PRT 2008

AGRICULTURE AND MAN

(AGROTOURISM)

LECTURE NAME: Dr. MOHAMAD ZAKARIA HUSSIN.

GROUP: 26

GROUP MEMBERS:

1. NURUL ASSIKIN BINTI ARIFFIN 152028

2. NORHASYIMAH BINTI ISMAIL152306

3. SITI KHODIJAH BT YUSUF 154788

4. HASNANI BT ABD RAHMAN@ABD WAHAB 152688

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CONTENTS

TOPICS PAGE

1) RESEARCH OBJECTIVES 2

2) DEFINITION OF AGROTOURISM 3

3) HISTORY OF AGROTOURISM 4

4) AGROTOURISM TODAY 5

5) CONCLUSION 12

6) APENDIX 13

7) REFERENCES 14

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RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Our group has been given a task to do a research about topic of Agrotourism.

During the discussion among ourselves, we agree and made up our mind to state our

research objectives are as below:

1. To find out what is the meaning of agrotourism.

2. To find out the history of agrotourism.

3. To find out the advantages of the agrotourism to the human and country.

4. To know the agrotourism field.

Based on the above objectives, we try to explore the world of agrotourism by

looking at all of the possibility that include in the agrotourism field.

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DEFINITION OF AGROTOURISM

Agrotourism has several definitions, but mostly it refers to the combination of

agriculture and tourism that involves visit to the farm and other agriculture sites to

experience the various aspects of agriculture lifestyle.

The concept of agrotourism is a direct expansion of ecotourism, which encourages

visitors to experience agricultural life at first hand. Agrotourism is gathering strong

support from small communities as rural people have realized the benefits of sustainable

development brought about by similar forms of nature travel.

The visitors have the opportunity to work in the fields alongside real farmers and

wade knee-deep in the sea with fishermen hauling in their nets. Some of the organizations

listed in our directory place special emphasis on agrotourism.

Agrotourism is also known as a mild form of sustainable tourist development and

multiple activity in rural areas through which the visitor has the opportunity to get

acquainted with agricultural areas, agricultural occupations, local products, traditional

cuisine and the daily life of the people, as well as the cultural elements and the authentic

features of the area, while showing respect for the environment tradition. Moreover, this

activity brings visitors closer to nature and rural activities in which they can participate,

be entertained and feel the pleasure of touring, learning and discovering.

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HISTORY OF AGROTOURISM

Agrotourism has been around for a lot longer then anyone might think. In the

simple history of agrotourism, our group summarized that development of the history

itself related to human development along with the world technologies.

Agrotourism also known as agritourism, and the history of it was discussed by

the expert from University of Tennessee Extension Publication by considering it as

Agritainment. Agritainment (agritourism and entertainment farming enterprises), created

in 1800s, when families visited farming relatives in order to escape from the city and

experience the farming. Mostly they don’t really took the holiday as a part of the

agrotourism because their main focus is to release tension and get some rest during that

time.

Visiting other country become more popular with the widespread use of the

automobile in 1920s. The used of car and vehicle make them easier to move and to

explore the other place that required them to do some journey. That make the agrotourism

become more popular and it increases not only the agrotourism industry but also the

economy of the country because of many people have their own transportation.

Rural recreation gained interest again in the 1930s and 1940s by folks that

seeking an escape from the stresses of the Great Depression of World War ll. These

demands for rural recreation lead to widespread interest in horseback riding, farm petting

zoos and farm nostalgia during 1960s and 1970s. Farm vacations, bed and breakfasts, and

commercial farm tours were popular in the 1980s and 1990s.

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AGROTOURISM TODAY

Agrotourism continues to be an opportunity to the human kind to increases their

income for some farmer and agribusinesses around the world. We can see, in the United

State of America, the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that

more than 62 million people age of 16 years and older visited farm during a one-year

period in the year 2000 to year 2001. Meanwhile, its about 20 million children under age

of 16 years old are also visited farm during that period, which make the total number of

the visitor to the farm approximately around 82 million people. The numbers of the

visitors clearly shows that the agrotourism become more popular among us.

The USDA also investigated the reason people made trips to farms, and many

positive respond they get and the responses are shows in Table 1 below:

USDA Forest Service, Interagency National Survey Consortium. National Survey on Recreation and the

Environment (NRSE). 2000-2003. Visit www.srs.fs.fed.us/trends for more information.

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Nowadays, Malaysia become obsesses in doing research of tropical agricultural

products. It continues to enhance excellence in research and development of new

agricultural resources. Exploring new industrial product meanwhile, generate the new

knowledge in the agriculture field.

At the same time, we creating the new markets for our own products and continue

to contribute to the local agriculture sector especially. Same thing goes to the

agrotourism. In our research, regarding this topic, we find out the opportunities that

agrotourism hold and the advantages towards us the consumers and also to the

development of our country economy.

Even thought, in Malaysia the agrotourism may be quite unfamiliar, but the

existences of agrotourism industry are not a new thing. The benefits of the agrotourism

are also been proven in many country in the worldwide.

Agrotourism is still new in Malaysia and the progress in the Malaysia economy

are still new, but the tourist from local and international are gave their interest in knowing

the industry of agrotourism itself.

Even thought, agrotourism is still new in Malaysia, but the development of the

agrotourism show the positive progress among the Malaysian citizen. The government

also concern about the people and try to support the people by encourage them to

exploring the agrotourism industries and at the same time the government try to help by

giving loan and also provided budget to this industry.

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For example, the ninth Malaysia plan (Rancangan Malaysia ke-9) that conducted

by the government is giving the Malaysia citizen a space to involves in this field. Based

on the ninth Malaysia plan, government try to increase the agriculture product including

the new source of growth with the greater private sector participation. Government also

expending agro-based processing activity and product diversification.

