Agritourism: A Possible Alternative to Zimbabwe’s Tourism Product?

Abstract

This study sought to establish whether agritourism can be an alternative to Zimbabwe’s tourism product or not. Of essence were the potential and possible challenges to be faced in developing the concept. An exploratory research design was adopted since agritourism is a relatively new concept in Zimbabwe. Data were collected through a detailed interviewer-administered questionnaire. Farmers and farm managers were the target respondents. In addition, a thirty-minute interview was conducted with an executive at the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority’s (ZTA) Department of Market Research and New Product Development. Observations were also made in order to fortify the data collected through questionnaires. The results show that agritourism can be a viable option since some resources already exist in a number of farms. Challenges were noted and these need to be acted upon by the relevant authorities, that is, the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry and the ZTA.