Ewa Pałka

Institute of Geography

Jan Kochanowski University

Świętokrzyska St. 15

25-406 Kielce, Poland

ewa.palka@ujk.kielce.pl

Agrotourism as a factor of development in rural areas

Abstract: The paper presents the possibilities of development of rural areas by tourism activity. The author also shows the development of agrotourism in rural areas illustrated by the example of the świętokrzyskie voivodship in Poland. The present tendencies in the world-wide tourism have been taken into consideration during discussing this problem. The local and voivodship authorities are obliged to improve and invest in agrotourist infrastructure also using the European Union funds.

Key words: non-agriculture economic activity, tourism, rural areas, development of agrotourist.

Introduction

The collapse of communism in Eastern Europe had led to profound political, social and economical changes. The instability caused by civil unrest led some post-socialist countries in Eastern Europe to lag behind in socio-economic development.

During the period of 90-th Polish economy experienced severe structural change caused by these geo-political and economical transformations. In this times Polish government implemented stabilization measures, embarked upon a market reform programme (aiming to structure and privatize major sectors of the economy and to attract foreign investment).

The transformation of Polish economy brought about a lot of negative changes in rural areas. Low profitability of farming, a sharp rise in unemployment, an increase in fallow land areas all affected rural economy. Thus the market economy, when introduced in Poland, created a number of new situations the population had never been confronted with.

So far the changes in agriculture, which are connected with the economic transformation, have been proceeding at the slowest rate. The reasons are as follows: a large number of small farms, high dependence of the population of villages on income from agriculture, poor education of some farmers and their being reluctant to changes, relatively low activity of local communities, weak infrastructure. The major and the most difficult issues that the social and economic policy of the state concentrates on are those focusing on the situation in the rural areas and agriculture as well as on possible improvements. With poor economic situation of many farmers and a lot of people being out of work and unable to find employment in nearby towns, there arises a need as well as a chance for the development of alternative non-agriculture sources of income for farms. Such extra earning could complement the income from agriculture.

The project “The Development of Rural Areas” puts emphasis not only on the modernization of farming itself but also on multi-functional development of those areas. The most popular activities in which Polish farms are engaged out of agriculture are: forestry, crafts, trade, manufacture and various services, including tourist ones. Most often, farms concentrate on one type of non-agriculture activity, though we can find farms which pursue two or more different types of activity at the same time. The condition absolutely necessary for the rural population to grow is a significant increase in the number of workplaces out of agriculture. Non-agriculture jobs offer farms a chance to gain the capital and can also reduce hidden unemployment. Encouraging free enterprise in rural areas is an essential way to make villages more active economically.

Traditions of recreation in the country are not new in Poland but forms of tourism created nowadays are the result of economic transformations. Especially agrotourism and rural tourism have been developing successfully for a few years in Poland. The development of agrotourism and rural tourism is a chance of services that appears in the European Union where it is very popular form of recreation.

The main aim of the paper is to show how agrotourist activity can affect the development of rural areas. The article also shows the development of agrotourism in rural areas illustrated by the example of the świętokrzyskie voivodship in Poland.

The influence of agricultural policy on the development of rural areas

Structural transformation of rural areas and agriculture in Poland should be closely connected with the realization of the multifunctional development of the country which enables the outflow of rural inhabitants to non-agriculture jobs with simultaneous intensive investment in infrastructure of the country. Multi-functionality of rural areas is based on the harmonious development of all functions carried out by these areas, both agricultural productive functions and non-agricultural. The agricultural policy carried out by the European Union means promoting actions supporting a proper level of life in rural areas, which depends on differentiated sources of income of the population. It is an important trend for Poland because it will contribute to improving life standards of Polish society in rural areas. Agriculture has been the main economic activity in rural areas in Poland since the very old times. Its dominant function was to provide agricultural produce. The new economic system in Poland, introduced at the beginning of the 1990s, also affected villages. The complex transformation process led from central economic planning to market economy. In agriculture that meant unstable prices, the necessity to seek consumers of goods, growing production costs and high interests on credits.

