IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v15y2025i8p866-d1635594.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Agritourism and Rural Development: A Global Bibliometric Analysis of the State of Research, Limitations, and Future Directions

Author

Listed:
  • Abdi Shukri Yasin

    (Doctoral School of Economics and Regional Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 2100 Godollo, Hungary
    Department of Natural Resources Management, Kebri Dehar University, Kebri Dehar 250, Ethiopia)

  • Zsuzsanna Bacsi

    (Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, The Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Georgikon Campus, 8360 Keszthely, Hungary)

Abstract

Agritourism has emerged as a strategic tool for fostering sustainable rural development by diversifying farm income, preserving cultural heritage, and promoting environmental stewardship. This study presents a global bibliometric analysis of research on agritourism and rural development, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of the field, identify key trends, and highlight future research directions. Utilizing the Web of Science database, 171 relevant publications from 2004 to 2024 were analyzed through bibliometric techniques, focusing on publication trends, keyword co-occurrence, and co-citation analysis. Findings indicate a growing academic interest in agritourism, with sustainability as a dominant theme. The study identifies five thematic clusters: economic contributions, policy frameworks, tourist motivations, environmental sustainability, and agritourism’s broader role in landscape conservation. Co-citation analysis highlights the intellectual evolution from foundational perspectives on rural tourism to complex discussions on sustainability and innovation. Despite these advancements, knowledge gaps persist, particularly in geographic representation, digital innovation, climate change mitigation, and policy governance. Addressing these gaps will enhance academic discourse and provide practical insights for policymakers, entrepreneurs, and rural communities. This study serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners seeking to navigate the expanding literature on agritourism and rural development.

