In recent years when life is busy and schedules are hectic, tourists or travelers are choosing destinations, which are Eco friendly and has ordinary attractions for their annual, weekends or fortnight holidays. Pollution is one of the biggest issues these days, so as part of the world citizen people along with their partners and children want to witness the natural way of life in the form of Agritourism.
Most of the tourist’s typical holiday attractions are high ways, sky scrapers, visiting museums and urban way of life. However, to get unique and life time experience, Agritourism is the good offer for a change. Agritourism is the combination of a farm way of life education, adventure, typical or traditional culinary and an experience for those who are homesick and stuck in city life.
The commercial enterprise of a vineyard, ranch or any farm is Agritourism. It not only generates the income for farmers but also educates the visitors, but it does provide enjoyment as well (Agritourism N.D).
In any working farm Agritourism not only helps farmers to earn extra money, but it provides a suitable and appropriate way of ranch life, and increase vineyard or farm supplement income. It can be earning from farm stays, classes, fairs and festivals organized by local farmers, farms, which grow Christmas tree, patches of pumpkin, fishing, etc. to get money (Agritourism n.d).
Agritourism is completely different from fast city life. It is comparatively slower and contains leisure time activities. It’s not only help people to enjoy the farm life, but to appreciate and understand the farmer’s way of life. Like, enjoyable and fresh air long walk at vineyards, and then get the opportunity to taste the wine as well. Visitors can ride horses, walk through rivers, take a hay rides, sleigh ride, picking apples and other seasonal fruits and taste honey.
Rural tourism is a segment, which is referred as nature, recreation or ecotourism based tourism. If we check the Ecotourism and Agritourism, then we will find that it has many aspects, which are overlapping each other. Sometimes those aspects occur or happen at the same time. The term Ecotourism is protected the low scale areas and fragile responsible to travel. On the other hand, Agritourism is described as, it involves activities, which are based on agricultural, which invites or attracts visitors to the ranch or farm.
When we use the name Agritourism then there are many people who may think like some educated or sophisticated class of people are paying to do ranch or farm work, stay at their farms and also buy their home made products. The other picture will be some kind of a reality show which encourages people to participate in these kinds of activities.
However, many tourists jump in the opportunity to stay in rural areas and get the experience. The tourists who want to spend their vacation in Agritourism style, then they can visit California to pick grapes, Tuscany farm, which grows olive and can buy oranges from roadside stalls. Agritourism is very helpful to attract visitors to the areas which are agricultural to increase their education regarding a rural or past way of life and give them the general idea for a fresh atmosphere and foods.
Many farmers started to make changes in livestock industries and farming worldwide especially the small farm owners. They are trying to get new ways and opportunities to increase their income. When visitors visit the farms, they not only understand the origin of farming, but also the breeding or rising of livestock (Lamb n.d).
Travel industry recent fastest or advance growing trend is Agritourism. It not only combines products, settings and services of agriculture, but provides a unique experience of tourism. Agritourism is a popular industry or destination for the tourist in North America and in Europe it is a very valuable business. People who want a relief and enjoyment look forward to the Agritourism type of vacation. It’s not necessary that they will take a month vacation it may be a day or a weekend trip with family or individual.
This type of vacation helps them to be fresh up their minds and relief from daily tensions. A large number of activities are provided by Agritourism like seasonal festivals’; pick your own outdoor adventures. Agritourism business gives a wide verity of services and products available at farms, extra income and helpful hand to farmer’s family (Sheridan 2006).
Agritourism growing industry one good example to provide benefits and enjoyment is San Diego. Agritourism has a momentous benefit for the agricultural urban communities and farmers on metropolitan counties and San Diego. Agritourism gives a splendid impact on local economies, miscellaneous opportunities for farmers and promotes the development in finances. This change in finances makes changes in farmer’s life to lead them in a better atmosphere.
A number of researches or study show that agricultural tourism makes a big difference in every aspect in every county that is providing or promoting Agritourism. As the time is passing the demands and trends are getting change in Tourism. Currently, the trends show the new experiments to get different style and ways of Agritourism methods to attract visitors.