The processes of villages and agriculture re-structuring have been proceeding along two paths. The first is the sector of traditional small farms characterized by a high expenditure of labor in agricultural production. The other sector covers specialist farms applying modern technologies and sound economic principles. The market forces initiate and maintain the polarized structure of farms. On the one hand, modern and self-financed farms have grown in number and strength. On the other, there are economically weaker farms that earn their living outside agriculture, e. g. in agrotourist business. In order to be present on the market, the farmers have to abandon survival strategies and to engage in other economic and investment activities. The first of the above-mentioned farm groups should seek further specialization in agricultural production. The other group has to look for alternative methods of generating income. Both farm groups should proceed from extensive farming to the principles of investment economy, where the capital outlay and labor efficiency are of growing importance [Pałka 2005].

An owner of a farm should become a contractor who fulfils functions not only a producer of food but also a tradesman of the services of various kinds [Sala 2005]. In Poland about 38% of the population live in the country and for a few years agriculture has systematically been taking over the surplus of man power which appears in the other sectors of economy, so agricultural policy of the country intends to decrease the demand for the soil and work.

In the Polish agriculture, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Development of the Country, because of the social-economic conditions and agrarian structure there are three megaregions [SAPARD…, 2000].

Megaregion I includes podkarpackie, małopolskie, świętokrzyskie and śląskie voivodship [fig. 1]. From 7% of farms in the region of Bielsko Biała and Katowice to 31% of farms in the region of Przemyśl are maintained mainly by agricultural production. On average 25% of farms in this megaregion are maintained only or mainly by agricultural production, add 75% - by work outside agriculture. There are mainly crumbled farms here, from 2,5 to 4 hectares big, stagnating but they have a chance to develop and to be modernized with the help from the country.

Fig. 1. Megaregions of rural areas in Poland.

Megaregion I

Megaregion II

Megaregion III

Megaregion II includes warmińsko-mazurskie, pomorskie, zachodnio-pomorskie, lubuskie, dolnośląskie and opolskie voivodship [fig. 1]. In this region there are large concentrations of farmer worked as Państwowe Gospodarstwa Rolne (PGR). The farms here are mainly leased after the farmer PGR. In this region farms are weak without any specified range. They have no possibility of multifunctional development and without any help they can be eliminated from the market. To activate the development of non-agriculture activity in this region it is necessary to increase the investment in infrastructure both technical and social because it may cause the inflow of capital.

Megaregion III includes wielkopolskie, kujawsko-pomorskie, mazowieckie, podlaskie, lubelskie and łódzkie viovodship [fig. 1]. The farms in this region are characterized by a great ability to adapt for changing economic conditions. They are well-balanced both economically and socially. In this region there are mainly evolutionary, specialized farms which do not need any help from outside.

Rural tourism has existed in Poland for a long time but just in conditions of the transformations of political system tourists’ interest in resting in the Polish country has increased. Nowadays created forms of tourism in Poland are also a result of the economic transformation during the last decade so tourists more and more often choose short, cheap individual stay on an agrotourist farm instead of leave in a big rest-centre.

Impoverished local tourists have found rural areas attractive with their traditional ways of running a farm traditions of folk craft, monuments of architecture. This kind of recreation is comparatively cheap, attainable for a large amount of people. Common access to this form of recreation has caused in some regions too small supply of accommodation in comparison with the number of people willing to use this farm of recreation. It is often said that agrotourism will develop dynamically in Poland.

Agrotourist is treated as a form of an alternative tourist which is closed connected with agriculture and it is realized in actually active and working agriculture farms, mainly in rural areas [Drzewiecki 1995]. In realization of agrotourist activities first of all take part farmers, who manage agrotourist farms, sometimes together with other inhabitants of the countries.

The agrotourist activity in rural areas, as a rule, is supported by central and local authorities mainly through the policy of development of rural areas.

The development of agrotourism enterepreneurship can be supported by research in aspects of economics, organization and management, as well as, marketing [Pałka 2004].

As for any economic activity, agrotourist requires investments in a variety of investment and can be examined by means of the economic methods used in economic activity analysis.

