Agritourism as a new social movement: entrepreneurship based on values

Abstract

The issue of new social movements has predominantly been discussed in the context of urban areas. Manuel Castells underscores the significance of this field of activity for social movements. In late modern society, it appears that the city is not the only environment where new social movements can emerge; such collective activities may also take root in rural areas. The primary question addressed in the paper is whether there exists an agritourism movement in contemporary rural areas of Poland that serves as a driving force for value-based entrepreneurship. It seems that entrepreneurship within agritourism may contribute, on one hand, to the implementation of a specific set o f post-materialist values, and on the other hand, may lead to the creation of an agritourism movement with characteristics akin to a new social movement, which serves as a tool for conducting entrepreneurial activities within agritourism. The empirical section of the article is based on research involving 20 agritourism farms from the Malopolskie Province and 35 leaders of agritourism associations operating in Poland. The research aimed to test the hypothesis that an agritourism movement exists in rural areas, providing a framework for value-based economic activity.