University of agribusiness and rural development, Regional development of Central and Eastern European countries

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Potential for linking organic agriculture and alternative tourism for sustainable regional growth
Ivanka Kostadinova Shopova

Last modified: 2015-10-14

Abstract


For decades the concept of sustainable development is based on the ecological, economic and social goals to achieve, to which lately can be added and those related to health. Combining products industries and regions in the context of sustainable development inevitably leads to models of synergy. Alternative tourism and organic farming present such a model. The article summaries the idea of linking these two sectors which leads to sustainable growth in several directions: rural development, community benefits and customers’ satisfaction. A survey regarding organic farming and sustainable tourism common products among users has been done, aiming to assess the level of interest for demand and consumption. Sustainability as the intersection between these two sectors is analysed towards opportunities for developing a single product in tourism, including an explanation of what forms of alternative tourism could interact with organic farming. In conclusion, the research summarizes the idea for creating agriculture and tourism economic linkages that would benefit also the local agricultural producers.


Keywords


sustainability, organic farming, alternative types of tourism, regional development