Recently, I got an opportunity to attend a three-day certificate training program on agritourism at the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management, Noida. It was a wonderful experience to learn about the relevance and scope of agriculture tourism in India.
Agritourism is a novel concept in the Indian tourism sector, which provides vast opportunities for tourists to experience the authentic ethnic culture of rural societies and actively engage in agricultural activities. Agriculture and its allied activities, which can be harnessed to promote agritourism may include organic farming, floriculture, sericulture, pisciculture, apiculture, medicinal plantation, pottery, so on and so forth.
It provides a fresh perspective to the visitors towards mother nature and offers them with both pleasure and leisure. Visitors can get the unique opportunity to meet farmers and learn the process of food production. Moreover, agritourism provides visitors a closer look at the rural life and a taste of local delicious food. Farm stays, agricultural farms, animal rides, cattle milking, rural art and craft, village fairs and festivals have immense potential to make the agritourism the best choice amongst the tourists for spending time in the peaceful and natural surroundings close with pristine nature.
A field visit near Khatauli village in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh was also organised, which proved to be quite insightful as well as beneficial. We had an interaction with a well-educated farmer, Nirmal Prakash, who complains that the present generation of India does not want to join agriculture despite getting a good education and instead opt for other professions. This scenario shows the general lack of interest of the present educated generation towards the agriculture sector. The main reason for such apathy towards the agricultural sector seems to be due to a lack of social recognition and respect in the society and lack of financial incentivisation as well.
It leads to the larger issue of dismal agricultural conditions in India, which has compelled farmers to commit suicides. The NCRB report has found that more than 15,000 farmers have been committing suicide every year since 2001 in India. In such context, agritourism can bring a light of hope and serve as a platform for the farmers to increase their source of income which would finally benefit agriculture as well as tourism sectors of India and thereby contribute to the sustainable growth of the country.
Countries like Australia, Canada, Philippines, Latvia, Italy, Turkey, Switzerland, the US and the UK are harnessing agritourism successfully. In India, Pandurang Taware is considered as the father of thee agritourism concept. He is the founder of Agri Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC), the winner of the Global Responsible Tourism Award in 2011 for the ‘Best contribution to conserving cultural heritage’.
There are many villages in India which are taking positive steps in the field of agritourism. For example, Morachi Chincholi village in the Pune district of Maharashtra has emerged as one of the most successful agritourism destinations in India. Several activities which are being provided to the tourists include bullock-cart ride, hurda parties, rural and outdoor games, bird watching (national bird- Peacock), nursery, camping and tent facilities and organic farming. Such initiatives can help in sustaining and flourishing the agriculture, and the financial incentives attached to it would prove to be of great help to the farmers.
Some of the benefits of agritourism in the country may include:
- Diversification of the economy of rural areas of the country.
- Creation of jobs to increase the income of rural communities of the country.
- Preservation and Promotion of traditional knowledge and wisdom of India.
- Increasing of harmony amongst the rural and urban communities.
- Revitalisation of the body and the mind of tourists.
The time has come for Indian policymakers to realise that agritourism can be harnessed to transform the rural economy of the country. It can solve the issues of rural unemployment, consistent neglect of the agriculture sector and urban migration. Policymakers need to bring positive legislation in this regard to make a better India which not only acknowledges its traditional knowledge but also appreciates it by bringing practical measures to achieve tangible outcomes.