The Determinants of farmers’ involvement in farm tourism: Insights from Lam Dong Province, Viet Nam : A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University
Farm tourism has proven beneficial to agriculture, tourism and the community. However, research in farm tourism has been limited compared with that in general tourism research. Farm tourism is well-developed and has been mainly quantitively studied in European and North American countries. The development of and research on farm tourism in Asian countries is delayed but is getting more attention. This study examines the determinants of farmers’ involvement in farm tourism in Lam Dong province, Viet Nam, a middle income country in South East Asia. The study uses in-depth interviews to gain insights from 52 farmers’ narratives. Thematic analysis is used to analyse the data. The findings suggest that 13 influencing factors impact farmers’ involvement in farm tourism. They are farm location, farming method, family support, farm landscape, farm ownership, crop attractiveness, crop availability, crop value, farmer’s age, education, off-farm experience, social networks and financial ability. Most importantly, a farmer's self-identity plays a significant role in shaping a farmer’s involvement in farm tourism, bringing valuable complements to the explanation of the influencing factors. This study contributes to a better understanding of farm tourism and provides insights for policymakers promoting farm tourism development. The limitations of the study are noted.
farm tourism, influencing factors, farmer’s self-identity, Viet Nam, Lam Dong Province Vietnam, Vietnam, rural tourism, farmer identity, tourism research, ANZSRC::350803 Tourism management
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