The agrotourist activity in Poland

Agrotourism in Europe has a long tradition and has existed for a long time. It has been developing on the border of agriculture and tourism. Tourism and its accompanying services are perceived as a route to economic diversification, facilitating a transfer of goods from developed urban areas and creating new workplaces in the countryside. Therefore new forms of supply respond to such market expectations (demand).

Agrotourism is defined as a form of recreation that takes place in rural, farming areas and is based on the accommodation and recreational activity associated with a farm and its surroundings, including many types related to residential, active and cultural tourism [Nowak, Pałka 2006]. It is based on local initiatives in the creation of small individual farms and it provides employment, mainly, in agriculture as the economical sector.

It is also very important that agrotourism gives a chance to local communities to gain alternative sources of income as such farms offer tourism services while maintaining their agricultural character, like for example continuing agricultural production.

The statistics say that approx. 2.3 million rural households operate in Poland at present, a third of which, i.e. over 700,000, have large houses. Those offer a large amount of unused space, which with relatively low financial outlays can be converted to become tourist accommodation or reception areas.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in 1993 there were nearly 1 000 rural household businesses providing services for tourists, in 2000 – 11 260 and in 2005 – 18 500. About half of them were agrotourist farms while the remaining were household businesses with no direct agricultural production.

Rural tourism means spending free time in the rural environment, with its characteristic buildings and landscape while its accommodation infrastructure includes small hotels, hostels and guest houses [Drzewiecki 1995].

Rural tourism is a wider concept than agrotourism. Rural tourism development is based on the natural, cultural and historical resources of a given area, the involvement of the local community and the integration between tourism and other aspects of the community and local economic development.

The product of rural tourism includes all the goods and services which can be obtained in the countryside either for money or free of charge, enabling tourists to stay and relax e. g. residential buildings, transport infrastructure, cultural institutions, safety, healing institutions and security services, as well as the natural environment and empathy with local residents.

The development of tourist base in Poland during ten years period (in the years 1995-2005) is shown in table 1. Total number of tourist accommodation objects and their structure were shown in the table.

As it is shown, there is the trend of changing of the tourist accommodation objects number in rural areas in Poland. The number of tourist accommodation objects changed from 9 345 in 1995 to 7 016 in 2005. Also we can see that the number of agrotourist quarters increased from 608 in 1998 to 1 347 in 2005. It is very positive for development of rural areas in Poland, because it shows that agrotourist base is growing and modernizing.

Tab. 1. The number of tourist accommodation objects in rural areas in Poland.

	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
TOTAL	9345	11075	12000	13437	13546	8626	8686	7948	7116	6972	7 016
Private accommodation base	1760	3312	4221	5551	5245	808	1073	898	996	1040	1106
Private quarters	1760	3312	4221	4943	4490	4876	5012	4913	4721	5006	5107
Agrotou-rist quarters	-	-	-	608	755	808	1073	898	1062	1116	1347

Source: GUS "Tourist in 2006."

In Polish and world literature the term of market product is often used. This term can also be used to tourist sector, because tourist services are also sold. Because of this we can use the term of tourism market product [Kaczmarek, Stasiak, Włodarczyk 2005].

The concept of tourism product is to be found, increasingly frequently, in the economic literature, especially that on marketing. A very general definition holds that anything can be a product when it is offered to purchasers to consume, use or process further on. Apart from physical objects, products include services of various kind, activities, sites, technological projects, organizations and ideas. A purchaser identifies products with respect to the profits generated through the act of buying. This is a very general, synthesis-based definition of a product.

According to the marketing theory, any object of exchange on the market is a product. Altkorn [1994] pointed out that a product can be defined as offer or sales proposal, which is every time verified by the market. The concept of product can refer to the sector of tourism services. The term “tourism product” is sometimes ambiguous. In the literature on the subject, the term is understood in two ways. The narrower meaning of the term covers all the things that a tourist buys. The broader one refers to all the activities performed by a tourist while travelling and at the destination.

