Agritourism as an instrument of improving rural communities’ livelihood in Ghana : a case study of Adjeikrom community

Abstract

In spite of the tremendous potential of agritourism resources in these locations, rural farming communities in Ghana continue to be underdeveloped. Utilizing these agritourism resources can help the economy of these areas to become more diverse and improve the people's quality of life by lowering poverty levels. This research aims to provide answers to this topic as well as new information about the growth of agritourism and its effects on the enhancement of rural livelihood in Adjeikrom. This study took the form of a case study, mixed research design was adopted. A questionnaire and an interview guide were used to collect primary data from a sample of one hundred respondents based on multi-stage and simple random sampling techniques. The data was collected within the Adjeikrom community. The statistical programme, SPSS version 24.0 was used to analyse the data. The result of the study revealed that the local community in Adjeikrom has benefited from agritourism initiatives in that through tourism, the community has been empowered, boreholes have been provided and there have been cultural exchanges as a result of host-guest interactions. The study revealed that there was high start-up capital for the local people and stakeholders. With regards to measures towards improving the appropriate development of Agritourism in the area, the expectation is that there should be a commitment on the part of all stakeholders to the improvement of livelihood in the community so as to alleviate poverty. For agritourism to contribute more towards the creation of job opportunities, entrepreneurial skills and income generation, it is recommended that the government through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture strengthens partnerships with the local business sector, the local community in general and all other stakeholders, as well as the policy-makers to ensure a faster integrated tourism development process, thereby allowing stakeholder engagements and training activities.