Agritourism is a type of tourism that is increasing around the world. With the increasing popularity of niche tourism, coupled with a growth in the desire to make travels more sustainable, it is no surprise that the agritourism industry has grown significantly in recent years. But what exactly is agritourism and how does it work? This article explains.
What is agritourism?
Agritourism is a type of experiential travel. It involves doing something on a trip or holiday, and therefore experiencing the destination more deeply than on a purely relaxing holiday. More specifically, agritourism involves doing something that is related in some way to agriculture.
Agritourism takes many different forms and comes in many different shapes and sizes. Some examples include:
- Wine/vineyard tours
- Glamping/camping
- Quad biking
- Horse riding
- Fruit/flower picking
- Volunteer tourism
- Animal farms parks/safari parks
- WWOOFING
- Staying in a homestay located on a farm
- Farm tours
- Educational visits
- Relaxation retreats
- Hunting trips
- Rural weddings/events
- Farmer’s markets
- Mazes
- Bird and wildlife watching
- Nature centres
Agritourism comes with economic benefits for travellers and for other tourism stakeholders (farmers, ranch owners and so on). In fact, it is necessary for the survival of some small farms. It diversifies farmers’ income streams, meaning they are able to make money outside of their regular season. By farms offering agritourism opportunities, too, surrounding areas and local communities see an increase in people visiting or passing through. This of course means an economic boost for rural areas and is an example of a positive economic impact of tourism!
Agritourism is also a more eco-friendly and immersive way to travel. It allows people to have experiences they may not get elsewhere, meet local people, see ‘off the beaten track’ locations and more. Agritourism can also raise awareness of where food comes from and of more sustainable farming practices. With the rise of ecotourism, it is no surprise that agritourism is becoming more popular as time goes on.
Video: What is agritourism?
Definition of agritourism
Agritourism is tourism that involves any agriculturally based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch. It of course comes from the term ‘agriculture’. This is the science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other products.
A further definition of agritourism by the North Carolina Agritourism Activity Liability Law states that it is: Any activity carried out on a farm or ranch that allows members of the general public, for recreational, entertainment, or educational purposes, to view or enjoy rural activities, including farming, ranching, historic, cultural, harvest-your-own activities, or natural activities and attractions.
It doesn’t necessarily have to include travelling abroad. A simple visit to a petting zoo or local farm counts as agritourism.
Types of agritourism
There are typically 5 types of agritourism. The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development labelled these as:
- Direct-to-consumer sales
- Agricultural education
- Hospitality
- Recreation
- Entertainment
Each of these categories is explained in more detail in the next section. Many people take part in agritourism without realising it- a trip to a pick-your-own farm or a farm shop is a common example.
The five types of agritourism explained
Below is more information about each of the five types of agritourism, based on the definitions in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development.
Direct-to-consumer sales
This includes farm stands and ‘pick your own’ experiences. A farm stand is, as the name suggests, a place where customers can buy produce directly from a farm. A farmers’ market is similar to this – a place where customers can buy goods from different farmers who have travelled to one location to sell their produce. This can range from eggs to cheese to meat. Farms also often have shops attached to them, selling produce as well as items from local crafters, makers and more.
Visitors can also pick their own produce on many farms- strawberries and other berries in the summer, and pumpkins in the autumn months leading up to Halloween. Pumpkin patches have become hugely popular in the UK in recent years, partly thanks to social media (see Instatourism).
Did you know: the pick your own strawberries trend in the UK was pioneered by Ted Moult in 1961. He was a British farmer at Scaddows Farm near Ticknall, Derbyshire, who went on to become a radio and television personality.
Agricultural education
School trips to local farms fall under this category of agritourism. Adults may also visit a farm for a guided tour in which a farmer explains different aspects of the farming industry. This would be a type of agritourism as well as a type of educational tourism, although it is just a small part of agricultural education as a whole – for example, tertiary education locations such as Reaseheath College in Nantwich, UK.
Hospitality
In terms of agritourism as proper tourism, i.e. travelling outside of one’s home area for a holiday, this category is where it starts. From family-friendly interactive farms to relaxing adult only retreats complete with hot tubs, there are various different farm stay options across the world. Options range from family campsites with petting zoos to romantic shepherd’s huts with farm views. Farmstay.co.uk offers a huge range of accommodation on working farms in the UK, and similar organisations exist around the world.
It is also possible to book working farm holidays, where visitors work in exchange for accommodation and food. WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) facilitates this globally, connecting volunteers with organic farmers in more than 100 countries. This can be a very affordable way to travel, for those prepared to put the work in.
Recreation
Hunting, horse riding, fishing and even meeting donkeys on the seafront are all recreational types of agritourism. Hunting doesn’t just mean animals, either- truffle hunting is a popular agritourism activity in Italy and France. Horse riding is offered as a tourist activity around the world, from desert treks to beach rides, although responsible tourists should check that the animals are well cared for.
