AIM OF THE STUDY: To prove why global hospitality investors (e.g., Marriott Hotels) should focus on England’s agritourism sector.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
- To analyse the role of service marketing in agritourism development.
- To identify challenges and prospects of England’s agritourism sector.
- To examine academic literature on service marketing and agritourism development.
- To provide strategic business management solutions to Helen Browning’s Organic.
RATIONALE OF THE STUDY
Industrialization is crucial to the economic prosperity of nations. Advancements in science and technology have also improved the quality and span of life. From another perspective, activities in the agriculture, energy, and manufacturing sectors that cause environmental degradation also expose humanity and more than fifty years of development to unprecedented risks. According to the World Health Organization (2022), more than 2.4 billion individuals burn fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas, and coal) and biomass (such as wood and crop waste) to generate energy, which causes air pollution, climate change, various health problems, and millions of deaths every year. The automotive/transport sector accounts for over 70% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, a reason why environmental activists and other climate change stakeholders are clamouring for governments to hold businesses accountable for their actions (Musah & Yakubu, 2023).
Global sustainability campaigns highlight the economic, socio-cultural, and environmental implications of pollution, climate change, and loss of biological diversity. Notwithstanding, the enactment and implementation of environmental protection policies to transition the world into sustainable energy have faced various challenges that impede collaboration with researchers, investors, and tech organizations. As the world prepare ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (also known as COP28) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), all efforts gear towards finding more effective, bold, and practical approaches that can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to pre-industrial levels by 2050. Agreeably, agritourism is a proven strategy for achieving the climate change agenda. Beyond its contributions to job creation, wealth distribution, and GDP growth, agritourism raises awareness about global sustainability and educates people on actions and attitudes that can save the world. It also provides individuals/businesses with a platform to showcase culture, traditions, and locally made products that may not be available in the market. More importantly, agritourism development helps to preserve land-based resources and facilitates creation of a more sustainable food chain. Some challenges to agritourism development are low investment, marketing shortfalls, and lack of effective business models that allow organizations to consistently balance their economic aspect with conservation of cultural and natural resource as explained in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) theories like the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework and Stakeholder theory that emphasize minimization of the negative impact of business activities on the economy, society, and environment. Responses to these rarely discussed challenges forcing farmers, ranchers, and agritourism entrepreneurs to abandon their farmsteads or businesses for other jobs often ignore service marketing as the key to agritourism development (Ammirato et al, 2020; McDonnell et al, 2022).
Service marketing involves advertisement of intangible and perishable goods (that is, non-physical products). Agritourism businesses across the world have maximized service marketing to access a wider and potentially global market. Information from a service marketing activity enables businesses to anticipate various customer requirements and design an effective strategy to teach individuals and groups to recognise options with best value for money. When someone experiences service, the value gained is comparable to the experience from using a product. Also, the quality/standard, safety, health benefits, and environmental impact of using agritourism services are equally considerable factors that can increase revenues. But without an effective strategy that improves customer service values, customer satisfaction, trust, brand equity, and awareness, agritourism brands like Helen Browning’s Organic, Swindon cannot achieve sustainable growth—with high Return on Investment (ROI). However, England’s agritourism sector is still at the development stage and investors like Marriott Hotels are yet to maximize opportunities from the global shift to healthy lifestyles and environmental sustainability to boost marketability of agritourism in England, UK (Christofi et al, 2023; Stăncioiu et al, 2022).
LITERATURE REVIEW
The global agritourism sector earned more than $5.95 billion in 2021. Data-based studies also forecast an annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 11.5 percent between 2022 and 2030. The market growth is primarily attributed to changes in farmers’ behaviour, as well as the increasing customer focus on businesses that support climate change activities or promote healthy living (Ammirato et al, 2020). Additionally, more people in this era of wellness and global sustainability are realizing the benefits of taking a healthy and relaxing holiday on lush, eco-friendly farms where customers get opportunities to milk cows, ride in a bullock cart, drive a tractor, and engage in other educative and entertaining activities. But beyond increasing the impact of service marketing in agritourism, there are a wide range of internal and external issues that can impede or enhance development of the sector (Christofi et al, 2023). In line with the philosophical, methodological, and ethical aspects of conducting valid and reliable research in business and management domains, the literature review section analyses relevant perspectives from books/journals on service marketing and agritourism development to understand the realities and practicalities as well as apply the knowledge in the study of Helen Browning’s Organic, Swindon (Saunders et al, 2019).
