Examining the relationship between the price, the characteristics and the visitor evaluation of attributes of Italian farmhouses with an educational farm

Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the price charged for a guest room in a farmhouse with an educational farm, the farmhouse characteristics and the visitor evaluationoftheprincipalexternalandinternalfarmhouseattributes. Design/methodology/approach – A large sample of 10,880 visitor reviews, extrapolated from the websites of 399 Italian farmhouses with an educational farm (FEF), was analyzed. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to identify the main latent dimensions of the farmhouses (visitor satisfaction with farmhouse attributes, farmhouse dimensions, visitor frequency, farmhouse services, types of accommodation and altitude) that affect the price charged for a guest room. Subsequently, multivariateregressionwasappliedtomeasuretheimpactofthesenewlatentfactorsontheprice. Findings – Overall, the results indicate that the price of a farmhouse with an educational farm – in the context of this niche of the Italian agritourism sector – reflects the visitor evaluation of the farmhouse attributes (especially activities and facilities available in the surrounding countryside), the farmhouse dimensions, the types of accommodation, the number of services on offer and the presence of connectivity (WI-FI). Inaddition, the results reveal that the price represents an important driver that guides guestsintheirchoiceofafarmhouseandthatitaffectsvisitorsatisfactionwithfarmhouseattributes. Research limitations/implications – Because of the sample chosen, the data gathered are limited to onetype oforganization – Italian FEF.Furthermore, it may be importantto investigatein more depth some issuesthatremainpartlyunansweredthatconcernthisnicheoftheItalianagritourismsector. Practical implications – Thanks to the identification of latent dimensions by PCA and the examination of their impact on the farmhouse price, farmhouse operators can understand a priori the main determinants on which to focus to improve the quality of activities and facilities available in the farmhouse location to better satisfyvisitor expectations. Originality/value – This study provides new and practical insights into the farmhouse experience in Italian municipalities,anareawhereverylimitedresearchhasbeenconducted.Indeed,thisisoneofthefewstudies tofocusononlinereviewstoevaluatemorethantwofarmhouseattributesandtheirimpactonpricing.