A tourism product consists of all the goods and services made and purchased in connection with a temporary leaving one’s permanent residence, prior to the journey, while travelling and while staying away from one’s home place.

The tourism product of the rural areas illustrated by the example of the świętokrzyskie voivodship

The świętokrzyskie voivodship, with almost 60% of its territory constituting the area protected for different forms of nature conservation, can be considered representative with respect to agritourism development. Thus the sustainable growth approach has to be adopted while planning tourist mobility. High importance of rural areas for the świętokrzyskie voivodship should also be emphasized.

The świętokrzyskie voivodship, like many other regions in Poland, possesses features that facilitate the development of agritourism. The local agriculture is still traditional, uncommercialised, family-owned business. Many areas show the beauty of landscape and nature, which greatly contributes their tourist attractiveness. Additionally, the świętokrzyskie voivodship territory has been relatively unaffected by pollution.

Household businesses in the świętokrzyskie voivodship have been offering agrotourist services since 1993. In the beginning there were only 7 agrotourist farms, but by 1997 the number of organized and catalogued agrotourist rarms had risen to 76, in 1998 to 106, 2002 to 240, in 2003 – 279 and the number is still growing.

The tourist product in the świętokrzyskie voivodship is very different and it has complex character. It is often composed of many different elements, which appear in many various versions and combinations.

The agrotourist farms in the świętokrzyskie voivodship are located in territorial different way. The most attractive for agrotourism is the Świętokrzyskie Mountains Region. The agricultural farms localized in this region started agrotourist services as the first ones in the świętokrzyskie voivodship. The most number of agrotourist farms – counting into 100 square km – occurrences in the communes: Nowa Słupia (17,44), Bodzentyn (13,66), Łagów (10,61), Suchedniów (8,0), Chęciny (7,87), Daleszyce (7,2) (tab. 2). It results from the high tourist attractiveness (the attractiveness indicator over 0,5 points) and non-profitable natural conditions of agriculture development [Pałka 2008]. Social and economic conditions in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains Region are also profitable for agrotourist development.

The second region with concentration agrotourist farms is located in south part (fig. 2). The communes with the most number of agrotourist counting into 100 square km are: Szydłów (24,07 farms/100 km²), Solec-Zdrój (20,0) and Chmielnik (14,68) (tab. 2).

The third region with concentration agrotourist farms is distracted and it is located in the west part of the świętokrzyskie voivodship (fig. 2, tab. 1). The most number of agrotourist farms in this region occurrences in communes: Kluczewsko (5,83 farms/100 km²), Ruda Maleniecka (3,63) and Łopuszno (2,82).

Tab. 2. The number of agrotourist farms into 100 km² in communes of the świętokrzyskie voivodship in 2007.

