Agritourism in

opposition to
agriculture?
Two Greek case
studies
By A. Koutsouris, I. Gidarakou, M. Kokkali, M. Dimopoulou

Design of Sustainable Tourism Systems

Economics and Management of Agritourism
Chiara Paganini
Concetta Giada Calitri
Panagiota Tsitsou
2019/2020
 CONTENT

1. Introduction
2. Theoretical background
3. Legal Framework
4. Aims
5. Methodology
6. First case: Dorida
7. Second case: Neohori
8. Comparison Results
9. Conclusions
 More than 16.000 km of coastline, more than 6.000 islands
and islets, and a well-established tourism
INTRODUCTION

Tourism in Greece Mountainous areas in Greece account for 77.9% of the

total country area (NORDREGIO, 2004)

Tourism accounts for 11.7% of Greece’s GDP with 21.6 bn

euros in revenues in 2018 (INSETE)

The sector direclty employeed 381.000 people in 2018

(10% of total employment in the country)

In 2018, inbound tourism to Greece was at an all-time high,

with a record of 33.1% million international tourist arrivals
Tourists from other EU countries accounted for 2/3 of total
visits
INTRODUCTION

Tourism in Greece

Domestic tourism
• Domestic tourists made 5.7 million
trips in 2018
Inbound tourism
• 33.1 million international • Only 4.7% - business purposes, vast
tourist arrivals in 2018 majority - leisure-orientated

• About ⅔ of tourists were from • Majority of domestic visitors stayed

other EU countries with friends or relatives or in
other non-rented
accommodation, only 34.2% of
visits using paid accommodation
 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Agritourism business development in Greece was late

1981  access of Greece in the European Union

Agricultural policy criteria Agricultural policy criteria

until late 90’s: from 2000:
From 2000 criteria changed
with 3° and 4° Rural
• be a farmer • Both permanent
Development Programmes
• permanent inhabitant residents and not
of a specific region had the right to
receive financial
aids from the EU
 LEGAL FRAMEWORK
Law 4276/2014:
•In 2014, the concepts of Rural Tourism and
Agritourism defined for the first time in Greece
•Law implementation to show whether Agritourism
would be developed in Greece as a distinguishable
alternative form of tourism
Law 4582/2018:
•In 2018, New Framework based on a joint decision by the
Tourism Ministry and the Rural Development and Food
Ministry
•The decision introduces the requirements for the Special
Agritourism Seal (ESA in Greek) which is mandatory
•Agritourism businesses in Greece belong to a sub-category of
tourist enterprises and will operate with a ministry-approved
special seal
•Interested parties have to sign up in the Greek farmers’
registry and be able to offer accommodation of up to 40 beds
on or off farm or agricultural locations
 THE AIMS
To explore issues that have been marginally dealt
with so far, such as:

1. The characteristics of Agritourism entrepreneurs and their households

2.
3. Their origin and residence in relation to the area where the
Agritourism business are established
4.
5.
6. The relationship between gender and entrepreneurship
7. ...and of course to let the
8.
reader decide on whether
9. The degree to which farmers take advantage of the opportunities and
Agritourism is (or should
get involved in Agritourism
10. be in opposition to
11. agriculture
12. To compare the incomes earned from Agritourism and Farming
13.
14.
15. To estimate the succession prospects of both activities
16. (Agritourism and Agriculture)
 RESEARCH AND METHODOLOGY

AREAS: INTERVIEWEES:
• Dorida municipality: a • Dorida case: 41/47
not-well known accommodation
destination units’ entrepreneurs
•
• Neohori village (Lake • Neohori case: 18/66
Plastiras): a tourism-related-
nowadays well- activities
established tourism entrepreneurs
destination METHOD:
• Face-to-face interviews
with agritourism
entrepreneurs
(accommodation &
catering businesses)
•
• Based on structured
questionnaires with both
closed and open-ended
questions
FIRST CASE:
DORIDA
 DORIDA
MUNICIPALITY
• 55 villages, 80% are mountainous

• Very small farms → 1.7 ha

• ⅔ are involved in olive tree plantations

• ⅓ mixed farms
• Picturesque mountainous villages with
traditional architecture

• Opportunity for trekking

• Religious sites and folklore museums

• 77 cultural clubs → wide range of cultural
activities

• Rather unknown tourism destination

 DORIDA DATA

ENTREPRENEURS’
IDENTITY

ORIGIN & RESIDENCE OF

HEADS:
• The majority of the
AGE: EDUCATION:
owners originate from
Relatively young, • Quite high
the study area
60% up to 55 educational level,
(85.4%).
years old • 56% of them live 54% has a high
school degree
permanently in the
area
• Rest (high number)
permanently outside
or commute
DORIDA DATA

MAIN AND SECONDARY

OCCUPATIONS:

• 20% are primarily occupied in farming

• 44% have accommodation business (for

49% of them tourism is the main
occupation)

• 32% are not primarily occupied neither in

farming nor in tourism

• Women owners are 22% of the total

DORIDA DATA
TOURISM AND FARMING INCOMES:
•
• Only 25% of the owners took advantage
of the financial support to
establish/renovate accommodation
units

