaboration between the Internet of Things (IoT) and agri-robotics can help reap the benefits and minimize the negative effects of agri-tourism. This type of application of the most recent technologies needs to be spread across the whole country to promote agri-tourism. Few of the other latest technologies (i.e. Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, big data, etc.) can play a crucial role in promoting sustainable agri-tourism in Bangladesh.

The present GoB stress on food security, nutrition, and the overall development of agriculture as the priority area followed by the implementation of an investment plan to increase food production and secure nutrition supply. The concept of the Country Investment Plan (CIP) is viewed as a strategic tool of the GoB to increase and improve the investment in food security (i.e. agriculture, food access and safety nets, livestock, and fisheries and nutrition activities). This also offers a framework to initiate dialogue and collaboration between relevant partners and interest groups (i.e. the Government, private industries or firms, organization of the farmers, Civil Society Organizations or CSOs and donors) lead by the GoB. the First Country Investment Plan 2011–2015 is followed by the Bangladesh Second Country Investment Plan (CIP2) 2016–2020 (Bangladesh Planning Commission, 2018). CPI2’s overreaching goal is for achieving advanced food security and nutrition for everybody and always through turning the food systems as sustainable and nutrition-sensitive. To address climate change effects on agriculture and prioritize investments for improved productivity, mitigation, and resilience in the agricultural industry, the Climate-smart Agriculture investment plan (CSAIP) is jointly launched by the GoB and the World Bank (The Independent, 2019).

Conclusion

The importance of the agri-tourism business to Bangladesh’s economic development is enormous. This paper discusses the reasons for agri-tourism, its scale, and the industry’s potential to positively impact the country’s socioeconomic development. It has the potential to be a watershed moment in Bangladesh’s economic development if the right steps are implemented. It will also generate employment opportunities. It is important to remember that this country is rich in natural resources and has enormous potential for growth in this business. Furthermore, the GoB can earn a significant amount of foreign currency from this industry. The study also suggested certain policies that could be implemented to strengthen the industry. Future research studies could concentrate on the public and private sector investment that is needed to grow this business.