A Systematic Literature Review of Empowering Women’s Entrepreneurial Role in Agritourism, A Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy and Business Model

Abstract

Agritourism encompassing agriculture and tourism has been widely studied in literature for decades. This field is intrinsically challenging for its operators to maintain a successful endeavour.  However, the role of women in agritourism and the challenges they face are different than those confronted by men. The article presents a systematic review of the academic literature regarding the themes emerging when surveying the topic of women in agritourism and rural tourism. Scopus database was used for literature selection. The identification and eligibility processes of the selected articles for review purposes were performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta Analysis (PRISMA) method and seven major themes emerged. The results show that the social pillar is the most studied factor for the empowerment of women and their long-term business success. Additionally, among other important factors, endorsements of authorities through targeted policies for gender balance are of vital importance.