Agritourism Development in the Caspian Sea Region of Iran: Does Culture Matter?

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to take a phenomenological perspective to understand the role of culture on development of individual agri-tourism ventures in agrarian regions bordering the Caspian Sea in Iran. This study offers empirical support that local culture indeed has an impact on entrepreneurial tasks that structure business launch and expansion. A mix of monetary and non-monetary motives for launching an agritourism venture was observed. In several cases, the non-monetary motivation predominated over monetary motivations. It was also found that entrepreneurs in this study were characterized as collectivist rather than individualist; they had high level of ambiguity tolerance; and they favoured learning more frequently from established role models to provide a practical education. Findings indicate that local culture can be considered as variable influencing individuals' motivation, values, beliefs, and entrepreneurial behaviour. Findings also contribute to the provision of a solid basis of Iranian cultural values that works as the foundation for the future development of dimensions of Iranian cultural values in the agritourism context.