Sustainable Agritourism Through Circular Economy: “Masseria Rifisa” Case

ABSTRACT This paper contributes to advancing the debate on the circular economy in tourism by exploring the opportunities of the circular transition in agrotourism, a branch of the tourism sector of growing interest, called to balance the management of natural capital with the creation of a sustainable and resilient tourism offering. Based on a qualitative and explorative approach, the paper presents the empirical evidence of a single case study related to “Masseria Rifisa” built on data collected through the integration of primary and secondary sources. Findings highlight that creating agrotourism hospitality aligned with a circular economy is the result of a strategy of differentiation embraced by a long traditional family farm to react to the changing conditions characterizing agriculture in the Salento areas. Implications for theory can be identified in the major understanding of the circular economy in tourism. While for practice, elements of novelty for the renewal and competitive growth of agriculture and tourism businesses are provided. Limitations of the study, with elements for the future advancement of the research, are also provided.