What the study found
The study finds that tourist imaginary and farmers’ own perceptions of the countryside are interwoven in a shared process of co-construction. The countryside is represented as a dreamt, imagined, and chosen place, but it also produces idealized views that can create contrasts in visitor-host interactions.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors suggest that understanding these crossed imaginaries helps explain how the French countryside is perceived by visitors and by the agricultural people who host them. They conclude that the study sheds light on how agritourism can generate both idealized representations and interactional dissonances.
What the researchers tested
The researchers examined tourist imaginary in relation to the French countryside and asked whether rural areas are experienced as dreamlike and selected places. They focused on on-farm markets, described as an agritourism concept that has been developing in France, to explore how visitors and visited farmers perceive rural life.
What worked and what didn't
The abstract reports that the countryside can be “purifying,” “socializing,” or “nostalgic” in the representations it produces. It also says these ideals are present for both visitors and the people visited, but that the interaction can involve dissonances and contrasts. No specific intervention or comparison is described.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not provide detailed methods, sample size, or specific data. It also does not describe limitations beyond the study’s focus on French countryside on-farm markets.
Key points
- Tourist and farmer perceptions of the French countryside are described as co-constructed.
- The countryside is presented as a dreamlike, imagined, and chosen place.
- On-farm markets are the agritourism setting used to explore these perceptions.
- The abstract says the countryside can evoke purifying, socializing, or nostalgic meanings.
- The interaction between visitors and farmers can produce dissonances and contrasts.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Tourist and farmer perceptions shape idealized countryside views
- Authors:
- Jacinthe Bessière, Alexis Annes
- Institutions:
- Université Toulouse – Jean Jaurès, Ecole d'Ingénieurs de PURPAN
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-10
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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