Abstract

Urban areas are intrinsically linked with their suburban and rural proximity. This study is focused on three rural communities, namely Umung, Phabaen, and Buhom, which are located near the city of Chiangkhan, Thailand, where an influx in tourism has occurred. These farming communities with traditional lifestyles, farming practices, and festivals are becoming the places for which culturally curious people look. The objective of this study is to explore factors contributing to the development of agritourism and resource conservation in the farming regions, particularly farmers’ knowledge of and sensitivity to conservation, farmers’ familiarity with sustainable agriculture, and potential added-value products for agritourism development. Questionnaires were given to farm households for primary data collection; both the qualitative and quantitative attributes were then analysed. It is important to investigate the sustainability of farming villages to mitigate pressure from the influx of tourists. Therefore, agritourism focused on sustainable agriculture, and conservation of local heritage is essential. The results of this study can serve to develop guidelines for potential agritourism and conservation development in rural Thailand.