DIGITALLY-ENABLED COMMUNITY AGRITOURISM AS A PATHWAY TO RURAL INCOME IN THE ARAL SEA REGION: A CONCEPTUAL APPROACH
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21353722Keywords:
agritourism; rural tourism; digital platform; community-based tourism; length of stay; economic diversification; Aral Sea region; Karakalpakstan; UzbekistanAbstract
Tourism in Uzbekistan is developing rapidly, and there are significant opportunities to further
increase revenue generated per tourist. This paper argues that organizing agritourism as an interconnected
community network and promoting it through a digital platform represents an effective way to realize these
opportunities in the Aral Sea region (the Republic of Karakalpakstan), an area with unique ecological
characteristics and strong potential for further tourism infrastructure development. Drawing on existing research
demonstrating the significant impact of digital platforms on increasing the visibility of rural tourism services, the
paper proposes a community-based digital agritourism model in which authentic rural experiences provided by
local residents are integrated, booked, and promoted through a state–private partnership digital platform while
also enabling tourists to connect with one another. The study is conceptual in nature and focuses on developing
a new approach and directions for future research. The paper proposes a transferable model capable of
transforming the existing tourism potential of peripheral regions in Central Asia into increased income for rural
communities.
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