Unraveling the Research Landscape of Happiness through Agro, Agri, and Rural Tourism for Future Directions ^†

Abstract

“Agro”, “agri”, and “rural” tourism have gained significant attention as emerging forms of tourism that provide unique experiences rooted in agricultural and rural settings. Beyond their economic and cultural contributions, these forms of tourism have been found to have a profound impact on individual happiness and well-being. This piece of work delves into the mechanisms underlying the relationship between “agro”, “agri”, or “rural” tourism and happiness, drawing from research in sociology and environmental science. By understanding the science behind this connection, we can further promote the development and implementation of “agro”, “agri”, and “rural” tourism initiatives that foster happiness and well-being. This study aims to examine existing research on “agro”, “agri”, or “rural” tourism and happiness, assess the implications of relevant scientific articles, and identify potential areas for future research. A systematic process was employed to identify articles related to terms such as “agrotourism”, “agro tourism”, “agro-tourism”, “agritourism”, “agri tourism”, “agri-tourism”, or “rural tourism” and happiness in the Scopus database. The selection criteria focused on articles that explored the above terms in their titles, abstracts, and keywords. The findings equally rely on qualitative and quantitative assessments, predominantly from the demand side, followed by the supply side and residents’ views.

1. Introduction

“Agro”, “agri”, and “rural” tourism offer tourists an opportunity to engage with agricultural activities, explore natural landscapes, and experience the rural way of life. From the perspective of supply, it is the result of urbanization development, the improvement of residents’ income, and the optimization of tourism product structure; from the perspective of demand, it is the psychological demand of citizens to escape from urban pollution and fast-paced lifestyles and return to the countryside [1]. While previous studies have highlighted the economic benefits and cultural significance of these forms of tourism, the exploration of their impact on happiness is relatively novel. Happiness is increasingly used by social scientists as a synonym for a subjective enjoyment of life, while psychologists formally refer to this construct as subjective well-being [2]. Understanding the mechanisms that link agro, agri, and rural tourism with happiness can help to guide policymakers, tourism planners, and stakeholders in creating environments that maximize well-being outcomes for tourists and local communities. Engaging in agricultural activities as part of “agro”, “agri”, and “rural” tourism experiences has been linked to various benefits. Participating in farming activities such as planting, harvesting, and interacting with animals can promote a sense of accomplishment, self-efficacy, and mindfulness, and can stimulate positive emotions and evoke nostalgic memories, further contributing to happiness.

2. Materials and Methods

In order to explore the various viewpoints in scientific research pertaining to “agro”, “agri”, or “rural” tourism and happiness, a systematic approach was employed. Firstly, specific title and keyword criteria were established to search for relevant documents on these forms of tourism. Terms such as “agrotourism”, “agro tourism”, “agro-tourism”, “agritourism”, “agri tourism”, “agri-tourism”, or “rural tourism” and happiness were utilized to search the title, abstract, and keywords of scientific articles in the Scopus database. The search was conducted in mid-2023 and provided just 13 documents. Subsequently, the resulting most-referred keywords from these articles were presented (based on the idea of [3,4], enriched by the authors). Additionally, the journals in which these articles were published and the countries of origin of the authors were identified. During the next phase, the full papers were thoroughly examined and classified under the following themes: various factors influencing the (a) supply, (b) demand, and (c) residents within the tourism sector; the (d) countries in which the case studies were conducted; and the research methods employed, including both (e) qualitative and (f) quantitative approaches. It is important to note that these themes and approaches are not mutually exclusive, as each paper may be classified under multiple themes and/or approaches.

3. Results and Discussion

Based on the analysis of the keywords extracted from scientific papers (see summarized

Table 1. Keywords from “Agro-”, “agri-”, or “rural” tourism and happiness articles in the Scopus database (May 2023).

Keywords in Categories	Number of Results (N)
Countries/regions/geographic position characteristics	10
Form(s) of tourism	8
Happiness	8
Methods	8
“New trend” keywords	7
Experience and experiential satisfaction and quality	7
Economics	7
Agriculture	6
Rural/regional development	6
Tourism management and development	5
Community	5
Rural Development and Experience Economy	4
Rural Areas and Environments	4
Sustainability	3
Farm	3
Environment/ecology	3
Planning	2
Gender	2
Behavior	2
Total	100

Source: https://www.scopus.com (accessed on 2 May 2023), processed by the authors.

), it can be observed that a significant proportion of keywords include geographic information, such as specific countries, regions, and characteristics of the selected case study areas. Additionally, various forms of tourism are discussed and the terminology is used interchangeably, including terms like agritourism and rural and farm tourism. Furthermore, there appeared keywords related to emerging trends, such as value co-creation, mindfulness and memory, experience and experiential satisfaction, and quality, with a particular emphasis on the economic dimensions. Surprisingly, certain topics like sustainability, environment/ecology, and planning are under-represented in the scientific literature.

The majority of research papers focusing on “agro-,” “agri-“, or “rural” tourism and happiness are predictably published in tourism journals. In

Table 2. “Agro-”, “agri-”, or “rural” tourism and happiness papers by country of authors’ affiliation.

Country of Authors’ Affiliation	Number of Results (N)
China	5
Portugal	2
Spain	2
United States	2
Bhutan	1
Finland	1
Hungary	1
Malaysia	1
Romania	1
Taiwan	1
Turkey	1
United Kingdom	1
Total	19

Source: https://www.scopus.com (accessed on 2 May 2023), processed by the authors.

, the authors’ country affiliations are presented, revealing China at the first position with five authors, followed by Portugal, Spain, and the USA with two authors. At the next phase of our analysis, an important finding emerged. The articles use qualitative and quantitative methods at the same rate, particularly focusing on the demand side of these special interest forms of tourism, followed by the supply side and resident views, with China, Spain, the USA, Turkey, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, and Bhutan constituting the case study countries. Moreover, the papers predominantly examine single case studies, with a notable absence of comparisons between different cases (with the exception of [5]).

4. Conclusions

This study explored the scientific articles from the Scopus database that examined the relationship between “agro”, “agri”, or “rural” tourism and happiness. The number of publications has increased in the last five years. The results suggest that these dimensions of tourist experience are positively and significantly associated with happiness [6], and also underscore the role of education in farmers’ happiness, with higher levels of education being associated with higher levels of happiness [7].