Viewing Agrotourism in a Rural Development Context

The world of the 21st century differs greatly from that of the previous one. Beyond environmental and geopolitical shifts observable from a global perspective, rural areas—particularly in countries of the so-called Global North—have undergone profound transformations in terms of their characteristics, functions, and challenges. One of the most important changes has been the substantial decline in agricultural productivity and functionality in these regions. The trend stems from a range of complex and interrelated causes, including political, institutional, and competitiveness factors within an increasingly interconnected global market. The consequences have been devastating in certain areas and production contexts, leading to a drop in the number of agricultural companies, reduced employment in the sector, and a loss of agrobiodiversity. To try to reverse this situation—or at least adapt to it—one of the strategies for maintaining family farms has been based the diversification of activities. It is in this context that modern agrotourism has emerged since the end of the last century, which is the central theme of this Special Issue of the journal Agriculture.

Leisure and tourism have become an almost structural phenomenon of post-industrial, contemporary societies. Tourists are increasingly experienced consumers of their free time, placing high value on cultural and environmental experiences. In this context, rural areas serve both as a place and a platform for fulfilling these tourists’ evolving needs. There is a growing desire to connect with rural areas and the countryside—some seek to rediscover their roots, while others hope to disconnect from the pace of urban life.

Agrotourism is closely linked to the enhancement of agricultural heritage—its identity, culture, and landscape—and offers a meaningful response to the resilience and sustainability goals outlined in the 2030 agenda. At the same time, farm tourism has emerged as a strategic opportunity for the development of rural spaces, extending beyond the geographical limits of the Global North. Respect for and interest in culture, tradition, and authenticity are integral to the travel experience of today’s tourists. Etymologically, the term ‘agrotourism’ refers to any relationship that can be established between tourism and the agricultural environment, encompassing a broad range of tourism initiatives. To better define and contextualise the concept of agrotourism, one of the commonly discussed topics pertains to its identification and classification into different typologies [1,2,3]. Similarly, agrotourism has been examined through social, economic, and environmental lenses, particularly in terms of the relationship between agricultural and tourist activities. Some studies have already shown that, on farms in central and northern Europe, agrotourism has evolved from being a complementary activity to agriculture into the main activity [4]. Other studies have obseved a progressive differentiation and separation between agriculture and tourism as agrotourism projects become more professionalized and specialized [5]. Economically, revenues from agrotourism help boost local economies through sales taxes, local employment, and business support [6]. From a social and gender perspective, it encourages farmers to form networks, exchange experiences, increase female participation, and ultimately strengthening community cohesion [7].

The degree and level of development of agrotourism, as noted by French geographer Roger Béteille in 1996 [8], are influenced by the following three main variables: (1) the agricultural exploitation systems—including rural property structure, characteristics, production size, and profile of the owners; (2) the intensity of overall tourist demand in the region; and (3) the size and proximity of the urban population in terms of potential or captive demand. In most countries of the Global North, agrotourism has become an established segment of the tourism sector. For example, in Europe, territorial and socioeconomic conditions have supported the development of agrotourism. The key drivers are as follows: (a) the proximity of potential demand; (b) the close relationship between rural and urban spaces; and (c) the recreational preferences among European citizens, who value rural environments and nature.

The Special Issue “Leveraging Agrotourism for Rural Development” was designed to explore the diverse impacts of agrotourism, including its influences on farm incomes; innovative approaches to business; territorial significance and brand image; environmental challenges and uncertainties; and concrete case studies. This Special Issue features seven contributions that approach the subject from different perspectives. These include environmental considerations amidst global change; conceptual and state-of-the-art analyses on agrotourism; indicator- and model-based evaluation of the relationships between different sectors’ economic activities; and an examination of the connections between agrotourism and landscape.

The first contribution addresses rural tourism in line with the development of green agriculture in China’s Jiangxi Province. The authors highlight the upward trend in synergies, despite the existence of large intraregional disparities. They emphasize the existence of areas that, due to technological backwardness, are unable to fully capitalise on their resources. In their study, they propose strategies to mitigate regional disparities and enhance the coexistence and integration of agricultural activities and tourism.

Another contribution—based on a review of existing academic information, documents from public administrations, and available sources related to climate products and services relevant to rural tourism, propose a state-of-the-art overview for Romania. The results show that, in the short term, Romanian rural tourism can benefit from changes in climatic potential. However, the study warns of indirect impacts that will generate challenges, such as greater energy stress, reduced availability of water resources, or imbalances in agriculture and food production. The authors also highlight negative impacts on natural and cultural landscapes. Accordingly, they urge political agents to implement practical mitigation and adaptation solutions to climate change tailored to rural tourism.

Reevaluating the concept of agrotourism can help us to better interpret its position within the rural fabric, strengthen its territorial and productive bases, and identify any possible weaknesses that require attention and correction. In line with this, the third contribution provides—based on a bibliometric analysis using the Web of Science database—a cutting-edge overview of the topic, which lends its name to this Special Issue. The results are grouped into five different categories that are related to economics, politics, psychology and behaviour, environmental sustainability, and landscape. Based on the results, the authors also highlight current research gaps in this field, including the underrepresentation of certain geographical regions (Africa, Asia, and Latin America), as well as topics such as digital innovation, climate change mitigation, and governance policies.

The fourth contribution questions whether the term ‘regenerative’ should be linked to agrotourism within the latest theoretical frameworks used in association with sustainable development. Based on the analysed data, the authors found no significant differences between this new denomination and the previous ones, referring to agrotourism that is carried out on traditional agricultural farms. They therefore conclude that, in the context of regenerativity generally amounts to a return to the basic principles of sustainable development, without introducing innovative solutions or perspectives.

Dimensioning the phenomenon from an economic perspective is necessary to be able to establish the potential contributions of agrotourism to different local economies. In this Special Issue, one contribution proposes a study that aims to be useful from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The paper demonstrates how the SILM-AHT approach can be used to plan and evaluate intersectoral relationships among the agricultural, tourism, and hospitality sectors in small regions of countries similar to Serbia—the location of the Vojvodina region where this study was conducted.

Another contribution uses a hedonic analysis of rural accommodation prices in Romania to identify factors influencing theses prices through the OLS and GWR approaches. The findings show that specific facilities have the greatest influence on pricing, consistent with results from other study regions using the same methodological approach.

The synergies that can be established between effective agrotourism planning and the maintenance of a region’s own cultural structures should be considered in the design of new projects. The final paper featured in this Special Issue explores the Romanian context through an architectural project, addressing the following two questions: What are the benefits of implementing sustainable and culturally integrated architectural designs? And what are the perceptions of residents and tourists regarding these sustainable agrotourism homes? The authors’ findings highlight that, in rural Romania, such projects can have positive impacts from economic, social, and landscape perspectives.

This editorial summarizes the most significant scientific contributions presented in the seven articles featured in this collection, entitled “Leveraging Agrotourism for Sustainable Development”. The articles examine the concept of agrotourism, its relationship with the environment, its economic dimensions, and its role in cultural tourism. This Special Issue presents a variety of concepts, ideas, analytical methodologies, and case studies that offer deeper insights into the phenomenon of agrotourism.