The agricultural development trend has extended because of the increase in attractions of farm based activities. This change in agricultural tourism leads them to Agritourism and became an important factor in San Diego and other counties. The conventional or historical way of tourism industry in the agricultural sector is increasing.
The better marketing for the awareness and substantial benefits is a different segment and want extra efforts in a tourism department for the local agricultural benefits.
Those extra efforts include activities and number of facilities such as visits, demonstration and tours of farms, agricultural festivals, accommodation, nursery trails, museums and wineries.
To increase the visits 20 certified farmers markets are working in San Diego only that operates counties integrated communities. The tourism industry combines the individuality and local agricultural varieties to offer various opportunities for farmers to modify their revenues and operations. There are little basic potential for local agricultural benefits in Agritourism.
Number one is, Agritourism generates opportunities to increase the revenues of local farmers or growers. Number two is, Agritourism educates visitors or tourists about the importance of agricultural county quality, economy and contribution to our daily life.
Number three is, Agritourism reduces friction, incentives in economics and help in preserve the agricultural county land. Last, but not least is, Agritourism helps to enhance efforts in regional marketing, increase the demands for local products, direct and value marketing in the agricultural sector (Lobo et al. 1999).
The United States department for Agricultural in 2003 report suggests a living of an acre term for the farmers or growers to enhance the visitors or tourists to promote Agritourism. They suggest that to increase the number of visitors and promote Agritourism, they can provide a living on the farm or give their tree on rent to make tourists interested and use it as their way of enjoyment.
For example, customer selects a tree and pays for it, then the farmer will look after that tree for the whole year or if seasonal then throughout the season. It will be done via contract with the farmer by customer for any selected fruit or vegetable to harvest. Agritourism is based on various ideas and the promotional methods are not limited. The major thing to understand the way, harvested fruit or vegetables, character of farm, goals and values which they want to achieve (Walker 2009).
The majority of the population or generations of any country are far away from the farm way life or having no idea about it. When the families want to educate their children regarding farming or rural lifestyle they look or want to have vacation in farms. Agritourism helps those types of interested people the vast verities of farm staying and benefits to educate them along with their families. They see how does a farmer work and see the production of the food or dairy products and the experience the rural lifestyle.
To get those, visitors need to pay to the farms, and that income provides a way to the farmer to enhance their way of life. Agritourism helps farmers to promote their products, handmade stuff, dairy products or livestock to get better amount.
The ratio of people who take vacation every year is high. Some people take vacations for family togetherness. Few of them take holidays to get relaxation from the stress. Few take to visit family and friends once in the year. Few want to get new experience and excitement for their memorable events of life. These types of vacation provide the physical type of activities to the tourist who helps them in their fitness (What is Agritourism? N.D).
Tourism plays an important role in many countries of the world, this includes Agritourism as well. Tourism is the Arkansas largest industry to enhance income and New York second largest. The most appreciated rural tourism components or factors are events organized by agriculture sector, small scale business and regional promotion.
Few of the states promote methods of direct marketing to promote the Agritourism and direct sale of farm products. They use garlic, Asian pears and crops when they are flowering to sell within Agritourism domain. Agritourism will grow more when government works to appreciate and motivate their farmers to work on the methods to increase their income.
They can help farmers to organize the festival, extension of their business and seasonal farm markets to attract visitors. If we take the example of New York then federal government funded 500 mile seaway trail to support Agritourism along Lake Ontario side to promote agricultural tourism to enhance business.
To attract tourists or visitors in Agritourism, farmers need to make something for them to see, do and buy. To know how to implement any method is successful then the number of visitors will be a biggest help. Large number of visitors to any farm or ranch or vineyard gives the idea of how successful that is (Adam 2004).
Agritourism main task is to promote rural life, enhance the conditions of the farms, but supporting them from acknowledging visitors to visit there and the development of the rural areas. It also helps farmers to get extra help in the form of visitors and enhance income by selling goods available at their farms.
The Agritourism other additional benefits are an expenditure of tourists and rural lifestyle preservation. Basically, the rural lifestyle is based on culturally and historically based agriculture and it’s also works to natural landscape conservation and the rundown property’s renovation.
