Modeling Circular Economy Dimensions in Agri-Tourism Clusters: Sustainable Performance and Future Research Directions

The purpose of this research is to identify the key Circular Economy dimensions (CE-D) in Agri-tourism industry and to determine the performance of these dimensions using AHP-TOPSIS method. The research is carried out in two stages, firstly 11 CE-D were identified using systematic literature review. In stage two, industrial experts validate and finalize 9 CE-D which can decide the overall performance of Agri-Tourism Networks. The AHP analysis shows that Destination Attractiveness is valued highest for making CE decisions, whereas, community contributions and sustainable livelihoods valued second and third as important dimensions. Moreover, TOPSIS shows that Pithoragarh is emerged as the best cluster among all Agri-tourism clusters selected for the study, whereas, Almora stood in second position. The Agri-food clusters are becoming more complex and flexible and started putting pressure on existing supply chains to re-design the existing value chain and incorporate more sustainable practices and performances. The identification of Circular Economy Dimensions (CE-D) to evaluate the performance of clusters can serve as guiding tool for the Agri-tourism Practioners and policy makers. Besides, the study examines relevant issues related to CE in Agri-tourism clusters, major advantages and challenges of building CE driven Agri-tourism clusters. The limitation of the study is the geographical coverage and limited demography of the respondents. The research study is among very few works on evaluating Agri-tourism supply chain practices in India, with the case reference of Uttarakhand.