THE ROLE OF AGRITOURISM ON BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM

Agritourism has its ideological roots in the romanticism of nature and social tourism. Many people today embrace the 18th century view of nature as pure and good in opposition to the moral decay and dehumanizing experiences of urban environments. Agritourism has long been considered a “clean industry”, without any negative effects on the environment worthy of mention. However, this image is now outdated. Most parties are aware of the possible negative impacts and see the need for action. At the same time, agritourism is able to contribute to a growing awareness of the value of nature and, hence, to public support for the protection of ecosystem. Development of agritourism can also be a way to make nature reserves economically viable and to provide employment and income for the local population. In this manner, it can provide a viable alternative to other more damaging activities such as slash and burn agriculture, cattle farming, hunting, wood collection, mining, and the like. These characteristics give tourism an ambivalent position in relation to ecosystem. The agritourism industry very much represents “a double edged sword for the socioenvironmental movement, in that it is an activity which is both reviled and revered. It has become a focus of criticism, as a result of its impacts and a focus of promotion, as a means of achieving sustainable development”. This means that it occupies a specific position in policies aimed at the conservation of ecosystem. This article aims to contribute to the discussion on agritourism in relation to ecosystem. It reconstructs some of the theoretical discussions concerning the relation between the two and possibilities to measure impacts. It will be argued that measuring impacts of agritourism on ecosystem is highly complex and costly and so-called “dose?effect relationship studies” show several weaknesses. Therefore, setting priorities for interventions is not just a matter of knowledge on impacts. Such attempts in the relation between tourism and ecosystem should also be based on considerations of legitimacy, feasibility, and effectiveness. This paper will also evaluate different types of interventions currently undertaken and propose some leads for future intervention.