Agrotourism for Sustainable Rural Development: A Case Study of Garut Selatan
Keywords:
Sustainable agrotourism, rural economic development, Policy Networks, tourism diversificationAbstract
Background: Rural communities face economic challenges due to market volatility, climate change, and rural depopulation. Agrotourism has emerged as a strategy for economic diversification, offering rural areas opportunities for sustainable development. However, its implementation varies due to differences in policy support, infrastructure, and community engagement. This study explores the potential of sustainable agrotourism as a driver of rural economic development in Garut Selatan, Indonesia.
Methods: A qualitative case study approach was adopted, involving semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, focus group discussions (FGDs), and policy document analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify patterns, and data triangulation was applied to enhance validity and reliability.
Results: The study finds that Garut Selatan possesses strong agricultural and cultural assets that can support agrotourism, including tea plantations, organic farms, and traditional farming practices. Agrotourism has the potential to improve rural livelihoods, create employment, and support environmental sustainability. However, challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, financial constraints, and weak stakeholder coordination hinder its development.
Conclusions: Sustainable agrotourism can serve as a key driver of rural economic development if supported by comprehensive policies, improved infrastructure, and capacity-building initiatives. The adoption of the Pentahelix model, integrating academia, business, community, government, and media, is essential for sustainable growth.
Implications: These findings provide insights for policymakers, businesses, and local communities to develop agrotourism as a long-term economic strategy while preserving environmental and cultural heritage.
Limitations: The study relies on qualitative methods, which may limit generalizability. Future research should incorporate quantitative assessments to measure economic impact and tourist preferences for more comprehensive insights.
Downloads
References
Adhanisa, C., & Santoso, I. (2024). Agrotourism business development strategy "Eptilu" in Garut Regency. International Journal of Research and Review, 11(1), 228–235.
Arifin, B., Swastika, D. K. S., & Firdaus, M. (2021). Sustainable agricultural development in rural Indonesia: Challenges and policy implications. Journal of Agricultural and Rural Development, 38(2), 55-72.
Barbieri, C. (2013). Assessing the sustainability of agritourism in the US. Sustainability, 5(10), 4045–4066. https://doi.org/10.3390/su5104045
Barbieri, C., & Mshenga, P. M. (2008). The role of the firm and owner characteristics on the performance of agritourism farms. Sociologia Ruralis, 48(2), 166–183. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9523.2008.00450.x
Barbieri, C., & Streifeneder, T. (2019). Agritourism for economic diversification and resilience in rural areas. In The Routledge handbook of community development (pp. 201–215). Routledge.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Brundtland Commission. (1987). Our common future. Oxford University Press.
Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Byrd, E. T., Bosley, H. E., & Dronberger, M. G. (2009). Comparisons of stakeholder perceptions of tourism impacts in rural eastern North Carolina. Tourism Management, 30(5), 693–703. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2008.10.021
Choi, H. C., Sirakaya, E., & Cho, M. H. (2018). Agritourism and sustainability: A case study of rural development in Korea. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 26(2), 233–250.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Flanigan, S., Blackstock, K., & Hunter, C. (2014). Agritourism from the perspective of providers and visitors: A typology-based study. Tourism Management, 40, 394–405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2013.07.004
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2023). Agro-tourism development in Indonesia. https://www.fao.org/family-farming/detail/en/c/1677613/
Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Pitman.
Gannon, A. (1994). Rural tourism as a factor in rural community economic development for economies in transition. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 2(1–2), 51–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669589409510684
Hall, C. M., & Gössling, S. (2016). Sustainable tourism: A global perspective. Routledge.
Harvey, E. (2014). Agrotourism policy and development in the Caribbean. Strategic Plan for Regional Development, Caribbean Community Secretariat.
Hegarty, C., & Przezborska, L. (2005). Rural and agri-tourism as a tool for reorganizing rural areas. International Journal of Tourism Research, 7(2), 63–77. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.513
Höglund, L. (2018). The Pentahelix model in tourism development. Journal of Policy Research, 12(3), 275–290.
Kurniawan, T., & Khademi-Vidra, A. (2024). Sustainable agricultural land management in Garut Regency, Indonesia. Journal of Infrastructure Planning and Development, 8(13).
Kurniawan, T., & Khademi-Vidra, A. (2024). Transforming agricultural land into agrotourism area: Environmental, economic and socio-cultural perspectives. Journal of Infrastructure Planning and Development, 8(13). https://systems.enpress-publisher.com/index.php/jipd/article/view/9251
Lane, B. (2009). Rural tourism: An overview. In Encyclopedia of Tourism. Springer.
Lane, B., & Kastenholz, E. (2015). Rural tourism: The evolution of practice and research approaches – Towards a new generation concept? Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 23(8–9), 1133–1156.
Nickerson, N. P., Black, R. J., & McCool, S. F. (2019). Agritourism: Toward a conceptual framework for industry analysis. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 9(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2019.091.015
Okech, R., Haghiri, M., & George, B. P. (2015). Agritourism: Potential socio-economic impacts in Kisumu County. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 20(3), 78–88. https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jhss/papers/Vol20-issue3/Version-7/K020377888.pdf
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Philip, S., Hunter, C., & Blackstock, K. (2010). A typology for defining agritourism. Tourism Management, 31(6), 754–758. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2009.08.001
Sharpley, R., & Vass, A. (2006). Tourism, farming, and diversification: An attitudinal study. Tourism Management, 27(5), 1040–1052. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2005.10.025
Silverman, D. (2020). Qualitative research (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Sonnino, R. (2004). For a ‘piece of bread’? Interpreting sustainable development through agritourism in southern Tuscany. Sociologia Ruralis, 44(3), 285–300. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9523.2004.00277.x
Tew, C., & Barbieri, C. (2012). The perceived benefits of agritourism: The provider’s perspective. Tourism Management, 33(1), 215–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2011.02.005
UNWTO. (2018). Tourism and the sustainable development goals.
Wulandari, D., & Setiawan, B. (2023). Sustainable and self-sufficient farming practices in Garut. Journal of Agricultural Research, 12(4), 112–120.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Nyanjang Abdul Basit, Muhamad Yusup (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
By exercising the Licensed Rights (defined below), You accept and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Public License
