Global economic restructuring has created a climate in which many local economies have to adjust in order to maintain or enhance their socioeconomic viability. As Butler et al. (1998) note economic and social forces operating at the global level are determining both the nature and form of rural landscapes and how we value and use it. India is also in the process of such restructuring and planning for socioeconomic development in all fronts. Today, the Indian agriculture is facing tremendous competition because of driven global trends. To add to this, the agriculture crop growth is also weakened due to uncertain climatic conditions. Moreover, there is no minimum support price guarantee. These changes have altered the form and practices of farming operation. Farmers are looking beyond traditional farming to generate income via various forms of direct on farm marketing and farm-based non-agriculture business (Gopal et al., 2008). Many Indian farmers are currently involved in or are considering the use of agri-tourism as a means of diversifying their farm operations. How they will accomplish this is the challenge. The full growth potential for agri-tourism can only be achieved if strategies to address their challenges are developed and implemented. This study aims to explore the concept of agri-tourism. The key issues involved in the development of agri-tourism have been discussed through a case-study of an agri-tourism destination.
Farmer, Village, Agriculture, Rural development, Agri-tourism
