Abstract:
With agricultural lands covering over 42% of the national area and employing over 1/3 of the
population, Sri Lanka faces the challenge of sustaining agriculture, contributing only about 8% to
the GDP at present. Therefore, this study explores the potential of agritourism as a globally
proposed strategy that serves economic diversification, environmental development, and
landscape preservation while assessing farmers’ capacity and resources with readiness for it. The
objectives of the study are to assess the capacity of farmers and the resource availability for
agritourism ventures and to identify the limitations and motives of farmers for agritourism. The
significance of this study lies in its potential to provide insights into agritourism as a tool for
sustainable agriculture diversification practices. Matale district, chosen for its diverse agriculture
activities, serves as the study location and 66 potential medium-scale farmers were selected as
the sample using stratified random sampling. Data collection employed a pre-tested structured
questionnaire, group discussions, and secondary data. Results revealed that the major economic
activities in Matale district are crop production (96%) and livestock production (18%). About
95% of the sample had electricity, water-sealed toilet facilities, and safe drinking water, essential
for tourism operations. Nearly 75% of the community had adequate literacy to operate a small
business, and many farmers had readily available family labor to use in agritourism operations.
The sole income source for the majority of farmers was agriculture, indicating the importance of
income diversification and supplementary income sources. More than half of the farmers had a
basic idea about agritourism, and 77% mentioned they preferred to start agritourism operations.
The awareness and preference of farmers for agritourism showed a statistically significant
positive relationship based on the Pearson correlation test results. The most preferred
agritourism activities by farmers were retailing, catering, participatory activities, and farm tours
and stays. Motivations for agritourism initiatives included supplementary income, family business
potential, and knowledge sharing, and hindering factors were lack of knowledge, financial
constraints, risk aversion, and potential cultural conflicts. This study identifies the considerable
potential for agritourism in Matale district, emphasizing the need for government support and
training programs for farmers.
