An analysis of farmers' income in some Italian agritourism

This study discusses the evolution of agritourism in central region of Italy such as Latium region and as the staying time in farm has had direct effects on the level of farmer's income. This research has proposed three different scenarios in terms of staying time of agritourists (3.5 days, 5 and 10 days per person) in order to assess the total costs and the total revenue for farmers. Findings have pointed out as there is not a return to scale between staying time and total revenue. The growth of agritourisms in Latium region has been strongly supported by financial aids and other payments allocated by the European Common Agricultural Policy even if the land fragmentation of farms and the aging of farmers are two main constraints in a mounting growth of agritourisms. Outcomes have pointed out a not significant role of a most famous touristic centre as Rome in attracting agritourists and in increasing the amount of time spent in agritourisms. This has corroborated the hypothesis according to which agritourism is not an alternative and cheaper typology of tourism in antithesis of traditional one but it has got an own independence with specific needs and expectations of agritourists towards the agritourism.