The Development of Agro-Tourism Networking in Nongsuea District, Pathum Thani Province

Abstract

Due to the COVID-19 situation, agro-tourism has become a popular form of tourism as it allows people to avoid crowded areas and provide opportunities for environmental learning. In Pathum Thani Province, it is popular because of its convenient accessibility from Bangkok, especially in Nongsuea District, which has the highest agricultural land area. A preliminary study revealed that there are numerous agricultural sites with potential for agro-tourism development. The objective of this article is to study the potential of agricultural sites in Nongsuea District to be developed as agro-tourism destinations, analyze the behaviors of tourists, and establish a network of agricultural tourism routes. The research methodology includes:  1) conducting a survey of all 171 agricultural sites in the district; 2) screening based on the 5A’s tourism factors; 3) assessing the potential of agricultural sites using evaluation guidelines from the Tourism Development Office and interviews;  4) surveying tourist behaviors related to agro-tourism among a sample of 400 tourists to select suitable tourist destinations; and 5) establishing agro-tourism networking. The study findings indicate that, there are three agricultural sites with high potential for agro-tourism: Ton Nam Farm, Suksatit Farm, Mahalai Chao Na. Additionally, existing recommended tourist destinations by the Provincial Tourism Office include Kenny Dragon Fruit Farm, Fungkhajorn Organic Farm, Teppratahnporn Farm, and Suanrao Organic Farm. The survey on tourist behaviors revealed that the most popular activity of tourists is vegetable gardening (43%), followed by flower and decorative plant cultivation, and fruit tree planting. The most favored activity format is site visitation (48%), followed by consuming locally produced food and processing agricultural products. For establishing the tourism network, 4 program durations were identified: one-day trip and two-day trip.