Strategies for agritourism development in Gauja bioregion, Latvia, for the socioeconomic valorization of local products

This study aims to identify strategies for the development of agritourism in the Gauja bioregion (surrounding the national park of the same name, in Latvia), in order to better valorize both economically and socially the local productions, particularly through short supply chains, in the face of the decline of typical agriculture threatened by land pressure, lack of generational renewal, dependence on imported inputs, and market difficulties. This study is an exploratory study during which 27 stakeholders of the bioregional agritourism system were interviewed through hybrid interviews. These interviews made it possible to identify an assortment of barriers and drivers that manifest at several levels: at the level of the agritourism system in general, at the level of intra-bioregional dynamics, and at the level of the local product itself. These barriers and drivers, combined with the expectations of the interviewed stakeholders, led to the proposal of 3 strategies to develop this agritourism: clearly defining the agritourism system to make it an attractive and coherent tourist destination, establishing governance to structure this system and encourage the development of initiatives, and taking into account sustainability constraints to ensure the long-term continuation of this agritourism system.