Interpreting sustainable agritourism through co-evolution of social organizations

Abstract

How farms can create and maintain sustainable agritourism is yet to be fully addressed. Given its link with sustainable development, research on agritourism sustainability, while highlighting the positive consequences, has neglected the theoretical perspectives. We thus find a lacuna in holistically understanding its driving processes and, consequently, its conceptualization. In response, this article draws extensively on the ecological economics co-evolutionary framework to explain the intertwined dynamics underlying sustainable agritourism and its determinants. Coevolution conceives the organizations-environments relationship as circular, with mutual influence, and dialectical. We analyze the dynamics of the farm-rural destination relationship through a longitudinal analysis of 20 Italian agritourism farms. We find that sustainable agritourism emerges within rural destinations through diffused multilevel interactions and feedbacks resulting in organizational practices that enhance the farm and region's identities, and thus competitiveness. We offer an interpretative framework that conceptualizes sustainable agritourism through effective multilevel co-evolutionary adaptations and identify four determinants: strategic intentionality, rural lifestyle experience, systemic approach, and social responsibility. This approach may help farmers and policymakers develop destinations through sustainable agritourism. Implications for future research and practice in the sustainable tourism field emerge.

How can biases affect entrepreneurial decision making? toward a behavioral approach to unicorns

“…Hence, the evolutionary perspective can offer a way to balance to what degree change in an industry and within a firm comes from individual agency and culture (Schlaile et al, 2021), and to what degree actors' decisions and dispositions are determined and selected by the industry or market (McCarthy et al, 2010;Stoelhorst, 2008). In other words, the evolutionary logic is neither completely deterministic nor just voluntaristic, but embraces an inter-directional duality (e.g., Cafferata, 2016;Paniccia & Baiocco, 2021). In this regard, for example, Dobson and Breslin (2013) map social network structures of entrepreneurship and creativity.…”

Opportunities for Ecosystem Services in the Protected Areas in the Coastal–Rural Area of the Nemunas Delta and the Curonian Lagoon (Lithuania)

“…During the last decades agritourism has expanded tremendously worldwide, given visitors' increased interest to appreciate the life in the countryside and farmers' need to enhance their revenues from different economic activities; as Santeramo and Barbieri [43] notice, despite such enlarged agritourism development, scant information is available on the state of its demand at both national and international levels. Paniccia and Baiocco [55] offer an interpretative framework that conceptualizes sustainable agritourism through effective multilevel co-evolutionary adaptations and identify four determinants: strategic intentionality, rural lifestyle experience, systemic approach, and social responsibility. This approach, as Paniccia and Baiocco [55] point out, may help farmers and policymakers develop destinations through sustainable agritourism.…”

“…Paniccia and Baiocco [55] offer an interpretative framework that conceptualizes sustainable agritourism through effective multilevel co-evolutionary adaptations and identify four determinants: strategic intentionality, rural lifestyle experience, systemic approach, and social responsibility. This approach, as Paniccia and Baiocco [55] point out, may help farmers and policymakers develop destinations through sustainable agritourism. Agritourism, as Montefrio and Sin [56] note, just as any other tourism enterprise, is therefore susceptible to the kinds of politics associated with complicated networks of state-and non-state actors.…”

Capturing Entrepreneurial Opportunities in the Romanian Equine Sector: an Fs-Qca Approach

“…QCA is used when the researchers introduce conditions that are sufficient (but not necessary) to determine an outcome status. Using measures of consistency I set up an agritourism complex, and then, later, identified a business opportunity in the equine field Notzke (2019) Equine tourism is a growing sector and has great potential for the Romanian economy Paniccia and Baiocco (2020) AS -sport activities I have participated in equine competitions and consider that an entrepreneurial career oriented towards organising such competitions is attractive for me Berggren (2018) I believe that establishing an equine business involving competition will attract investors in a short time Gilbert and Gillett (2011) The organisation of an international equine competition will support the development of local entrepreneurship Wicker et al (2012) ATER-therapeutic activities Significant demand exists for hippotherapy services in Romania and I am thinking of establishing a business in this field Korpa et al (2013) I anticipate the emergence of business ideas and financing programmes for services dedicated to people with disabilities, such as hippotherapy…”

“…Empirical evidence shows that equine entrepreneurs are aware of the importance of creating and managing agritourism ventures in ways that enable social cohesion, equitable resources distribution, and a respect for environmental limits (Paniccia & Baiocco, 2020).…”