Horse‐based Tourism: Community, Quality and Disinterest in Economic Value

Abstract

Although horse‐based tourism is an important and growing sector of the tourism industry, it has not been extensively researched. The findings from the current research project, which involved interviews with owners/operators of horse‐based tourism businesses and a survey of their business practices, suggest that they belong to a culture of horsemanship rather than a culture of tourism as business operations in a service industry. The background, interests and outlook of the participants is that of horsemen: that is people involved with the breeding, training and riding of horses. This is also what they expect their guests to be interested in, and a passion they believe to be shared between hosts and guests. The business operation, including finances, insurance and business plans, were topics that the participants seemed less knowledgeable about and less interested in.

Keywords:

• Horse‐based tourism
• equestrian tourism
• riding tours
• horse rental
• horses
• horsemanship

Acknowledgements

Hólar University College, Department of Rural Tourism leads this project, which is sponsored by The Centre for the Icelandic Horse and the Icelandic Tourism Association. This research/development project design is an effort at living up to the college mandate of sustainable development of rural economies (Hólar University College, 2004). While not as articulate as the models of adaptive management discussed, for example, by Farrell and Twining‐Ward (2004), this approach is of that kind. The project is based on the premise that horse‐based tourism is a complex system, which needs an approach involving different research methods, both qualitative and quantitative, as well as an exploration of diverse natural, social and affective aspects. Furthermore the project is based on the premise that the distinction between applied and basic research is not useful, the project aims to enhance sustainable practice in horse‐based tourism, which is impossible without considering basic theoretical concepts.