Farmers’ willingness to establish community-based agritourism: evidence from Phikuri village, Nepal

ABSTRACT Despite an increase in farmers’ income due to community-based agritourism (CBAT), their willingness to undertake CBAT has never been investigated. Therefore, this study aims to investigate farmers’ willingness as software to establish CBAT where agritourism does not exist. Sixty-four farmers in rural Nepal were interviewed, and the data from their responses were analysed through an ordered logit regression model. The factors affecting willingness were first defined and structured into three categories – social, agricultural, and tourism-related issues – which were further explained by six variables. The empirical results of the investigation show that investment capacity and farmers’ knowledge of tourism had the largest marginal effects on willingness; all other factors had significantly positive effects too. To assist CBAT development, policymakers should first provide the support measures focusing on investment issues and capacity building.