The role of government in agro-tourism development: a top-down bottom-up approach

A changing structure of government has led to an increase in research on the relationship between government and businesses. Whit this in mind, this study investigates the role of government in agro-tourism development by employing a top-down bottom-up approach to strategy development. A case study approach was applied, utilizing interviews and surveys of government representatives, tourism operators and farmers in Honduras. The results reveal five main areas of concern for the government officials, which are further divided into eleven sub-themes, centreing on policies formulation, marketing and advertisement, financial opportunities, access to information, and infrastructure. The quantitative results further deepen the understanding on the role of government. This study contributes not only to the academic literature, but also provides significant practical benefits to the government at national and local level when it comes to the development of agro-tourism.