Imprese agricole, territorio e turismo in sinergia per lo sviluppo sostenibile

The aim of this paper is to understand the role played by Italian farms in the local sustainable development processes, through the analysis of the agritourism phenomenon. In order to do so, the study proposes an integrated and dynamic vision of the three sustainability dimensions, focusing on the relationship between farms, territories and tourists in a co-evolutionary perspective. The proposed framework is tested through the analysis of ten case studies localized in the Lazio region. Findings show that farms, through the strategic choice of agritourism, activate sustainability-oriented synergies based on effective co-evolutionary adaptations between multiple actors, improving the territories competitiveness with positive effects on the social wellbeing. Common vision and both ethical and moral values are the fundamental pre-requisites to realize these synergies. Overall, the study adds new elements on the sustainability literature. Thus, both theoretical and managerial implications emerge, together with suggestions for future research.