Government is now, strengthen marketing and global network so that we can

enhancing the incomes of small holders, farms and fishermen.

Below it shown the number of the tourist that visit to Malaysia to the place that

offers the activities that based on the agrotourism since year 1995 to April 2008:

Year Local International Total 19951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008

(April)

535600725600550400315320400433425107122201577

 TOTAL

6515037520019023018580120170193900980418

6007501100800740630500400520603618197132001995

 14427

Table 1: The number of tourist that visits Malaysia at the place that offers agrotourism activities.

Below is the percentages of the international tourist that came to Malaysia since

1995 to the April 2008:8

Korea                                                                             :        52 %

Europe                                                                           :        18 %

Singapore                                                                      :        19 %

Others country                                                          :        11 %

Below, shown that the number of the local tourist that visits to the agrotourism

places during the same period:

The public society : 9 %

The school clubs/activities : 18 %

Students & for studied purposes : 53%

Families : 20 %

In Malaysia, most if the agrotourism spots provide the homestay. Homestay

become popular in Malaysia because of the variation of its culture that comes from the

different races in Malaysia. Usually, when people go for vocations, they would like to

stays for a few days. The concept of homestay provide the tourist a place to stay and at

the same time joining the activities that arranged by the owner. It is one of the strategy

markets because if they also provide the homestay, the tourist tends to stay longer at their

place so that they can gain more profits.

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The practicing of the agrotourism also can give many benefits to Malaysia. We

can divide this into three categories like the benefits of agrotourism to the country, the

consumers and to individual.

For the country such as Malaysia, agrotourism has plays a big roles to generates

income for the country. As we know, agrotourism has increasing the number of local

tourist as well as from the other country. The increasing of the foreigner has also

increasing the foreign money exchange into our country that will generate the income to

the country. Big companies from other country also give good responds and interest to

invest in Malaysia in tourism sectors.

Agrotourism also give many benefits to the consumers. Consumers here refer to

the tourist that involved in this agrotourism. Agrotourism is one of the sources of

entertainment. It consist if many interesting activities and at the same time it can be really

axciting. Agrotourism recommended to people who enjoy adventure and exploration. It is

because in agrotourism, we can learn many things about plants and animal besides going

to the holiday. We also can say that agrotourism can be use in education purpose and

general knowledge. Now, many school or university used agrotourism spot to hold their

activities such as camping or motivation camp. It is also can educated the students to be

closer to the nature.

Besides giving an advantage to the country and to the consumer, agrotourism

definitely gives many benefits to the owner itself. The owner can be referred to two sides.

One is the owner of the tourism spots and one is the owner of the agro-things, or maybe

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to both of it. Both party can used each other to attract people to come to their place. They

can use the tourism spot to promote agro product and vise versa.

There is some example of agrotoutism that has been practicing in our country and

at overseas. As we know, Malaysia was famous with ours homestay, IKS (industri kecil

dan sederhana), mountain climbing, jungle trekking, snorkeling and diving, food expo

and Taman Mini Malaysia. While at other country, they has their farming, horse riding,

paragliding, honey nest testing and many more interesting activities.

Here are some recommended agrotourism destinations in Malaysia that is

interesting to be visited like Cameron Highland, Kundasang, Kinabalu Mountain,

Langkawi Island, our Taman Negara and the others.

However, there is some problem in agrotourism sector in Malaysia to gain more

attention from the tourist. The first thing is no or less of publicity to promote our

agrotourism destination even to the local tourist. Most of the people do not know that

Malaysia has many places that practicing agrotourism. We also can noticed that there is

almost none advertisement about agrotourism in Malaysia that can be found in the

television. We also have a problem like the activities that come with the agrotourism are

not fully interesting. The other things that prevent agrotourism in Malaysia to expend are

the facilities at those places are not well and not comfortable enough. As we know,

agrotourism destinations mostly are at the village or countryside and most of the tourist is

from the city. So that, comfortable is their priority besides the good package activities

and tour. Lastly, the price that has been offered in the agrotourism package is too

expensive to be effort especially for local tourist.

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Therefore, from the problem that been mention earlier we have comes with

several way that can overcome it. Firstly, we have to put more publicity for this sector.

Make more advertisement at the television and at the newspaper to let people know about

agrotourism in our country. Then, offer them an affordable price and make it comes with

several packages so that the customer can choose what is suitable with their interest, time,

and budget. Lastly, provided a comfortable place for them to stay and make sure that all

the service satisfied them. Always remember that the customer is always right and they

may come again if they are happy with the services.

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CONCLUSION

In the conclusion, agrotourism gave us a lot of advantage and at the same time it

help us to protect the environment. Even though agrotourism is still not really wide

spread, but it can be develop from time to time.

If we can make sure the successful of this sector, we not only increase income of

the owner but also the economy of Malaysia. This sector can be a lot more successful in

the future, if we can increase the number of tourist every year.

We hope that the agrotourism can be the most popular sector in Malaysia that help

the development of this country. We really hope that the new generation will continued

our effort to make Malaysia one of the famous agrotourism destinations not just in our

country but also to worldwide.

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APENDIX

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REFERENCES

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http://www.gnto.gr/pages.php?pageID=826&langID=2

http://www.agrotourism.com.cy/about/index.htm

http://kebunwarisan.blogspot.com/

http://www.hbp.usm.my/malayarchi/agrotourism.htm

http://www.agricmelaka.gov.my/template4/page.asp?PageID=300

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/2/9/bizweek/

20179170&sec=bizweek

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