1. Agri-Tourism Development
Workshop
David Beurle,
Innovative Leadership
McKenzie River Valley
April 2011
2. Agri-Tourism Development
Workshop
Program Overview:
• What is Agri-Tourism – market segments
• Global and macro trends and impact
• Case-studies; the good, the bad and the ugly
• Potential in MRV Territory?
• Local issues and constraints
• Business and industry planning
• Where to from here?
3. A reality check….
• Agri-Tourism can be successful and rewarding.
• But -there are more failures than successes in
Agri-Tourism – why?
– Survival motivation
– Lack of required skills
– Limited scale and capital
– Poor understanding of sophisticated market
– Lack of coherent strategy and cohesion
• Rural Tourism Studio very important.
4. The source of observations and
case-study material
• A series of international
study tours and site-visits
• Work in North America
• Travel Oregon’s long history
and expertise in Tourism
6. What is it Agri-Tourism?
Technically; “the act of visiting a working farm or any
agricultural, horticultural or agribusiness operation for
enjoyment, education, or participation in the activities of
the farm or operation”
Also; (and importantly); connecting your farming operation
and ‘products’ to a tourism operation or related regional
retail outlet.
But; people are less likely to travel to McKenzie River
Valley for just an agri-Tourism experience; more likely to
be attracted by a ‘package’ of tourism opportunities.
7. What are you selling?
• Experiences
– Connection to nature / rural / outdoors
– Romantic / Healthy / Quiet / Adventure
– Educational / Learning
• Goods
– Food (local and retail)
– Specialty products (oils / soaps)
– Crafts /Artifacts / Art
8. Where do you sell it?
• Farm based destination
– ‘Value-add’ occurs on farm.
– experience and goods only available ‘on-site’.
• Regional / community destination
– ‘Value-add’ occurs in regional context – somewhere
in region or associated with region.
– Experience and goods available in off-farm locations;
but strongly connected to rural / agricultural context
– generally only available within the specific region.
11. Pros and Cons
Farm Destination Regional destination
Experience
Goods
12. Pros and Cons
Farm Destination Regional destination
Experience •On-farm issues – liability and •Lot of work; complex organization;
people in house but big premiums
•Potential restrictions on •Difficult to quantify direct benefits
activities •Subject to volatile economy
•Often personality based and •Large scale – requires collaboration
time demanding – in competition
•Discerning customers (fussy)
with mgt time
•Build off other assets in region
•Can be rewarding
Goods •Can be difficult to extract •Can be expensive to support
premium (except with capital •Chance of failure is higher
intensive iconic wines /oils
•Quality and consistency are key
•Potential for saving out of value issues
chain (cut out steps)
•Difficult to compete with big
•Easy to control reputation chains and alliances
14. Global trends in agriculture
• Emerging power of retailers – access to unique
consumer information and control over supply chains
• Farm gate cost-price squeeze is universal.
• Globalization removing most trade and investment
barriers.
• Fewer larger players exerting more control over the
food chain.
• The role of Government is changing – less support but
more regulation in areas of food safety
What does this means for Agri-Tourism?
15. Shifts in societal values
• Concern about global climate change
• Emerging new generational values
• Health consciousness increasing – USA lagging
• Desire for experienced-based activities
• Stronger environmental awareness
• Growing disconnect between urban and rural
• Impact of economic meltdown
What does this means for Agri-Tourism?
16. Increasing consumer awareness
•Increase in demand for organics
•Debate about GM (and bans)
•Re-examination of food systems- energy costs
•Slow Food movement – alternative perspective
•Mad cow disease – altered trust factor
•Food recalls – contamination concerns (China,
USA)
What does this means for Agri-Tourism?