Agritourism is well managed and coordinate to get positive impact and result in the regard to enhance the local agriculture farm economy. The farms can appoint their agents to get the visitors and promote their farms. Agritourism is available and workable in many sectors as a sector of tourism. It can be workable as unlimited benefits and methods, but still faces the limited recognition.
The big reason of limited recognition is, it’s often work as supplementary hobby and activity business, which is organized by practitioner owners. For that reason, it is the deal as a part of the tourism sectors other parts, but not individually.
Agritourism seems like a category which is independent it the tourism sector and currently offers sophisticated marketing, different techniques of management and experience development in agriculture tourism.
Now the visitors don’t need to physically visit for the farms for the booking, they can book their farm residence, duration and food choice online. The food item, chefs and drinks come in culinary Agritourism. When the visitors are selecting farms, vineyard or ranch, they can also choose the packages or farms which offer beer tourism, wine tourism and spa tourism.
The rural tourism sectors also known as a low quality and budget sector, which provides vacation and enjoyment in comparatively low prices. Agritourism is a low budget, but need focused on quality marketing, educational growth of visitors and branding for the Agritourism development. After the development and improvement in Agritourism sector, the interest and varieties of the agriculture sector are increased. It is now known as an enduring and advance trend in the tourism sector (Indrayant 2010).
If we check the status of the development in tourism industry during last few years, then we can see a vast change in developing countries in the area of Agritourism sector and it has been recognized by the respective governments and their practitioners.
Many developing countries are trying various methods to attract a tourist of every class, color and nation to visit their rural agricultural areas and trying to promote local farm business. These methods and techniques developed a unique position of their countries in Agritourism. It also considered a niche tourism growth in many countries.
Agriculture is not new at any part of the world. If we check the status or the income sector of many countries than agriculture is playing an important role their economy. To get the better a result, we need to promote Agritourism and should work on the factors to develop interest and promote rural lifestyle.
It will help to learn and educate ourselves not only in rural lifestyle, but as our education as well. Institutes from the help of a tourism department or by online booking can organize biological trips of different colleges and schools to visit farms. It will help them the live experience of their biological experiments practical.
Agritourism can be transformed as the major factor in economic growth of any countries agricultural sector. A study of various countries shows the development in Agritourism sector. In Taiwan, 173 farms were registered for tourism, and it created a huge impact on other parts of the world. In Kenya, coffee, tea, beer keeping farms organized the visits and created the attractions to increase tourist, and it leaves a good impact in the economy. These ideas can be used in any developing countries to get a business and promote Agritourism.
The major issue in visiting or taking holidays in the rural area is accommodation and other facilities.
To increase the factors of attractions for the tourist, governments need to educate growers or farmers, help them build accommodation at their farms, make the attractive list of excitement, offer physical exercises and give them the choice to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, live stock, homemade jam and other handmade stuff.
Agritourism can be played as the key to the safe environment and increase the number of awareness to understand the rural lifestyle. It is a factor to understand the past way of life, their way of developing things and to understand nature closely.
A proper planning can increase the local farm owner’s income and getting extra help at their farms. Our way of life is become fast and living standards are getting higher. Agritourism gives us the opportunity to work in agricultural sectors in our leisure time and share the workload of farmers.
It is not only helping the farmers to get extra hands in their daily hard work routine, but it’s also provides visitors the best way to exercise and relaxation. Agritourism also gives the opportunity to the parents to introduce a rural life their children who are completely different from city standards.
References
Adam, KL 2004, Entertainment Farming and Agri-Tourism. Web.
Agritourism. Web.
Indrayant, L. 2010, An enduring tourism trend; nature-based tourism and agritourism. Web.
Lamb, R., How Agritourism Works. Web.
Lobo, R. E., Goldman, G. E., Jolly, D. A., Wallace, B. D., Schrader, W. L. & Parker, S. A. 1999, Agricultural Tourism. Web.
Sheridan, B. 2006, 5 Ways to Make Money in Agritourism. Web.
Walker, MA 2009, Agritourism: Ideas and Resources.
What is Agritourism? Web.