The social dimension of agritourism: key learnings

There are several benefits to advocating for agritourism initiatives. These can range from increased quality and competitiveness of SMEs to shorter supply chains and stronger differentiation on the travel market. From the guests’ perspective they get premium experiences and higher engagement with the local community. And normally such initiatives also help keep local culture and traditions alive. For example, “eventification” is a good format where local events can be set up around local traditional products. Tourism in agricultural areas should be supported and promoted also from the perspective that tourism is the sector that can integrate and keep young people in the rural communities. 

Nonetheless a balanced perspective on local impacts is needed. While any tourism initiative should consider the impact on local communities it is nonetheless also true that for the local producers and providers the key driver is still making a living and building their business. Thus, a balance is needed between the commercial and social aspects when planning agritourism promotion and initiatives and the broader policy framework.

Tightly knit local communities with well-structured associations and well-established bodies representing local businesses are sometimes considered a precondition for the successful development of agritourism. However, in other localities, actors experience that agritourism helps structure local communities and business environments. To establish virtuous circles of interaction between these interlinked dimensions, every locality or region needs a strategy tailored to its starting situation.  

Patience is needed when reaching out to the target group – small agricultural/food or accommodation providers – with agritourism initiatives. These SMEs are often very busy with their day-to-day activities and survival. Hence, starting early and planning sufficient time buffer is key to implementing agritourism practices. Getting food and tourism industry to collaborate is also not a one-time effort, but an ongoing process that requires some intermediation either from the local business support organization or the local tourism agency. 

Agritourism practices tend to align well with the new trend of responsible travel. For example, being able to eat local produce in the region one is visiting is a good contributor to this cause. More impact can be had if the tourism industry and agencies generate the context for involvement and responsible attitudes compared to when this responsibility is left on the individual traveler. Telling a tourist “to be responsible” is a harder sell than “go to this beautiful local village and you can taste the delicious local food.” However, the local tourism providers require further guidance on how to set up such responsible experiences for the visitors.