- Wojcieszak-Zbierska et al (2020)
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted economic and social activities across the world and businesses are still recovering from the aftershocks. At its peak, the global health crisis shut down the tourism and hospitality market as governments enforce strict disease control measures that included restriction of movements and closure of borders. The aim of this study was to examine how agritourism customers in Poland implemented their plans to spend holidays in farms during the lockdown. The researchers analysed farmers’ response to challenges of food demand and supply as well as customers’ expectations during their visits to farms, hotels, restaurants, and other public places where contact is unavoidable. The purpose was to identify how pandemic-related setbacks spurred agritourism businesses to integrate service innovation (especially in marketing) and transform performance of the agritourism sector.
The researchers found that the lockdown caused workforce shortage and food scarcity because workers could not commute to their jobs on farms for sowing, replanting, and harvesting activities. Scarcity of imported products also increased demand for local products, but supermarkets were either closed or poorly stocked, so community gardens and private farms were an alternative source of cheap. fresh produce. Thus, agritourism does not only guarantee protection of biodiversity but promotes a sustainable model of agriculture that improves the quality and span of life. Although the scholars identified some economic, financial, and environmental challenges to the development of agritourism (such as fire outbreaks, earthquakes, epidemics, financial crises, and low purchasing supply of consumers), they agreed that the effort requires innovation management to create a tourist product from scratch and design a professional marketing strategy that empowers businesses to showcase the natural and cultural values in a particular location to different customer segments.
Findings from the study indicate the tourism and hospitality sector was worst hit by the pandemic. However, they pointed out that agritourism development gained momentum in the post-pandemic era because it is a form of non-mass activity that allows guests to get close to nature and spend time at small facilities located far away from large gatherings of people, which aligns with disease control regulations from healthcare agencies. While some research respondents agreed that they postponed farm visits due to fear of catching the flu, others embarked on tourist trips because agritourism farms offer a safe, peaceful atmosphere for relaxation–with minimal risks of contracting the virus–especially in facilities owned by reputable brands that provide hand sanitizers and disinfect rooms regularly. Despite the detailed descriptive analysis by the authors, this study lacked quality because their source of primary information was Facebook and there is no proof that the respondents understood the concepts of service marketing and agritourism. Moreover, the paper does not contain recommendations for improving service marketing in the Polish agritourism sector.
- Ammirato et al (2020)
In their literature review of the role of agritourism in creating a sustainable world, Ammirato et al (2020) described agritourism as a touchpoint in the network of tourists seeking leisure and entertainment in eco-friendly, local environments, and local actors (businesses, NGOs, and government agencies) exploring the increasing awareness of climate change to sell intangible products (services). The research aim was to prove that agritourism is a tool for balancing the social needs of tourists with the economic goals of rural communities, thus, the sector offers real opportunities for economic development and socio-cultural sustainability while reducing the undesirable impact of climate change.
The researchers applied a holistic approach to understand agritourism as a model of agricultural business and explain how the fast-growing sector supports sustainable development of rural communities. Thus, they emphasized that successful agritourism is built on ethical and socially responsible practices that (a) revitalize local identities (b) strengthen rural community relations (c) and promote “zero kilometres” (an idea that the supply and consumption of fresh produce should occur within same location or near the place of production) to reduce/eliminate middlemen in the supply chain as well as shorten physical and social distances between producers and consumers. Further, the scholars agreed that agritourism does not only facilitate sustainable development but also boosts the economic, social, and environmental (ESG) impact of agricultural systems. Although the researchers discussed the potentials and benefits of agritourism to the economy, society, and environment, they neglected the internal and external challenges to agritourism development and did not offer recommendations on business strategy, service marketing or innovation management.
