Agritourism

An agritourism business is a farm enterprise operated for the enjoyment and education of the public that may also generate additional farm income by promoting farm products and experiences. Typically these are rural enterprises that incorporate both a working farm environment and a commercial tourism component . In the general sense, agritourism is the practice of attracting visitors to an area or areas used primarily for agricultural purposes (Virgina Cooperative Extension). However, agritourism can include anything that connects consumers with the heritage, natural resource or culinary experiences unique to the agricultural industry, or a particular region of the countrys rural areas  Agritourism is a lot more like eco-tourism or heritage tourism in that it is small-scale, low-impact, and, in many cases, education-focused (Virgina Cooperative Extension). In many cases agritourism is more about providing alternative income to assure viability of the working farm, but a collaborative effort on a regional scale can create a unique rural destination that is attractive to tourists.

Read More

Agri-tourism as a Business

Anyone planning to start an agri-tourism venture should look at the venture as a BUSINESS. First ask yourself, what type of agri-tourism business do I want to operate? Will it be (1) to supplement cash flow (2) earn a profit or (3) provide educational fun and enjoyment to others without making a profit?

Let’s look at each option separately. (1) Providing supplemental cash flow during lean months can help agricultural owners meet the demand of payroll and keep competent workers year round. (2) Ventures expecting to make a profit must make sure that expenses are less than the income generated and that profits are sufficient to satisfy the supplemental income needs of the owner and still allow for reinvestment dollars to expand or upgrade the venture for continued growth. (3) Ventures that provide fun and enjoyment to others without the burden of making a profit still require capital to operate and must have cash flow to continue operation even though

their mission is not to make a profit. Few people have the dollars to operate entirely for free.

So, where do you begin?

Agritourism

An agritourism business is a farm enterprise operated for the enjoyment and education of the public that may also generate additional farm income by promoting farm products and experiences. Typically these are rural enterprises that incorporate both a working farm environment and a commercial tourism component . In the general sense, agritourism is the practice of attracting visitors to an area or areas used primarily for agricultural purposes (Virgina Cooperative Extension). However, agritourism can include anything that connects consumers with the heritage, natural resource or culinary experiences unique to the agricultural industry, or a particular region of the countrys rural areas  Agritourism is a lot more like eco-tourism or heritage tourism in that it is small-scale, low-impact, and, in many cases, education-focused (Virgina Cooperative Extension). In many cases agritourism is more about providing alternative income to assure viability of the working farm, but a collaborative effort on a regional scale can create a unique rural destination that is attractive to tourists.