Why Do Tourists Escape from Overtourism? Cognitive and Emotional Determinants Affecting Farm Tourists Behavior

Recent trends (WTO, 2019) show that tourists, increasingly aware and mindful of their choices of vacation, are likely to refuse standardized models of mass tourism and overtourism, defined as “an excessive negative impact of tourism on the host communities and/or natural environment” (Koens, Postma and Papp, 2018, p. 2). More and more visitors prefer niche destinations such as rural destinations, far from large urban centers, that offer distinctive, authentic, and attractive experiences (Brown, 2013; Palmi, Esposito and Prete, 2021). Nowadays and increasingly in the near future, the tourism and travel industry could be disrupted and suffer the short-, medium-, and long-term economic effects caused by the infectious disease COVID-19, as a consequence of travel restrictions and social distancing. According to some estimations, the demand in the tourism sector could be reduced by 75% (Ruiz Estrada, Park and Lee, 2020). Therefore, a reduction in the international demand for mass and overly visited touristic places in favor of the most peripheral and landscape areas could be recorded. An effective solution to this challenge can be represented by new and alternative types of tourism, such as eco-tourism, slow tourism, food-and-wine tourism, wellness tourism, health tourism, and above all, agritourism. Agritourism, which includes a series of activities proposed on farms to attract tourists (Barbieri and Mshenga, 2008), is a relevant segment of the rural tourism sector. It attracts visitors to rural areas, often located outside traditional tourist circuits and it can promote employment, income, and sustainable development of rural communities (Hall, Mitchell and Roberts, 2003: Govindasamy and Kelley, 2014). It also represents a farm diversification strategy (Busby and Rendle, 2000; Shen Cottrell, Hughey and Morrison, 2009; Barbieri, 2013; Addinsal et al., 2017). Farmhouses are often ancient farms from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, appropriately renovated and restored, respecting the authenticity, traditions, and memories of the local community culture…