- Kubal-Czerwińska et al (2022)
This paper discussed key issues and challenges in agritourism in the rural mountain communities (known as the Carpathians) of Central Europe. With emphasis on the production, sale, consumption, and preservation of local food items, the researchers explained that development of agriculture-based tourism helps to protect cultural heritage, folk traditions, biodiversity, and landscape values, not only boost socio-economic development. The aim was to address agritourism development issues and improve awareness of local products that contribute to economic growth. Using evidentiary data, the researchers agreed that these constraints (climate change, geographical isolation, inadequate infrastructure, and fragile ecosystems) make it difficult for agritourism businesses to produce, market, and improve their services. Among the seven problem areas identified in the study, findings on “branding and marketing” indicate that business owners lack a well-organized sales network to promote and sale their services and products. Further, residents do not have adequate training in activities that can empower them to create recognizable brands, moreover, the locations lack exhibition centres where businesses can market and sell local products. Thus, tourists do not have information on the availability of valuable agritourism services in the area. These challenges characterize England’s agritourism sector.
Another challenge in the Carpathians is “cooperation” among villagers who offer services and products without a robust network. Importantly, the researchers suggest that planning and development of agritourism business requires collaboration among stakeholders, including the villagers when it is necessary to select, support, and promote leaders/representatives saddled with the responsibility of initiating and monitoring lead projects in line with the European Union (EU) regulations. The extensive analysis in this study makes it one of the most relevant publications in agritourism development due to the use of the World Café participatory discussion format, and recommendations that reflect subjective individual experiences of research participants and authors.
- Baipai et al (2022)
This paper focused on the underutilization of agricultural attractions for tourism purposes in Zimbabwe to identify critical success factors that stakeholders should address to build a sustainable agritourism sector. One of the key challenges is how to strengthen the linkage between tourists and agritourism brands, and this emphasizes the role of service marketing in agritourism development. Additionally, the study identified partnerships with complementary brands/businesses as a strategic step towards building strong economies of scale. For example, collaboration between Helen Browning’s Organic, Swindon and Marriott Hotel brand can improve creation of visible value-added products and a brand identity. Such industry collaborations also support integration of vibrant marketing strategies that can address customer needs and feedback, boost farmers’ motivation, and increase profitability. In addition to marketing and collaboration, the authors identified three more critical success factors: education and training, funding, and availability of valuable agritourism products, which made top of the list. Overall, this study provides effective country-specific solutions that can be modified to address agritourism development challenges in other countries, including England.
- Stăncioiu et al (2022)
Stăncioiu et al (2022) aimed at identifying the linkage between service quality and agritourism development. The researchers defined the agritourism concept as tourism products that are directly linked to agrarian environment, agrarian products, or agrarian stays. Accordingly, they concluded that service quality and customer satisfaction have a direct impact on the growth of agritourism and advised businesses operating in service sectors to integrate a digitalized marketing process/strategy that advertises agritourism destinations to the right customer segments. Their recommendation was based on the Consistency Theory of marketing, which suggests that tourists are more likely to patronize brands that are consistent in values, quality, and excellent customer service.
- Cesaro et al (2022)
This paper analysed the economic and socio-cultural impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the Italian agriculture sector, with focus on agritourism. The researchers found that COVID-19 lockdown disrupted Italy’s agriculture system, which provides revenues from domestic consumption and industrial production. In response, the Italian government declared food security a priority and the agriculture sector a very sensitive part of the economy. So, the government enacted policies to support growth of the food system, starting from enlisting agricultural production activities as one of the economically essential and fundamental services thereby allowing farmers to move freely during the lockdown. Notwithstanding the proactive response, there was market contraction in the agritourism sector due to low patronage of agritourism facilities, restaurants, and supermarkets. Therefore, the researchers agreed that the key challenge to agritourism development is logistics, specifically service marketing and distribution of farm produce—a reason they suggested that farmers should outsource processing, marketing, and sale of the products to increase competitiveness and profitability. Interestingly, the study identified inability to subcontract services to other brands as the least challenge faced by agritourism businesses during the lockdown. The relevance of this finding in the post COVID-19 era when liquidity is a huge challenge to small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) would be tested using Marriott Hotels’ involvement in the tourism and hospitality industry as a case study. The proposed study will also examine how Helen Browning’s Organic, Swindon can achieve competitive advantage in a clean and circular economy through industry collaborations.
- Violet-Andreea & Getuţa (2013)
This study focuses on the unproductive condition of agritourism guest houses and slow development of the Romanian tourism industry. It analysed how stakeholders at the local and regional levels, including farmers, owners of ranches and vineyards as well as residents and local authorities can partner to create a new, innovative strategy for marketing a higher quality holiday concept. The researchers identified the following as proven strategies for marketing agritourism services:
(a) Involving in global sustainability campaigns.
