THE ROLE OF THE AGRITOURISM MANAGEMENT IN DEVELOPING THE ECONOMY OF RURAL REGIONS

Abstract

It has been documented that the key features which relate rural regions to tourism development are twofold: poverty and lack of economic opportunities. Despite of substantial contribution the tourism and agritourism industries have made to the economy of rural areas, farm-managers have been facing a series of challenges, such as the turmoil of global economy, increased worldwide competition in output markets, high production costs arisen from increasing inputs prices, and lack of transparent rules and regulations imposed by the governmental agencies. As a result, farm-operators have been searching for alternative farm-oriented activities that potentially generate additional income to their on-farm revenues so that they can stay in such a highly competitive business. This paper analyzes the role of the agritourism management in developing the economy of rural areas in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The recommendations made from the results of this study provide new visions for policymakers to understand better the industry, recognize the impediments, and make appropriate decisions at the local and provincial level.