About special interest tourism, examples of agritourism, the development of agritourism, who are agritourists, and issues in agritourism. This was prepared as an assignment for a unit on Special Interest Tourism in a Bachelor of Business in Tourism Management. Please contact the uploader for references for the origins of the content.

1. Agritourism
Kushla Gale
Special Interest Tourism:

2. Special interest tourism:
 Providing tourism products to small target markets of
consumers with special interests
 Tourists’ holiday decisions are motivated by a special interest:
an activity and/or a setting
 Based on existing interest or developing a new interest
 Interest may be the primary motivation for a holiday
or part of a general holiday

3. What is agritourism?

4. Agritourism:
 Recreational or educational activities in working agricultural settings
 Use of farm assets in tourism products
- agricultural, natural, heritage and rural lifestyle
 Subset of rural tourism
- which commodifies characteristics of rural areas and their cultural
meaning
- includes nature, heritage, cultural, adventure and ecotourism
- and other niches e.g. cycle tourism
 Can use trends such as wellness or gastronomic tourism

5.  Successful agritourism experiences:
- provide authentic taste of place
- reflect the region’s cultural, historical and agricultural heritage

6. Agritourism examples:
(Images from named example businesses)
 Visiting primary food producers: farm tours
Cultivate Day Trips

7.  Visiting secondary food producers: factory tours
Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory

8.  Visiting food production regions:
Taste Riverina

9.  Food or wine drive trails:
South Burnett Wine Trail

10.  Food festivals:
Felton Food Festival

11.  Farmers’ markets:
Toowoomba Farmers’ Market

12.  Demonstrations or hands-on experiences
of food production:
Beer-appreciation and cheese-making workshops
at Hampton Festival

13.  Farmstays:
Bunnyconnellen Olive Grove & Vineyard

14. Development of agritourism

15. Supply side (farmers):
 Economic benefits
 Social benefits
 Desire to educate
Demand side (urban residents):
 Connection with rural landscapes and lifestyles
 Connection with how food is grown
 Trends: urban residence, increased disposable income,
popularity of short breaks, reduced transportation costs

16. Contextual factors:
 Economic, climatic, industry
Institutional factors:
 Coordination, support, funding
 Government, industry, community
 Cooperation, tourism networks, marketing & market
research

17. Who are Agritourists?

18. Different types of agritourists
 Sociodemographic
- 75% female
- 65% 30-64 years
- 65% >$50K
- 60% >some college
- 30% employed
- 60% live with partner, 33% live with children >12 years
- urban residents, educated, professional, older, affluent
- emerging young, discerning market

19.  Based on activity preferences
- those without a preference for agritourism activities
(males, singles, homemakers)
- those interested in any farm recreation and hospitality
(younger, students, families with young children)
- those who want to be educated
(educated)

20. Impacts and issues
of agritourism

21. Impacts:
 Social and economic benefits
Issues:
 Expectations: farming is more industrialised, less nostalgic
Products might not meet expectations, or reality not shared with visitors
 Farmers fear consequences of visitors seeing production
 Adequate liability insurance
 Added labour requirements for entertaining visitors
 Visitors in farmers’ private sphere vs
visitors’ desire for authentic social contact
 Meeting diverse needs of visitors: there to relax or engage?

23. References:
 Ali-Knight, JM, The Role of Niche Tourism Products in Destination Development’, PhD thesis,
Published Works, viewed 5 May 2017, <http://www.napier.ac.uk/~/media/worktribe/output-
209366/fullthesispdf.pdf>.
 Barbieri, C 2014, ‘An activity-based classification of agritourists’, Proceedings Book of the
45th Annual International Conference of Travel and Tourism Research Association,
<http://ttra.omnibooksonline.com/2014/57118-ttra-1.1239435/t-001-1.1239924/f-003-
1.1240282/a-003-1.1240283>.
 Dept of State Growth 2016, ‘Agri-tourism, Draft agri-tourism position paper 2016’, Tasmanian
Government,
<http://www.stategrowth.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/139847/Draft_Agri-
tourism_Position_Paper.pdf>.
 Ecker, S, Clarke, R, Cartwright, S, Kancans, R, Please, P & Binks, B 2010, ‘Drivers of regional
agritourism and food tourism in Australia’, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource
Economics – Bureau of Rural Sciences,
<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262487406_Drivers_of_regional_agritourism_and
_food_tourism_in_Australia>.
 Hall, CM & Weiler, B 1992, ‘Introduction: What's so special about special interest tourism’,
in Special-interest tourism, B Weiler & CM Hall (eds.) Belhaven Press, London, pp. 1–14.

24.  Irshad, H 2010, ‘Rural tourism – an overview’, Government of Alberta, Agriculture and Rural
Development,
<http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/csi13476/$FILE/Rural-
Tourism.pdf>.
 Kordel, S 2016, ‘Selling ruralities: How tourist entrepreneurs commodify traditional and
alternative ways of conceiving the countryside’, Rural Society, vol. 25, no. 3, pp.204-21,
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10371656.2016.1255475.
 MKT00204 Special Interest Tourism Study Guide 2017, Southern Cross University, Lismore.
 Novelli, M (ed.) 2007, Niche Tourism, Taylor and Francis, ProQuest Ebook Central.
 Rilla, EL 2011, ‘Tourism and agricultural viability: case studies from the United States and
England’, in RM Torres & JH Momsen (eds.), Tourism and Agriculture, ProQuest Ebook Central,
pp. 173-92.
 Royal Agricultural University n.d., Agri-Tourism, viewed 18 March 2017,
<https://www.rau.ac.uk/about/organisation/public-information/academic-
information/modules/4225-agritourism>.
 Santeramo, FG & Barbieri, C 2017, ‘On the demand for agritourism: a cursory review of
methodologies and practice’, Tourism Planning & Development, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 139-48.
 Trauer, B 2005, ‘Conceptualizing special interest tourism—frameworks for analysis’,
Tourism Management, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 183-200, https://doi-
org.ezproxy.scu.edu.au/10.1016/j.tourman.2004.10.004.