(b) Advising tourists to protect the natural environment.
(c) Turning from passive to participative holiday activities such as road trips, climbing events, and other outdoor leisure plans.
(d) Offering free tutorials on the benefits of a clean environment, and combining different forms of tourism (e.g., religious tourism, mountain tourism, cultural tourism, fishing tourism and adventure tourism).
(e) Partnering with organizations that have high ESG impact.
The authors highlighted the importance of connecting with the locals, compensating them for depersonalizing their locations, and using professional ethics as well as data-based insights on consumer expectations to satisfy tourists’ quality exigencies. The researchers suggest that agritourism businesses should integrate strategic marketing alternatives (such as the marketing mix of price and advertising) in their business models to penetrate new markets and increase profitability. They also outlined marketing strategies for market prospecting, market penetration, service launch, pricing, distribution, and advertising. In conclusion, the authors suggest that agritourism businesses should hire professionals, especially experienced marketers whose knowledge is crucial for attracting and retaining clients.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The proposed study will involve a systematic review of literature to examine different perspectives from authors investigating variables like agritourism, service marketing, business development, branding, collaboration, sustainability, competitive advantage etc. In line with the Systematic Literature Review process, the research methodology in organized into three: (a) selection of materials (b) review and classification of materials (c) definition of themes. The author will source quality studies from EBSCO, Elsevier, ScienceDirect and other research databases containing peer-reviewed journals. Academic books and discussion papers may be referenced where necessary (Denyer & Tranfield, 2009).
Research Strategy
The applied research will take a specific dimension to extensively analyse how service marketing can increase the pace of agritourism development within England. The chosen company (case study) is Helen Browning’s Organic, Swindon. Marriott Hotel serves as a reference point for strategic management and branding purposes.
Although agritourism development is not a completely new research domain, farmers in England are yet to maximize the benefits of service marketing, which gained popularity across the world in the 1990s. Also, continental Europe (including the UK) ranks lower than North America, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America according to a 2022 forecast from Expert Market Research (EMR) report on the global agritourism market. Therefore, this interdisciplinary inquiry involving theories and concepts in agriculture, marketing, resource management, business development, and sociology provides a new insight into existing research on the integration of service marketing in agritourism development (Christofi et al, 2023).
Further, the author applies both qualitative and quantitative strategies to improve the validity and reliability of results (Saunders et al, 2019).
Research Design
The researcher will use both primary and secondary data for this study. Sources of primary data include the owners, employees, and suppliers of Helen Browning’s Organic, Swindon, including tourists from the age of 15 and above. Research instruments for collating primary data are open-end questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Considering that the population sample comprises people who are actively involved in tourism, the author will use non-probability sampling method. Where necessary, a snowball sampling method will be applied to increase number of survey participants thereby extending the scope of this research.
Data collection process starts immediately after the project topic is approved to ensure that results are gathered for analysis within the period specified in the Gantt chart. Secondary sources of data include peer-reviewed journals, academic books, annual reports etc.
Table 1: Research Strategy & Design
| Participant | Data Collection Method | Reason for choice of method | Population Size | Sample Size | Sample Criteria | Data Collection Data |
| Helen Browning’s Organic, Swindon. | Questionnaires and interviews | To gain direct access to persons who understand the concepts discussed and are knowledgeable in agritourism business, service development, marketing, innovation, and branding. Inputs from respondents in the field will reduce the margin for bias, allow objectivity, and increase validity of research results. | xxxx | xxxx | Age: 15 and above. Location: Swindon, England | Jul – Nov, 2023 |
GANTT CHART
The chart in Table 2 shows a timeline of research activities necessary to complete the dissertation topic “The Role of Service Marketing in Agritourism Development within England: An Analysis of Helen Browning’s Organic, Swindon.
Table 2: Expected Timeline for the Study
| S/No | Description | Period of Activities | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Project Planning | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Submit Research Proposal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Review Literature | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Prepare Research Outline | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Prepare & Distribute Questionnaires | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Write Introduction & Literature Review | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Research Methodology | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Identify Required Data | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Dara Collection & Site Visit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Review Primary & Secondary Data | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Database Development | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Conceptual Model Development | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Report Writing & Progress Report | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Problem Analysis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Submission of First Draft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Submission of Second Draft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | Final Submission of Report | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: The Author (2023)
PERSONAL REFLECTION
“Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle” is a research design that emphasizes experiential learning. Designed by Graham Gibbs in 1988, the model has a six-stage cyclic structure that guides researchers’ description, feelings/thoughts, evaluation, and analysis of events/experiences during the study, as well as conclusion about lessons learned, areas for improvement, and an action plan for better performance in the future. Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle helps students to reflect on their research experience and make sense of situations that can improve academic and career performance in the future.
