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The potential use of Information

Communication Technology to enhance agritourism in Lesotho

Konosoang Connie Mpiti

MTech : Business Information Systems

Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa

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Agenda• Introduction

• Previous research

– opportunities

– challenges

• Research problem

• Research aim

• Research questions

• Conceptual development

• Research design & methodology

• Anticipated results

• Ethics

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Introduction

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Opportunities & Challenges

• ICT has opened new opportunities in knowledge management (Nnadi et al. 2012)

- sharing and exchanging

- disseminating knowledge

- sustain and improve livehoods of farmers

• ICT enables tourism providers and destinations to operate more efficiently (Khanchouch, 2005)

• ICT provides opportunities for business expansion in all geographic, marketing & operational level (Buhalis, 2003)

• ICT strengthens the role of agritourism by allowing easy access to information in rural communities (Lawrence, 2009)

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• ICT enabled services help improve capacity & livehoods of

farmers in rural communities (Arker, 2010)

• Reduce communication cost and allow competition at

international level

• exchange of information through SMS/online messaging

• Use of computers to process data automatically

• Agritourism sector is faced with new and severe

challenges that affect farmer’s ability to obtain

income (Arker, 2010)

• Insufficient adoption of ICT

• Rise in food prices pushed people into poverty

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•Farmers may not be benefit from emerging technologies due to

inadequate access to ICT infrastructure and services (Buyukbay &

Gunduz, 2011)

•Farmers rely on accumulated experience & support of other

farmers to receive information (Tembo, 2008)

•Farmers receive information by means of newspapers, radio &

TV.

- Inadequate & provide limited information.

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Research Problem

Many farmers in rural communities of

Lesotho do not have access to ICT, making it

difficult for them to communicate

agritourism products and services to the

market. This results in lower sales and

productivity.

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Landlocked country (Completely Surrounded by

RSA)

Population: approximately 2M

58 % lives below poverty line

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• Agriculture

• heavy rainfall & drought

• insufficient arable land,

poor soil fertility,

weakening of subsistence

land for farming.

• Tourism

• Developing stage

•Communities rely on

Agritourism

• Source of household

income

•GDP

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The purpose of this research is to explore how ICT can be

used by farmers in rural communities with the aim of

contributing towards agritourism development.

Additionally, this research will determine how to overcome

potential barriers that may inhibit the use of these

technologies by farmers.

Research Aim

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Research question

How can ICT be used to support agritourism development?

Objective:

To explore the different types of ICT and investigate how they can be

used to help contribute to agritourism development.

Research Sub questions

1.What technologies do farmers in rural communities use?

2.What agritourism information do farmers, farm employees &

tourists need in rural communities?

3.What are the factors that influence the use of ICT in

agritourism?

4.What are the design considerations for ICT use in agritourism?

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Stakeholder needs and

requirements

Farm infrastructureTourists

Farmers

Farmer

Goals & objectives

Strategies Info requirements

Information

Technology

Farm employees

Communication

Access to infrastructure

compliance

Government

Cost

Training

Framework for the use of ICT to enhance Agritourism in Lesotho

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Research Design & Methodology

• Interpretative in nature and will employ an inductive approach• Collected data will be qualitative

• CASE STUDIESFifteen farms (Multiple –Cases)

• SAMPLINGnon-probability sampling and a judgemental sampling technique

- commercial farming

• UNITS OF ANALYSISFarmers, farm employees, tourists (users)

• DATA COLLECTION METHODSPrimary - of in-depth interviews with structured questions (face

to face)secondary - literature review and other documents

• DATA ANALYSISContent Analysis : It is used for making replicable and valid

reference from data to their context (Myers,1997)

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Delineation

The research will be limited to farms involved in

commercial farming in selected rural communities in the

district of Maseru in Lesotho.

Anticipated results

•Provide farmers with a communicable framework

•Identify factors inhibiting ICT use

•Contribute towards e-tourism and development, body of

knowledge and increase understanding

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Ethical Consideration

• The research will not involve unethical behaviour

• It will not involve participants who are unable to give

informed consent

• It will not involve discussion of sensitive topics

• The research method that will be used will not have any

negative impacts on the participants

• All participants will be given a brief summary of the

research data collection methods as well as findings for

better understanding of this research

Thank you