This new concept is now picking up. During a recent training at IIM, Lucknow, one of the trainers talked about it and I got interested. I find some details on internet as well. But the questions remain...
-Is it only of academic interest or can it work..?
-Do you feel it is feasible in India ?
-If yes, has it a future in India ?
I would like to know more and more about it.
Niraj
2 comments:
Agri-tourism is definitely a novel concept, but a closer look reveals the challenges. Tourism is a services business, and today's demanding tourists, or customers, need comfort as well as exposure to reality. If you look at people at the grassroot, they have neither experienced luxury/comfort as defined by urban consumers, nor they can maintain such service levels even if they tried to. I have been part of a project that tried to promote eco-tourism in rural Orissa, and I know for sure, the project is doomed. The villagers don't ask for such complex livelihood sources and even the support agencies cannot imagine what a customer may expect from such a project. There's therefore need for a bottom-up approach, where the community is offered various options, and if they themselves opt for agri-tourism, then I think the project can be successful.
Next is the need for educating the tourist and creating a compelling USP. Why would someone come to watch a plant grow up in a remote village? What's there in it for him? The USP has to be defined clearly.
Lastly, marketing is something which is the poorest of the components of such projects. If they can be properly marketed, then nothing like that. And from my experience I think it requires clever marketing, not the usual sorts, because the target customer here would be very special, not the regular kinds... they don't seek thrill, luxury, comfort... rather they are looking for experience, culture, rendezvous with nature, learning, breakaway, purity etc.. So customer-selection is critical for such projects.
Great Anuj !
I agree with you on most of the issues. However, we need to work on those issues so that such concepts (if it is really good for people at grass root level, e.g., farmers and rural aboriginals). I shall continue to explore those issue...I intend to keep discussion alive.
Best Wishes,
Niraj
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