Entertainment
The final type of agritourism is entertainment. Although the above categories are entertaining in themselves, this is slightly different. The entertainment category includes hay rides, which are popular in the US especially and involve a hay-lined truck or tractor ride. Other countries have started to adopt this activity, and it is also popular when it comes to Halloween – haunted hayrides have become a popular seasonal attraction.
The advantages of agritourism
Agritourism is a valuable way for farmers to diversify their income. With challenges such as droughts and other extreme weather linked to climate change, falling prices and increased competition, farmers are vulnerable to financial loss after a bad season, and agritourism can help to compensate for this. Other advantages include bringing visitor spending into rural communities, creating jobs, helping to preserve traditional farming practices and educating visitors about where their food comes from.
The disadvantages of agritourism
Agritourism can have its disadvantages also. Tourists visiting farmland may have negative environmental consequences– trampling the ground or by frightening/displacing local wildlife. The introduction of agritourism can also take the attention away from traditional farm work. Over-dependence on tourism is a big problem in many parts of the world, and it is important that farm owners do not entirely abandon their traditional methods of making money… because should something happen to discourage tourists from visiting (an illness, political unrest, a natural disaster etc) income could disappear very quickly.
Examples of agritourism around the world
Agritourism takes place all around the world, with more and more agritourism businesses popping up all the time. Here are some examples:
Agritourism in the Philippines
Agritourism is popular in the Philippines, which has a tropical climate, fertile soil and plenty of natural resources. The country passed the Farm Tourism Development Act in 2016 to promote farm tourism. According to Kapwa, a Filipino travel company, some of the country’s most popular agritourism activities include “vegetable- or fruit-picking, sampling of local wines, planting rice or root crops, visit to organic farms, milking cows, riding carabaos, catching fish, coffee bean picking, farm-to-table dining, and more.”
Agritourism in the UK
Farm stays are very popular in the UK. As a highly urbanised country, many people find it novel to stay somewhere rural. Travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a boom in staycations, many of them in rural areas, and options range from shepherd’s huts and glamping to cosy farm cottages.
Agritourism in Australia
Another place that sees a lot of agritourism is Australia. This is because second-year visa requirements say: to earn the right to a second year visa you must work in one of Australia’s more remote areas – the kind of places where travelling to the nearest town takes about as long as travelling to a whole other country in Europe. The job must be paid (in the past voluntary work was eligible) and the work hours must constitute a full-time job.
Farm work therefore became a rite of passage for many backpackers, and many say that some of their best memories of Australia are from working on farms. However, the rules have changed for some nationalities: since July 2024, British working holiday makers no longer need to complete specified work, such as farm work, to extend their visa, as part of the UK-Australia free trade agreement.
Agritourism in India
Farming is vital to India and its economy, and agritourism has become an important way for farmers to diversify their income. The state of Maharashtra has been a pioneer, adopting a dedicated agritourism policy in 2020. Visitors can stay on working farms, help to milk cows, walk through plantations and learn to cook with produce from the farm.
Agritourism in Italy
Italy is famous for its agriturismi– working farms that offer accommodation and meals made with their own produce. Agriturismo has been regulated by Italian law since 1985, and there are now more than 25,000 agriturismi across the country, particularly in regions such as Tuscany, Umbria and South Tyrol.
Agritourism: FAQs
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about agritourism.
What is agritourism?
Agritourism is any agriculturally based activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch, such as pick-your-own fruit, farm stays, farm tours, farm shops, vineyard visits and seasonal events like pumpkin patches. It is also known as agrotourism or farm tourism.
What are the five types of agritourism?
The five main types of agritourism are direct-to-consumer sales (such as farm shops and pick-your-own), agricultural education, hospitality (such as farm stays), recreation (such as horse riding and fishing) and entertainment (such as hay rides and corn mazes).
What are the benefits of agritourism?
Agritourism helps farmers to diversify and increase their income, brings visitor spending into rural areas, creates local jobs, helps to preserve farming traditions and teaches visitors where their food comes from.
What is an example of agritourism?
Examples include staying at an agriturismo in Italy, picking strawberries or pumpkins at a UK farm, WWOOFing on an organic farm, touring a tea plantation in Sri Lanka, or visiting a vineyard for a wine tasting.
What is the difference between agritourism and rural tourism?
Rural tourism is any tourism that takes place in the countryside, such as hiking or staying in a country cottage. Agritourism is a type of rural tourism that is specifically linked to farming and agricultural activities.
Further reading
If you found this article on agritourism useful, you may also find these articles helpful-
- Niche tourism: What, why and where
- Educational tourism: Everything you need to know
- Ecotourism in Costa Rica: Where to go and why
- MICE tourism: A simple explanation
- Rural tourism explained
- What is wine tourism?
- What is an eco lodge? | Understanding tourism