Figure 1: Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle
Source: Gibbs (1988)
On this backdrop, studies show that human behaviour is a complex phenomenon. Although human behaviour researchers use scientific methods that involve positing theories and designing experiments to analyse hypotheses empirically, evidential data in business management and social science, especially psychology, indicates the research process is a difficult one. For this reason, academicians use a mix of statistical and non-statistical designs to validate assumptions/theories. In business and management studies involving phenomena like service marketing, consumer behaviour, customer satisfaction, brand equity, and trust, the researchers’ choice of research technique, methodology, and report presentation style also influence the reliability of results. Thus, the process of refining my preliminary research topic “The Role of Service Marketing in Agritourism Development Within England” was an uphill task for two reasons. First, I wanted a dissertation topic that aligns with my professional knowledge and skills, and secondly, I crave for immersive research that holds relevance in today’s complex and volatile business environment where organizations need data-based insights with both theoretical and practical value. In other words, choosing the research topic was challenging because it requires adapting my interests into the scope of the paper to ensure that results will add something new and tangible to the body of knowledge in service marketing and agritourism development.
The first submission (Form A) involved basic research on the chosen topic, concepts, and current trends. So, the nature of information sought was minimal. However, the requirements for getting an approval for the dissertation topic requires an analytical ability and a lengthy research/writing period. Moreover, the paper does not only explore the link between service marketing and business development but examines the cognitive and emotional factors that affect customer behaviour—and can be maximized to improve customer experience, brand equity, organizational resilience, and business survivability. In this regard, my review of relevant literature before starting the proposal shows that this academic inquiry must embrace fairness, stewardship, openness, honesty, objectivity, and accountability. These core values will not only reflect ethical practice but strengthen inclusion and diversity in research, a challenge which I consider necessary for my career growth.
Academic writing is a challenging task that requires subject knowledge, language proficiency, and a strong research ability (Saunders et al, 2019). In addition, dissertation writing is a time-consuming effort that tests a student’s time management skills, confidence, and originality. On this premise, my personal experience while preparing to undertake this independent research is overwhelming. There are tons of distractions arising from my personal and academic engagements such as class attendance, field work, group discussions, club activities, assignments, and internships but these challenges have strengthened my research skills, abilities, and motivation. The research scheduled to last between May and December 2023 involves an extensive review of relevant literature, identification/selection of research participants, preparation/distribution of questionnaires, data collection/analysis, and presentation of findings. Notwithstanding the pressure to complete this dissertation within the stipulated period, I took cognizance of the unavoidable expenses to be incurred from my visits to Helen Browning’s Organic, Swindon. Moreover, the lengthy telephone interviews will attract payphone or call data bills. But the fact that this research offers an opportunity for me to meet with prospective participants and discuss purpose/benefits of this study comes with a mixed feeling of excitement and anxiousness. Another aspect is strict adherence to the university research guidelines on ethical standards. Questionnaires and interview questions prepared for this study must prioritize respondents’ privacy, and more importantly, allow them to make objective inputs as well as withdraw their consent anytime during the research. Therefore, the research process and ethical requirements will most likely expose me to anxiety, boredom, and physical/mental exhaustion.
Despite the challenges, a successful researchers must possess certain personal attributes that include inquisitiveness, thirst for knowledge, adaptability, focus, analytic ability, and innovativeness. Personally, I understand that marketing strategies and variables are easy to operationalize using statistical and non-statistical designs. But service marketing deals with human behaviour together with its underlying cognition and emotion and this makes it a difficult concept to study. Yet, I am poised to take a creative approach to measure concepts/variables (e.g., service marketing, innovation, value-based marketing, process improvement, and branding) in fulfilment of my master’s study requirements at the university. In essence, I consider the challenging research process a valuable effort because it will add to the body of knowledge in studies involving human behaviour. My initial concern was how to review various books/journals and select the most relevant contents on time. To overcome this time management challenge, I used a thematic analysis approach that narrows broad ideas with key themes/concepts/variables thereby finding direction for the literature review.
