Interrelations between tourism offer and tourism demand in the case of farm tourism in Slovenia

Abstract

In Slovenia, farm tourism is among the most important supplementary activities on farm. On the other hand, its role within tourism sector is rather modest. The paper approaches the phenomenon of farm tourism from tourism supply and demand perspectives. Employed qualitative methods involved farm tourism holders and potential tourists on farm. The results have pointed out that the occurrence of tourist farms is primarily the result of farmers' needs and opportunities, and only on the second place of expressed demand of tourism market. Farm tourism supply and demand factors are interrelated in a rather complex way. Supply is only selectively influenced by (perceived) demand since farm tourism providers stick to extant idea/image of farm tourism and they are not putting it in question. In this way they also affect tourism demand since they shape a specific construct/image of farm tourism which attracts only some types of tourists.