Ecotourism and Agritourism: Possibilities for collaboration

I met Irene Lane last September at the International Ecotourism Conference. She recently launched an ecotourism website called Greenloons, and she got in touch with me to ask if she might write a guest post for The Farm Stay Project. Here are her compelling suggestions for ways that agritourism and ecotourism might be better integrated.

Michelle asked me to provide some suggestions for how organizations that promote agritourism can better cooperate with organizations that promote ecotourism considering consumer confusion about both types of tourism and the overlap of social and environmental goals.

As a manner of introduction, earlier this year I founded an ecotourism travel services company that specializes in offering independently certified, family-oriented ecotours.  I became interested in ecotourism when I noticed my own young son’s wide-eyed fascination with nature whether we traveled across an ocean or across the state.  Nothing delighted him more than visiting zoos, hiking through the wilderness, or kayaking through scenic waterways.

 

Consistently, my husband and I noticed the absolute wonder and amazement he had for the music, art, flora or fauna he saw in front of him. His wonder was almost always followed by an onslaught of illuminating questions about people and the natural world. 

These were 'teachable moments' for my son that marked his personal growth, and it occurred to me that other families might benefit from an opportunity to experience nature in a way that would be educational, inspirational, safe and fun.  In this way, agritourism and ecotourism are very similar. To answer the question at hand, there are some fundamental ways the industries can work together to promote our common sustainability goals, including:

• Incorporating farm stays into ecotourism itineraries
• Developing relationships with ecotour operators
•  Targeting promotion to urban areas including international cities
•  Promoting of the educational value of farm activities 

Incorporating farm stays into ecotourism itineraries

Earlier this month, the University of Costa Rica published a study that discussed the agritourism and ecotourism marketing efforts in that country.  Costa Rica has both strong agricultural traditions and a thriving ecotourism industry. 

The study delineated some interested examples of how cross-industry promotional efforts have helped farmers as well as ecotour operators. These examples included incorporating ½ to full-day coffee plantation, traditional fishing, dairy, and pineapple tours. Ecotour itineraries featured local guides and accommodations as well as meals made with, of course, local ingredients.  

Developing relationships with ecotour operators

With the exception of Alaska, the United States is relatively new to the concept to ecotourism and where there is chaos, in my opinion, there is opportunity.  Ecotour operators are looking to provide their customers with unique experiences in the United States that will set them apart from the traditional mass-market tourism that has existed in this country.  Therefore, it would be worthwhile for farm stay operators to contact ecotour operators (which I could help with) to see if the farm can be included as part of an itinerary (i.e. providing accommodation, providing local farm lunch, helping with some light conservation work, conducting a tasting of local farm products, attending a farm food festival).

Targeting promotion to urban areas including international cities

What is additionally interesting about the University of Costa Rica study is that the majority of agritourism visitors in Costa Rica are international visitors.  Most of the locals did not see a need to pay for a rural experience since they could visit their relatives in the countryside.  I think there is a marketing lesson here when promoting agritourism, namely to target urban populations and publications that have a critical mass of environmentally-conscious consumers.  An example in the Washington, DC region is Flavor magazine, an independently run publication dedicated to sustainable food, gardening, local farmers, and organic restaurants. 

Promoting the educational value of farm activities 

Many school curriculums are beginning to incorporate the use of a school garden into their science, health, nutrition, and math lessons.  What better way to bring these concepts to life than to have a designated farm stay school program that teaches about farm traditions and food production?

Basically, for both ecotourism and agritourism, it comes down to increased awareness and better perception of the industry’s economic, social, and environmental benefits.  Since my family ecotour destinations company, Greenloons, has launched, the site has been phenomenally received.  It’s been very exciting and proves that there is tremendous market potential for these unique, educational, and fun tour experiences.

-Irene Lane

Zoning, Location, Local Economics, Agritourism Books

Zoning

"A profitable farm preserves itself," says Prince George's County, MD Farm Bureau President Yates Claggett. The Prince George's County Council recently passed two bills that support agritourism. The first adds wineries to the county zoning code, while the second defines agritourism, and allows it in certain residential areas. Although the county can now provide permits for wineries to operate, farmers interested in selling their wine on-site still must pass an additional hurdle, as current laws do not allow wineries to obtain liquor licenses.

Fayettville, GA resident Scott Tyson is also lobbying his county to expand zoning ordinances to allow him to develop a plan for an unconventional, 10-acre farm that includes agritourism. The measure, if approved by the County Planning Department, would "create Neighborhood Agribusiness zoning in the Rural Conservation zoning district."

In Central Virginia, the Albemarle County Planning Department has been raising questions about the definition of agritourism and about what constitutes normal winery activity, in order to bring local ordinances in line with those of the state. Local winery owners seem wary of the restrictions that the Planning Department has been discussing. Issues like this always beg the question: Has someone complained about the activities of local wineries? If so, who?

What are all of the benefits and costs of agritourism to local communities? How can tensions between neighbors best be resolved?

Location

The success of agritourism relies heavily on location and marketing. For Hardin Farms in Arkansas, the construction of a bypass that routes traffic around the town of Grady has slashed the farm's customer base. Drivers passing through the area were once routed next to Hardin Farms; now, with the bypass, even drivers who had previously made a habit of stopping at the farm have trouble finding it. The Hardins are now applying for highway signs to direct traffic to the farm. Like so much else in farming, even the viability of a particular location can change.

Local Economics

Mary Morgan of the Ann Arbor Chronicle recently wrote an excellent column discussing local v. larger businesses. The column highlights the powerful effects that local politics can have on encouraging or discouraging locally-owned and community-based businesses. Ms. Morgan argues that local governments face a tension between luring large companies to an area and helping incubate homegrown entrepreneurs.

Agritourism Books

Kathy Purdy of the Cold Climate Gardening Blog recently wrote a book review of Hudson River Valley Farms: The People and the Pride behind the Produce, by Joanne Michaels. The book looks lovely, and seems like it provides some interesting commentary from farmers about agritourism. Take this quote, for instance, from Steve Osborne of Stoutridge Vineyard: "Agri-tourism is the last refuge of agriculture." I hope to check out the book soon myself.

If you're a farmer interested in expanding to agritourism, also check out Barbara Berst Adams' The New Agritourism: Hosting Community and Tourists on Your Farm.