Abstract:
The study was conducted in Tuba, Benguet. The respondents include 19 agri-tourism business operators and owner, three staff of the Department of Tourism and 27 tourists. The study aimed to determine the promotional strategies of agri-tourism development; to determine the effective promotional strategies; to determine the challenges and opportunities in agri-tourism and to determine the problems encountered in promoting agri-tourism.
Finding shows that promotional tools used to enhance agri-tourism development in Tuba, Benguet are through word of mouth, social media, brochures, consumer trade shows, signage, direct mail campaign, newspapers, flyers, radio and television. However, there are some effective promotional tools that attract tourists and enhance the agri-tourism business specifically are as follows: word of mouth; consumer trade show; social media; brochures; and signage.
There are challenges that constrains the opportunities to every agri-tourism business. Some of the challenges are limited awareness of the product and service standards needed to compete in the market place, limited on farm capability to develop the products and services needed to compete in the marketplace, limited awareness on how to market products and services effectively, limited programs and promotional strategies, competing with well-known tourism destinations that are well funded and heavily advertised, concern that agri-tourism might conflict with other farmers workloads during the busiest periods of the year, lastly is the long travel distance and transportation cost. The major problems encountered by the operators and owners of agri-tourism business in terms of productions are; the lack of capital and the very high cost of inputs materials. In marketing, the main problems are the low market price and demand, theft, competition with other firms. In financing, the main problem is the low income of the entrepreneurs and sufficiency of funds for the succeeding operation.
