Farmers' Intention to Establish an Agritourism Farm: The Case of Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines

Abstract

Agritourism presents a significant opportunity for rural economic diversification and sustainable agricultural development, yet Filipino farmers face considerable challenges, such as limited entrepreneurial skills, scarce training opportunities, and insufficient government infrastructure and policy support. This study applies the Theory of Planned Behavior to examine the intentions of individual farmers and farmer groups in Baybay City, Leyte, toward establishing agritourism farms. Using partial least-squares-structural equation modeling on data from 351 individual farmers and 66 farmer groups, the study evaluates how attitude, support, and perceived barriers affect intentions. Results indicate that barriers significantly deter agritourism adoption, as human resource and organizational constraints compromise venture establishment. Moreover, farmer type moderated the attitude-intention link; groups were more prepared due to shared resources and robust community ties. Findings underscore the critical role of entrepreneurial skills, institutional support, social networks, and collective action, urging policy-makers and stakeholders to reframe institutional strategies for agritourism growth.