It is pertinent to add that this service-based research transcends the 4Ps of marketing: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. With emphasis on service improvement and brand awareness creation, this research mainly analyses how agritourism businesses can integrate industry best practices to address specific needs of customers and key stakeholders in the global sustainability ecosystem. It also examines how consistent implementation of strategic ideas and customer-centred policies can boost brand equity, increase customer satisfaction, foster relationships with customers/stakeholders, build trust, drive revenues, and make the world a better place. This research does not only focus on the target audience (customers) but emphasizes the crucial nature of customer-facing roles played by employees and suppliers of agritourism organizations like Helen Browning’s Organic, Swindon.
In conclusion, studies show that agritourism customers rate services by the professional standards of people who deliver them. So, the implementation of effective customer service strategies increases the rate of repeat purchases and referrals. Yet, business development in the agritourism sector isn’t just about strengthening brand equity and sustaining profitability through customer-centred strategies. Agritourism businesses need to invest more in staff training to empower employees — especially those in customer-facing roles — on how to upsell services, resolve customer challenges, create a unified and consistent brand experience, and make innovative contributions. Capacity building will not only enhance the efficiency of work process but improve the effectiveness of business decisions and daily administrative activities.
On this backdrop, my plans for future development include taking marketing-related jobs in reputable agritourism organizations that offer experiential learning and opportunities to harness my leadership, communication, and innovation management skills and abilities. Also, I look forward to advancing my research skills and knowledge by enrolling for professional courses and exams in Human Resource Management (HRM), Advanced Marketing Strategy, and Professional Service Development.
REFERNCES
Ammirato et al (2020). Agritourism and Sustainability: What We Can Learn from a Systematic Literature Review. MDPI. Sustainability Journal, Vol. 12, pp. 9575.
Baipai et al (2022). Critical Success Factors for Sustainable Agritourism Development in Zimbabwe: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism & Leisure, Vol. 11(1), pp. 617-632.
Cesaro et al (2022). Italian Farms During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Main Problems & Future Perspectives. A Direct Analysis Through the Italian FADN. Bio-based & Applied Economics 11(1): 21-36.
Christofi, M., Kvasova, O. and Hadjielias, E. (2023), “Editorial: Interdisciplinary research in services marketing”, Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 37 No. 1, pp. 1-11.
Denyer, D. & Tranfield, D. (2009). Producing a Systematic Review. In The Sage Handbook of Organizational Research Methods; Sage Publications Ltd.: London, UK. pp. 671–689.
Gibbs G (1988). Learning by Doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Education Unit. Oxford Polytechnic: Oxford.
Kubal-Czerwińska et al (2022). Agritourism and local products in terms of protection and sustainable development of the Carpathians: a participatory discussion on key issues and challenges. Human Geographic Journal (HGJ), Vol. 16(1). pp. 1067-2284.
McDonnell, J.E., Abelvik-Lawson, H. and Short, D. (2020), “A Paradox of ‘Sustainable Development’: A Critique of the Ecological Order of Capitalism”, Blaustein, J., Fitzgibbon, K., Pino, N.W. and White, R. (Ed.) The Emerald Handbook of Crime, Justice, and Sustainable Development, Emerald Publishing Limited, Bingley, pp. 439-463.
Musah, A. and Yakubu, I.N. (2023), “Exploring industrialization and environmental sustainability dynamics in Ghana: a fully modified least squares approach”, Technological Sustainability, Vol. 2 No. 2, pp. 142-155.
Saunders, Mark N.K., Lewis, P. & Thomhill, A. (2019). Research Methods for Business Students (Eighth Edition), Pearson, London.
Stăncioiu et al (2022). Quality & Agritourism Management: A Systematic Review of Key Findings. Annals of the Constantin Brancusi, University of Targu Jiu, Engineering Series (No. 3/2022).
Violet-Andreea, A. & Getuţa Camelia, S. (2013). Strategic Marketing Alternatives at Agro-tourism Guest House Level. Romanian Foundation of Business Intelligence, Vol. I (2), p. 2.
Wojcieszak-Zbierska et al (2020). Agritourism in the Era of the Coronavirus (COVID-19): A Rapid Assessment from Poland. MDPI. Sustainability Journal, Vol. 10, p. 397.