Agritourism on the island of Gozo

Abstract

The dissertation focuses on the current state of agritourism in Gozo. First, a brief description of Gozo is given and key definitions are explained in order to put the reader into perspective. The researcher than describes the methodology used to carry out this study. A detailed description of each agritourism site is given. Agritourism entrepreneurs were interviewed in order to offer an in-depth view of factors such as the aim of site, marketing techniques, employment and number of tourists visiting these sites. This thesis reveals the major challenges faced by entrepreneurs when investing in agritourism sites. Detailed investigations are carried out to identify whether these sites are receiving EU and government funding. Furthermore, government entities are also interviewed to see how agritourism sites in Gozo are being supported on a local and international basis. Agritourism in Gozo is still in its infancy and it has plenty of room for improvement. However, Gozo has the potential to develop this niche market into one of the major markets in the island. In this research, the author recommends the improvement of the education strategy, branding, transport, data collection and highlights the importance of policy making with regards to agritourism.