Suggested Citation

  • Abdi Shukri Yasin & Zsuzsanna Bacsi, 2025. "Agritourism and Rural Development: A Global Bibliometric Analysis of the State of Research, Limitations, and Future Directions," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-22, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:15:y:2025:i:8:p:866-:d:1635594
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/8/866/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/8/866/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Donthu, Naveen & Kumar, Satish & Mukherjee, Debmalya & Pandey, Nitesh & Lim, Weng Marc, 2021. "How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 285-296.
    2. Ramona Ciolac & Tabita Adamov & Tiberiu Iancu & Gabriela Popescu & Ramona Lile & Ciprian Rujescu & Diana Marin, 2019. "Agritourism-A Sustainable Development Factor for Improving the ‘Health’ of Rural Settlements. Case Study Apuseni Mountains Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-24, March.
    3. Mihaela Cristina Drăgoi & Irina-Eugenia Iamandi & Sebastian Madalin Munteanu & Radu Ciobanu & Ramona Iulia Țarțavulea (Dieaconescu) & Raluca Georgiana Lădaru, 2017. "Incentives for Developing Resilient Agritourism Entrepreneurship in Rural Communities in Romania in a European Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-30, November.
    4. Debin Ma & Dongqi Sun & Ziyi Wang, 2024. "Exploring the Rural Revitalization Effect under the Interaction of Agro-Tourism Integration and Tourism-Driven Poverty Reduction: Empirical Evidence for China," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-24, January.
    5. Elbek Togaymurodov & Michał Roman & Piotr Prus, 2023. "Opportunities and Directions of Development of Agritourism: Evidence from Samarkand Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-12, January.
    6. Laura Broccardo & Francesca Culasso & Elisa Truant, 2017. "Unlocking Value Creation Using an Agritourism Business Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-26, September.
    7. Philippe Mongeon & Adèle Paul-Hus, 2016. "The journal coverage of Web of Science and Scopus: a comparative analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 106(1), pages 213-228, January.
    8. Nees Jan Eck & Ludo Waltman, 2010. "Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 84(2), pages 523-538, August.
    9. Ching-Cheng Shen & Yen-Rung Chang & Der-Jen Liu, 2020. "Rural Tourism and Environmental Sustainability—A Study on a Model for Assessing the Developmental Potential of Organic Agritourism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-16, November.
    10. Kamila Ait-Yahia Ghidouche & Lamia Nechoud & Faouzi Ghidouche, 2021. "Achieving sustainable development goals through agritourism in Algeria," Post-Print hal-04305212, HAL.
    11. Henry Small, 1973. "Co‐citation in the scientific literature: A new measure of the relationship between two documents," Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 24(4), pages 265-269, July.
    12. Emilio Chiodo & Andrea Fantini & Lori Dickes & Temitope Arogundade & R. David Lamie & Lucilene Assing & Corinne Stewart & Rita Salvatore, 2019. "Agritourism in Mountainous Regions—Insights from an International Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-20, July.
    13. Sgroi, Filippo & Donia, Enrica & Mineo, Angelo Marcello, 2018. "Agritourism and local development: A methodology for assessing the role of public contributions in the creation of competitive advantage," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 676-682.
    14. Sofia Karampela & Alexis Andreopoulos & Alex Koutsouris, 2021. "“Agro”, “Agri”, or “Rural”: The Different Viewpoints of Tourism Research Combined with Sustainability and Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-15, August.
    15. Salvatore Ammirato & Alberto Michele Felicetti & Cinzia Raso & Bruno Antonio Pansera & Antonio Violi, 2020. "Agritourism and Sustainability: What We Can Learn from a Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-18, November.
    16. Ying Lu & Walter Timo de Vries, 2021. "A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis of Rural Development Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-21, May.
    17. Li, Zhenghui & Huang, Zimei & Su, Yaya, 2023. "New media environment, environmental regulation and corporate green technology innovation:Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    18. Gil Arroyo, Claudia & Barbieri, Carla & Rozier Rich, Samantha, 2013. "Defining agritourism: A comparative study of stakeholders' perceptions in Missouri and North Carolina," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 39-47.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Alieh Abadi & Mehdi Khakzand, 2022. "Extracting the qualitative dimensions of agritourism for the sustainable development of Charqoli village in Iran: the promotion of vernacular entrepreneurship and environment-oriented preservation per," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(11), pages 12609-12671, November.
    2. Qian Wang & Shixian Luo & Jiao Zhang & Katsunori Furuya, 2022. "Increased Attention to Smart Development in Rural Areas: A Scientometric Analysis of Smart Village Research," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-28, August.
    3. Xiaowen Jin & Hao Wu & Jing Zhang & Guangming He, 2021. "Agritourism Development in the USA: The Strategy of the State of Michigan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-14, October.
    4. Michał Roman & Monika Roman & Piotr Prus, 2020. "Innovations in Agritourism: Evidence from a Region in Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-21, June.
    5. Charlie Karlsson & Björn Hammarsssfelt, 2025. "The growth and development of Nordic regional science research 1982–2022: bibliometric evidence from thirteen regional science journals," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 74(1), pages 1-36, March.
    6. Cosmin Alin Popescu & Tiberiu Iancu & Gabriela Popescu & Tabita Adamov & Ramona Ciolac, 2023. "The Impact of Agritourism Activity on the Rural Environment: Findings from an Authentic Agritourist Area—Bukovina, Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-23, June.
    7. Ignacio Rodríguez-Rodríguez & José-Víctor Rodríguez & Niloofar Shirvanizadeh & Andrés Ortiz & Domingo-Javier Pardo-Quiles, 2021. "Applications of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Big Data and the Internet of Things to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scientometric Review Using Text Mining," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-29, August.
    8. Germán López Pérez & Isabel María García Sánchez & José Luis Zafra Gómez, 2024. "A systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of eco‐innovation on financial performance: Identifying barriers and drivers," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 1321-1340, February.
    9. Jin Su & Mo Wang & Mohd Adib Mohammad Razi & Norlida Mohd Dom & Noralfishah Sulaiman & Lai-Wai Tan, 2023. "A Bibliometric Review of Nature-Based Solutions on Urban Stormwater Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-23, April.
    10. Ooms, Tahnee & Klaser, Klaudijo & Ishkanian, Armine, 2023. "The role of academia practice partnerships in the well-being economy: Retracing synergies between health and social sciences using bibliometric analysis," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    11. Dušan Nikolić & Dragan Ivanović & Lidija Ivanović, 2024. "An open-source tool for merging data from multiple citation databases," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 129(7), pages 4573-4595, July.
    12. Xia Xiao & Pingan Xiang & Haisong Wang & Maosen Xia, 2025. "Driving Mechanisms of the Integration of Ecological Farms and Rural Tourism: A Mixed Method Study," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-27, April.
    13. Weisheng Chiu & Thomas Chun Man Fan & Sang-Back Nam & Ping-Hung Sun, 2021. "Knowledge Mapping and Sustainable Development of eSports Research: A Bibliometric and Visualized Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-17, September.
    14. Salvatore Ammirato & Alberto Michele Felicetti & Cinzia Raso & Bruno Antonio Pansera & Antonio Violi, 2020. "Agritourism and Sustainability: What We Can Learn from a Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-18, November.
    15. Anita Mendiratta & Shveta Singh & Surendra Singh Yadav & Arvind Mahajan, 2023. "Bibliometric and Topic Modeling Analysis of Corporate Social Irresponsibility," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 24(3), pages 319-339, September.
    16. Carlos Sánchez‐Camacho & Rocío Carranza & David Martín‐Consuegra & Estrella Díaz, 2022. "Evolution, trends and future research lines in corporate social responsibility and tourism: A bibliometric analysis and science mapping," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(3), pages 462-476, June.
    17. Homero Rodríguez-Insuasti & Néstor Montalván-Burbano & Otto Suárez-Rodríguez & Marcela Yonfá-Medranda & Katherine Parrales-Guerrero, 2022. "Creative Economy: A Worldwide Research in Business, Management and Accounting," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-27, November.
    18. MaruÅ¡a Premru & Matej ÄŒerne & SaÅ¡a BatistiÄ, 2022. "The Road to the Future: A Multi-Technique Bibliometric Review and Development Projections of the Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) Research," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, May.
    19. Merigó, José M. & Gil-Lafuente, Anna M. & Kydland, Finn & Amiguet, Lluis & Vivoda, Vlado & Campbell, Gary & Lei, Yalin & Fleming-Muñoz, David, 2024. "50 years of Resources Policy: A bibliometric analysis," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    20. David Teh & Tehmina Khan, 2024. "Sustainability-Focused Accounting, Management, and Governance Research: A Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-46, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:15:y:2025:i:8:p:866-:d:1635594. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.