THERAPEUTIC PRODUCTS IN AGRITOURISM AND RURAL TOURISM

• Authors: Przezbórska, Lucyna

Abstracts

EN

Development of rural tourism and agritourism in Poland has been very rapid in the last twenty years. Agritourism operators and other tourism small and medium enterprises offer diversified products and services. Most of them refer to activities of working farms or any agricultural, horticultural or agribusiness operations, rural areas and their heritage. However, therapeutic services may also be related to agritourism and rural tourism. The name agri-therapy is justified by the fact that the therapy must take place on a farm or in a rural area. The objective of the study was to research and analyze the concepts of different kinds of therapy products and services in agritourism and rural tourism enterprises, to classify them, and to show potential for new therapeutic services in agritourism and rural tourism. In Poland currently agritourism ha been offering relatively few products and services of agri-therapy, including horse therapy (hipotherapy), therapy applying plant and animal specifics or specific diets. According to the interview research conducted from 2006 to 2008 in 497 agritourism farms in 11 provinces of Poland there were identified only 13 farms offering horse therapy and very few of other therapeutic services. Around the world one can find very diversified offer of therapeutic products in agritourism and rural tourism enterprises, including: animal assisted therapies, animal-assisted activities and animal-assisted education (horse, dog, cat and dolphins therapy), therapy applying plant and animal specifics (plant therapy, herb therapy, apitherapy, kumis therapy etc.), specific diets (low calories diet, slimming diet, hunger strike diet etc.), psychological and drying-out therapies (e.g. anti-nicotine therapy), laugh therapy, bio-energotherapy, tree therapy (silvotherapy), smell therapy, small springs of curative water or hot springs, massages, small spa treatment in rural areas etc. Small rural tourism and agritourism entrepreneurs need financial support and professional training to develop and diversify therapeutic activities in rural areas. Therapeutic activities can be an important element of diversification and development of agritourism and rural tourism products and services.

• Publisher: Wyższa Szkoła Bankowa w Poznaniu
• Journal: Studia Periegetica
• Year: 2010
• Volume: 5
• Pages: 233-251

Dates

published

2019-12-07

Contributors

author

Przezbórska, Lucyna