Number	Commune	Area	The number of agrotourist farms	The number of agrotourist farms into 100 km^2
		in km^2
1.	Baćkowice	96	1	1,04
2.	Bałtów	105	7	6,66
3.	Bieliny	88	4	4,54
4.	Bliżyn	141	2	1,63
5.	Bodzechów	122	2	1,63
6.	Bodzentyn	161	22	13,66
7.	Bogoria	123	6	4,87
8.	Brody	161	5	3,1
9.	Busko-Zdrój	236	6	2,54
10.	Chęciny	127	10	7,87
11.	Chmielnik	143	21	14,68
12.	Ćmielów	118	2	1,69
13.	Daleszyce	222	16	7,20
14.	Fałków	132	2	1,51
15.	Gnojno	96	1	1,04
16.	Górno	83	8	9,63
17.	Iwaniska	105	5	4,76
18.	Kije	99	1	1,01
19.	Klimontów	99	2	2,02
20.	Kluczewsko	137	8	5,83
21.	Końskie	250	6	2,4
22.	Krasocin	194	1	0,51
23.	Kunów	113	4	3,53
24.	Łagów	113	12	10,61
25.	Łączna	62	4	6,45
26.	Łopuszno	177	5	2,82
27.	Łubnice	84	4	4,76
28.	Małogoszcz	146	1	0,68
29.	Masłów	86	2	2,32
30.	Michałów	112	2	1,78
31.	Miedziana Góra	71	1	1,4
32.	Mirzec	111	4	3,6
33.	Morawica	141	7	4,96
34.	Nagłowice	117	7	5,98
35.	Nowa Słupia	86	15	17,44
36.	Nowy Korczyn	117	1	0,85
37.	Obrazów	72	1	1,38
38.	Oksa	90	2	2,22
39.	Opatów	113	1	0,88
40.	Osiek	129	3	2,32
41.	Ożarów	184	3	1,63
42.	Pawłów	138	6	4,34
43.	Piekoszów	103	10	9,7
44.	Pierzchnica	105	4	3,8
45.	Pińczów	212	5	2,35
46.	Połaniec	75	3	4,0
47.	Radków	86	2	2,32
48.	Radoszyce	147	1	0,68
49.	Raków	191	13	6,8
50.	Ruda Maleniecka	110	4	3,63
51.	Rytwiany	126	1	0,79
52.	Samborzec	85	2	2,35
53.	Sandomierz	29	1	3,44
54.	Sędziszów	146	1	0,68
55.	Skarżysko-Kamienna	64	1	1,56
56.	Skarżysko-Kościelne	53	1	1,88
57.	Słupia Jędrzejowska	108	1	0,92
58.	Smyków	62	1	1,61
59.	Solec-Zdrój	85	17	20,0
60.	Starachowice	32	1	3,12
61.	Staszów	226	9	3,98
62.	Stąporków	231	1	0,43
63.	Stopnica	125	5	4,0
64.	Strawczyn	86	2	2,32
65.	Suchedniów	75	6	8,0
66.	Szydłów	108	26	24,07
67.	Tuczępy	84	2	2,38
68.	Waśniów	111	3	2,7
69.	Wąchock	82	5	6,09
70.	Wilczyce	70	1	1,42
71.	Wiślica	100	3	3,0
72.	Włoszczowa	254	3	1,18
73.	Wodzisław	177	1	0,56
74.	Wojciechowice	86	1	1,16
75.	Zagnańsk	124	5	4,03
76.	Zawichost	80	2	2,5
77.	Złota	82	2	2,43

Source: author¢s own account

Fig. 2. The localization of agrotourist farms in rural areas of the świętokrzyskie voivodship

Source: own study

Conclusion

Economical situation in Poland does not allow to keep profitable agriculture business. Because of decline of profitableness of agriculture production the demand for extra income has growth which leaded to development of agrotourism. Poland is a country which is attractive for tourists because of diversity of relief, natural environment, population and types of setters. Taking into account progressing growth community wisdom and demand for healthy, fresh food development of agrotourism will become more dynamic. Every region can become agrotourist region but efforts of single farms may not secure enough tourist attractions to interest mass of tourist effort.

In the świętokrzyskie voivodship there is observed recently the considerable development of agrotourist farms, with that of cooperating institutions, like agrotourist associations, consultative teams and agrotourist chambers. The discussed voivodship is very attractive due to its nature, landscape and monuments of culture. Basic natural resources of this region are forests. The agrotourism is a very important function of this area. First agrotourist farms were organized in 1993. Most of them are small and are not profitable, thus most of their owners became part-time farmers. The income outside the agriculture can be for them just the agrotourist. Agrotourism is a real chance for the farmers, to ameliorate their difficult economic situation.

Development of tourism, including agrotourism in Poland, is motivated mainly by low income from agricultural activity.

In order to succeed in agrotourist, the enterprise must be run according to the rules of marketing. The owner of an agrotourist farm should posses a sufficient knowledge in marketing and be capable to make use of it. It is important to form a specific offer – the branding product, which will make the potential customers decide quicker, strengthen the farm¢s position on the market and creates an advantage over the competitors. The products characterized by a high quality and original image are usually more expensive but still frequently purchased by the tourists. The specialized farm has an advantage over others because it may offer something unique, certain specialized recreational services and attract more quests. It is important to remember that every branding product must be effectively advertised. The specific offer of the farm must be clear and well exposed in the promotion activities.

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