Perspectives of a Future Approach to Agrotourism in Thailand

Abstract

This research presents the historical evolution of agrotourism until now, arising from a conceptual framework of national sustainable development as an approach to which it responds. This is because agrotourism focuses on learning agricultural methods directly from farmers through lifestyle, culture, tradition and benefiting from available resources. As a result, Thailand responded to the developmental idea and began to increasingly value agrotourism, leading to governmental policy planning to promote it by establishing infrastructure foundations for tourist attractions and aiming to develop creative agrotourism activities. However, most agricultural tourism policies and plans lack clarity and precision, merely promoting agriculture and agricultural products in general. To resolve this issue, future approaches to agrotourism in Thailand are proposed, featuring: 1) community participation; 2) creating quality employment opportunities; 3) inventing digital marketing; and 4) developing infrastructure accessible to all (Universal Design). In this way, agritourism in Thailand may appealingly be reflected through crop cultivation, animal husbandry, and agriculture, all critical resources for developing agrotourism according to current tourism trends. Agrotourism will continue to permit tourists to experience sites and exchange knowledge in new and diverting ways.