The course introduces students to the economics of tourism activities managed within farms, providing concepts and principles to assess their contribution to rural sustainability.
The lectures will provide essential knowledge on rural development, farm economics and management, supply and demand for agritoursim services. Guidelines for the formulation of a marketing plan for a hypothehtical agritourism project will complete the course.
A set of papers on rural development, agritourism economics and management will be provided to students. The following titles can be considered as essential readings:
Castle E.N. 1998. A conceptual framework for the study of rural places. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 80(3):621-631.
Garrod B., Wornell R., Youell R. 2006. Re-conceptualizing rural resources as countryside capital: the case of rural tourism. Journal of Rural Studies, 22:117-128.
Van Huylenbroek G., Vandermeulen V., Mettepenningen E., Verspecht A. 2007. Multifunctionality of agriculture: a review of definitions, evidence, instruments. Living Reviews in Landscape Research, 1: 3-43.
Fagioli Fiume F., Diotallevi F. Ciani A. 2014. Strengthening the sustainability of rural areas: the role of rural tourism and agritourism. Rivista di Economia Agraria, 69(2-3): 155-169.
Phillip S., Hunter C., Blackstock K. 2010. A typology for defining agri-tourism. Tourism Management, 31: 754-758.
Flanigan S., Blackstyock K., Hunter C. 2015. Generating public and private benefits through understanding what drives different types of agritourism. Journal of Rural Studies, 41: 129-141.
Streifeneder T. 2016. Agriculture first: assessing European policies and scientific typologies to define authentic agritourism and differentiate it from countryside tourism. Toursim Management Perspectives, 20: 251-264.
Barbieri C. 2013. Assessing sustainability of agri-tourism in the US: a comparison between agritourism and other farm entrepreneurial ventures. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 21(2): 252-270Virginia Cooperative Extension 2009. Agri-tourism. http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/310/310-003/310-003.html
Practical activities will be supported by Farminc, an on-line training tool available at URL http://www.unimc.it/farminc
Obiettivi Formativi
Students will be provided of the basic knowledge on the characteristics the agri-tourism activities. The course will introduce them to economic, environmental and social assessment of agri-tourism in the context of rural development. At the end of the course students will be able to outline a marketing plan for the development of a tourism activities within a farm.
Prerequisiti
Basic knowledge on agricultural and food economics and policy. Attendance and acquisition of credits of the course on "Agri-food economics" are strongly recommended.
Metodi Didattici
Frontal lectures (25), classroom activities (10), visits to agritourism farms (whn possible: 4) seminars with agritourism entrepreneurs (4).
Total hours of the course (including private study and examination): 120 (= 6x20) hours.
Altre Informazioni
The attendance to classroom and seminar activities is strongly recommended. For studens attending the course the particiption to classroom activities will be the basis for final evaluation.
Modalità di verifica apprendimento
For students attending lectures: classroom presentation on a agritorism case study (15 min; 30%); classroom presentation on the outline of a marketing plan for a hypothetical agri-tourism activity (20min; 70%).
Non-attending students will be asked to prepare a written draft marketing plan on a agri-tourism case study and to discuss it during a final interview (30 min).
Programma del corso
Rural sustainability. Rural tourism. Basics on farm economics. Multifunctional farming. Agritourism: concept and definitions. Tourism and the farming activity. Viability and sustainability of agri-tourism. The agri-tourist. Planning a agritourist activity: basics and outline of a marketing plan.