AGRI-TOURISM: AN INVENTIVE WAY TOWARDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL INDIA

Abstract

India is known as “Land of villages”. 65% of people lives in rural area and only 35% people lives in urban area. Rural areas are undeveloped as compared to urban areas. Majority of rural India is engaged into agricultural occupation. But farmers did not get enough benefits from agricultural sector. This is the reason people from rural area migrating towards urban area in search of jobs, income source etc. Because of this urban areas becoming more overburden. Hence disparities are instigated between this to areas. To avoid this chaos, there is need to rejuvenate rural areas of nation. This has led many planners to think spatial and economic development in a balanced way. As we know, Tourism is now well recognized as an engine of growth in the various economies in the world. Promotion of tourism would bring many direct and indirect benefits to the people. Agri tourism is the most apt key to uplift rural areas as most of the people engaged in agricultural activities. This innovative concept of Agri-Tourism emerged in recent years to complement agriculture sector. Agri-Tourism has a great capacity to create additional source of income and employment opportunities to the farmers. This paper focuses on agro tourism in India and how agro tourism can help in the economic development of rural society.