Ninth International Conference on Tourism & Leisure Studies

Abstract

Among Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines has one of the lowest rates of rural area development. Most of these areas, Bulacan province in particular, are agricultural lands devoted to rice, vegetables, and livestock farming. In the past years, global warming, insufficient irrigation and the rising cost of farm inputs have reduced the productivity of these farmlands. This has caused a lowering of farmers’ morale and an increased level of poverty among families in these areas. Through quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, this study explores the feasibility of agricultural tourism as a significant component of an integrative approach to rural area development. The study subjects were farmers and residents of northeastern part of Bulacan, in the agricultural areas of the plains and slopes along Luzon island’s Sierra Madre mountain range. Results of this study indicate that agritourism has significant effects on decreasing poverty incidence and increasing the development rate of these rural communities.