Agriculture and tourism: economic evaluation of sustainable land management

Abstract

The ways in which the agricultural landscape has been used and managed by man has resulted in substantial changes over time in relation to the economic changes and social needs of local communities. In recent times, thanks to the multifunctional vision of agriculture, growing interest has focused on the recreational aspects of the landscape as a function of its usability. This interest derives both from its importance, highlighted by numerous studies on this aspect, and from its link with rural tourism. The latter phenomenon is growing rapidly and is capable of triggering important processes of development and local growth. In this context, the present study highlights some preliminary considerations on the relationships that, from the point of view of sustainable local development, exist between possible types of tourism and methods of landscape management. To this end, first explore some features of the agricultural landscape and their possible economic evaluations. The study shows that an agricultural landscape in which man is present with agricultural activity, and where the service sector offers adequate opportunities for receptivity, it is possible to create growth and development paths for the local economy. The empirical analysis carried out in the Madonie shows that the resilience of the agricultural landscape is strictly connected to the presence of man in the territory.