Simply stated, agri-tourism could be thought of as the crossroads of tourism and agriculture. Stated more technically, agritourism can be defined as a form of commercial enterprise that links agricultural production and/or processing with tourism in order to attract visitors onto a farm, ranch, or other agricultural business for the purposes of entertaining and/or educating the visitors and generating income for the farm.
Affordable airlines, air BnBs and a global online community have all helped make exploring the world all the more accessible over the years. We more than most, appreciate these opportunities to discover new cultures, see breathtaking sights and satisfy our wanderlust, but we’ve also recognised this freedom comes with a certain level of responsibility.
Whenever we travel, we try to be mindful of our carbon footprint and the impact we’re having on the surrounding environment, considering recycling, shopping locally and paying a fair price for our experiences. As we develop the vision for Aroha, our crowd-funded wellbeing retreat in Greece, these ideas and values remain at the forefront of our minds – which is why we’re working to ensure agritourism is core to our model. We want to encourage a sustainable, eco-conscious approach to travel and wellness.
Agritourism presents a unique opportunity to combine aspects of the tourism and agriculture industries to provide a number of financial, educational, and social benefits to tourists, producers, and communities. The term is often used interchangeably with “agri-tourism,” “agrotourism,” “farm tourism,” or “agricultural tourism.” and it gives producers an opportunity to generate additional income and an avenue for direct marketing to consumers. It enhances the tourism industry by increasing the volume of visitors to an area and the length of their stay.
Agritourism also provides communities with the potential to increase their local tax bases and new employment opportunities. Simply stated, agritourism is the meeting of tourism and agriculture. More technically, agritourism can be defined as “a form of commercial enterprise that links agricultural production and/or processing with tourism in order to attract visitors onto a farm, ranch, or other agricultural business for the purposes of entertaining and/or educating the visitors and generating income for the farm.”
Regardless of the exact definition or terminology, any definition of agritourism should include the following four factors:
• Combines the essential elements of the tourism and agriculture industries
• Attracts members of the public to visit agricultural operations
• Is designed to increase farm income
• Provides recreation, entertainment, and/or educational experiences to visitors
Agritourism operations exist throughout the world. Some are small operations operating on a seasonal basis and offering limited consumer services, while other larger operations operate throughout the year and provide numerous consumer services. You might have taken part in agritourism yourself, have you ever tried any of these?
• Cut-your-own Christmas tree farms
• Demonstration farms
• Living history farms
• On-farm farmers’ markets
• Winery tours and wine tasting
• Rural bed & breakfasts
Whether large or small, agritourism provides educational opportunities for the public, helps to preserve agricultural lands, and allows the ongoing development of business enterprises.
Our plan is to build Aroha among the olive trees, which will continue to grow and be harvested. The retreat will remain open during harvesting so that our guests can spend time with our farmers learning about the trees, soil maintenance, harvesting techniques and biodiversity. You may even come across a goat or two! It’s quite normal to have animals grazing under the trees when using traditional farming practices – it’s all part of the natural, sustainable ecosystem that Aroha will become a part of.
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