Coopetition strategy in the development of agrotourism business entities

Purpose: The main study objective is to identify the most important reasons why owners of agrotourism business entities undertake coopetition activities and to identify the benefits and risks resulting from the implementation of the coopetition strategy. Project/methodologyapproach: Theoretical aspects of the coopetition strategy are the starting point for pilot studies carried out in the Świętokrzyskie region on a sample of 150 agrotourism business entities, which accounts for about 30% of all such entities operating in the region. An interview questionnaire was used in the study. A deliberate selection of the research area and the subjects surveyed was assumed. Results: The analysis of the results of the pilot study shows that the coopetition strategy brings greater benefits to agrotourism business entities than competition and co-operation strategies implemented separately, the benefits include: expanding the scale of operations, strengthening the position of the company in relation to competitors which are not parties to the coopetition agreement, and access to new customer markets. When making a decision on cooperation, the surveyed owners of agrotourism business entities most often treat it as a strategic decision, i.e. relating to effects in a distant time horizon, and its main reason is to increase competitiveness on the market. Practical implications: Both cooperation and competition relations are important for the development of agrotourism business entities. Cooperative relationships are created as associations, usually to carry out tasks aimed at increasing the attractiveness of a given tourist destination. Competitive relationships concern in particular the individual offer of services, their quality and diversity. The consequences of both types of activities have a significant impact on building competitive advantage of the surveyed business entities. Originality/value: The analysis of literature leads to the conclusion that there are no scientific studies showing the coopetition in relation to the activities of agrotourism business entities. Therefore, the issues addressed form a research gap. The article is directed to owners of agrotourism business entities and agrotourism associations.