A framework for sustainable agritourism development in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The lack of a framework for agritourism development is contributing to underutilization of agricultural attractions for tourism purposes especially in developing countries. This study therefore sought to develop a framework for sustainable agritourism in Zimbabwe. The development of the framework was guided by the critical success factor (CSF) framework, the stakeholder theory and the triple bottom line approach. To develop the framework, a multiple case study design was adopted. Two case studies, Manicaland and Mashonaland West, were chosen. In-depth interviews were conducted with 59 stakeholders who were purposively selected from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, tour operators and from farmers. The interviews were conducted from October 2021 to June 2022. Thematic content analysis and NVivo 12 were used for data analysis. The study proposed a framework that illuminates three critical stages for sustainable agritourism development in Zimbabwe which are planning, development and implementation. The main guiding principles that were identified were environmental scanning for enablers, multi-stakeholder engagement, identification of potential farms that meet the requirements for agritourism and identification of CSFs at farm level. The relationships amongst these guiding principles were established. Providing guidelines for the development of this tourism concept can encourage farmers, policymakers and all other relevant stakeholders to develop necessary planning, development and implementation strategies that may result in successful and sustainable agritourism development.