An Assessment of the Factors Influencing Tourist Willingness to Participate in Agritourism in South Africa

Agritourists are considered tourists who visit rural destinations and consume goods and services associated with agriculture. Agritourism providers offer goods and services in the form of educational, recreational and nature-based activities for tourists. The study aims to examine the factors influencing tourists’ willingness to participate (WTP) in agritourism. Convenience sampling was used to conduct a face-to-face interviewer-completed survey with 300 respondents visiting selected tourist attractions in the Mpumalanga province. Using a probit model, the study found that countries of origin, educational experiences, agritourism activities, learning about farming, social media, and customer service positively influenced tourists' WTP for agritourism. Whereas paying for agritourism activities was found to be negatively influencing tourists’ WTP. Based on the findings, the study recommends that the provincial government collaborate with tourism authorities and service providers to formulate a dedicated agritourism strategy to encourage tourists to participate in agritourism.