• Income from agriculture or

accommodation business is less than
€ 15, 000 per year
•
• Half of the accommodation business earn
less than € 10, 000 per year (almost
poverty threshold)
•
• Neither agriculture nor accommodation
can, each by itself, provide a
satisfactory income
DORIDA DATA
OWNERS’ CHILDREN
CHARASTERISTICS
& SUCCESSION PROSPECTS:

• 73% is not satisfied by either their

businesses’ revenue or the employment
opportunities

• 15% is satisfied – 75% of them claims that

tourism activities are new and pleasant
to them

• 83% claims that under current

circumstances, there are not attractive
employment incentives for young people
to stay and give their contribution
SECOND CASE:
NEOHORI
 NEOHORI VILLAGE
•
• Less favoured area (LFA)
•
• 1 of the 14 villages around lake Plastiras (artificial
lake)
•
• Natural beauty, religious monuments, other
attractions (cultural festivities etc.)
•
• Rural development since 1987 (hotels construction,
marketing, private investments)
•
• High involvement in tourism since the late 1990s
•
• A nowadays well-established tourism destination
•
• Agriculture: decline since 1961
•
• Small sized (1.3 ha), fragmented farms
•
• 50% land: fallow land, grassland
•
• Livestock still “traditional”
 NEOHORI DATA

ENTREPRENEURS’
IDENTITY

ORIGIN AND RESIDENCE OF

HEADS:
• 50% always worked and lived in
AGE: the village EDUCATION:
majority of heads •
rather low: about
• 33% from the village, had worked
(men) aged: 50% away but returned due to 40% (men & women)
over 64, women: tourism opportunities had at best primary
about 58% over 55 • schooling
• 16.7% newcomers, established
tourism- related businesses in
the area (local economy
differentiation and
multifunctionality)
NEOHORI DATA
MAIN AND SECONDARY OCCUPATIONS

HEADS/MEN:
• The majority gave up agriculture as
their primary job for tourism related
businesses

• Farming most dominant secondary

occupation

SPOUSES/WOMEN:
• 4/10 housewives, 4/10 worked in
tourism related businesses

• Agriculture only as secondary job

NEOHORI DATA

TOURISM AND FARMING INCOMES:

• Farming income extremely low (87%:

<5.000e/year)

• Incomes partially or fully based on

tourism

• Yet, tourism incomes also restricted

(only 5%: >20.000e/year)

• Yet, 90% of interviewees satisfied with

tourism development & profitability
NEOHORI DATA
OWNERS’ CHILDREN CHARASTERISTICS AND
SUCCESSION PROSPECTS
•
• Better education than parents (only 2/27 with only
primary education)

• Majority occupied neither in tourism nor farming (2/3

free-lancers or technicians)
•
•
• Only 6/27 pluriactive – assist parents (3 tourism, 2
farming, 1 fish-farming)
•

• But not interested in working permanently in tourism

or agriculture
•
• Parents hope unemployment and potential business
profitability to attract children to family businesses
•
• Overall, Agritourism better prospects than Agriculture
 Similarities Differences
COMPARISON
RESULTS • Farming: low occupation levels & • Population & Education: Dorida
income -younger and more educated
• than Neohori
• Agritourism: higher occupation •
levels & income than farming • Residence: Dorida’s high n. of
owners-outside the area VS
• Men entrepreneurs > women Neohori-majority in the area
entrepreneurs •
• • Most important secondary
• Agritourism opened more occupation: Dorida -
opportunities for women now Agritourism VS Neohori -
less work in agriculture Agriculture
• •
• Owners’ children not interested • Women in Agritourism: Neohori >
either in farming or tourism & Dorida
more educated than parents •
• Financial aid: Neohori > Dorida
•
• Income satisfaction: Neohori >
Dorida
 Final Question: So is Agritourism in opposition to Agriculture?

Conclusions:
1. No established strong relationships between Agriculture and Agritourism:
• Farmers (primary occupation) not interested in Agritourism
• Most involved in Agritourism = not farmers

2. Agritourism income > Agriculture income (extremely low)

3. Yet, Agritourism income = not too high either (only domestic visitors: weekend & religious tourism)

4. Agritourism has better prospects than Agriculture → Abandonment of agriculture by the next generation

Final conclusion-Answer: Currently it seems that yes BUT… Neither Agriculture nor Agritourism
themselves provide satisfactory incomes → A combination of them is necessary to achieve higher incomes, protect
Agriculture from extinction and support local economy diversification & pluriactivity (maintenance of rural and
natural landscape)
 REFERENCES

1. http://www.visitgreece.gr/en/greek_islands

2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/215460380_Greek_Mountainous_Areas_The_need_for_a_Worthliving_Integrated_Devel

opment

3. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325202186_The_Institutional_Framework_of_the_Development_of_Agritourism_in_Gre

ece

4. https://www.tovima.gr/2019/05/29/international/tourism-the-engine-of-the-greek-economy/

5. http://www.ekathimerini.com/241056/article/ekathimerini/business/greece-is-over-reliant-on-tourism

6. https://news.gtp.gr/2018/08/03/greece-new-framework-regulate-agrotourism-businesses/

7. https://www.forin.gr/laws/law/3707/n-4582-2018#!/?article=37790
Thanks for your
attention!!!