1. 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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2. • Introduction
Agenda
• Previous research
– opportunities
– challenges
• Research problem
• Research aim
• Research questions
• Conceptual development
• Research design & methodology
• Anticipated results
• Ethics
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3. Introduction
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4. 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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5. • 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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6. •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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7. 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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8. Landlocked country (Completely Surrounded by RSA)
Population: approximately 2M
58 % lives below poverty line
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9. • 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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10. Research Aim
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.
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11. 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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12. Farmers
Farmer
Information
A
c
c
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s
s
t
o
Farm
employees
Tourists
Stakeholder
needs and
requirements
Goals &
objectives
Strategies
Info
requirements
Communication
Technology
Farm
infrastructure
i
n
f
r
a
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t
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Framework for the use of ICT to enhance Agritourism in Lesotho
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13. Research Design & Methodology
•
•
Interpretative in nature and will employ an inductive approach
Collected data will be qualitative
•
CASE STUDIES
Fifteen farms (Multiple –Cases)
•
SAMPLING
non-probability sampling and a judgemental sampling technique
- commercial farming
•
UNITS OF ANALYSIS
Farmers, farm employees, tourists (users)
•
DATA COLLECTION METHODS
Primary
- of in-depth interviews with structured questions (face to face)
secondary - literature review and other documents
•
DATA ANALYSIS
Content Analysis : It is used for making replicable and valid reference from
data to their context (Myers,1997)
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14. 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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15. 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
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16. Thank you