Leveling of entrepreneurship components in agricultural tourism with an interpretive structural modeling approach

This study aimed to rate the entrepreneurship components in agricultural tourism with an interpretive structural modeling approach. In this qualitative research, Grounded Theory Method was used to identify the components, and interpretive structural modeling approach was used to rate them. In this regard, deep interviews were conducted with experts in the field of tourism and agriculture. The interviewees were selected using purposive sampling method and snowball technique. The criterion of sampling adequacy was the data theoretical saturation which obtained in the twentieth interview. After conducting the interviews, the components were extracted based on the Grounded Theory within three stages of open coding, axial coding and selective coding. Accordingly, "climatic and environmental attractions, diversity of cultivation patterns and experience and attitudes of tourists" as causal conditions, "rural planning and migration system" as intervening conditions and "capacity building and government support" as context conditions were identified. Strategies include "advertising and branding, management and planning, training and empowerment, and optimization of tourism patterns" and the consequences include "entrepreneurship development and job creation and economic growth and welfare". Also, using interpretive structural modeling, it was determined that advertising and branding, diversity of cultivation patterns and climatic and environmental attractions were at the fourth level, education and empowerment at the third level, tourism models selectivity at the second level and management and planning, capacity building and government support and experience and attitude of tourists came first. Therefore, it is suggested to encourage the private sector to invest in tourism-related infrastructure through advertising and proper awareness.