Agritourism: the new cash cow for farmers?

During these times of underfed cattle and the crisis affecting the agriculture industry, some farmers have a duty to revitalize the local economy in an attempt to turn things around. Investment in agritourism seems to offer a magic solution. Charline Dubois, a young researcher at the University of Liege, has focused on this subject by analyzing the different types of agritourism that exist in Wallonia and Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.

The practice of welcoming visitors into the home constitutes the first form of tourism and this kind of activity has existed for a long time. A century ago, farmers in the French and Austrian Alps warmly welcomed visitors from other countries into their homes and this marked the beginning of ecotourism. Today, other countries such as England, Germany, Italy or Slovenia are banking on the idyllic quality of their countryside to attract many travelers.

The rural exodus and the wave of suburbanisation that followed could be described as a phenomenon of rural exodus. This involves a return to basics, the search for authenticity, local encounters, an interest in local products and immersion in the Natural World. The rural World, and more particularly the farming environment, has always formed an integral part of heritage tourism. This is a good reason to encourage farmers to diversify their activities by investing in a new form of tourism: agritourism.

The field is open!

“Agritourism is just like the TV show L’Amour est dans le Pré”! was the wry answer of an individual who filled in a field questionnaire issued by Charline Dubois during her doctoral thesis. This surprising assessment requires clarification…At the current time, there is no consensus on the terminology, definitions and concepts involved in agritourism. Many authors have nonetheless tried to clarify the situation. For example, in 2006, Marcotte et al. established a gradation; this included all the terms used to describe tourist activities in the rural environment(1). While rural tourism encompasses “all activities that are practiced by humans in the rural environment”, agritourism, (sometimes called agrotourism) is practiced in an agricultural environment or an environment set aside for agricultural activity. Farm tourism is limited to the boundaries of the farm.  

In her thesis, Charline Dubois concentrates solely on agritourism and defines this as “all activities and services related to tourism and leisure that are present on a working farm”(2). The final words of this definition are of capital importance because they limit the scope of the study to farmers who are still working on their farm. Those who make their living solely from agritourism are therefore excluded from the study; the objective of the researcher was to “be able to link together the problems relating to diversification on a farm that needed it”. People from rural environments who practise rural tourism were also excluded from the study.

The scope of the study includes Luxembourg and Wallonia, two political entities that are related by their agriculture and their tourism market. Any agritourism development in these two places has been marginal; Wallonia boasts only 3% of agritourism farms (that is 380 tenant farmers for a total number of 14,500 farms) while in Luxembourg there are less than 1% of agritourism farms (15 tenant farmers out of a total of 2,200 farms). Despite this low number, the activity remains important for farmers because it is a source of complementary income(3).

Agriculture for pleasure

A high number of farmers practicing agritourism are approaching retirement and want to continue indulging their passion for rural life by welcoming strangers into their farms. Younger farmers have a different vision. Their priority is to find the financial investment required to take over a farm. Those who then succeed in embarking on a career in agriculture often do so with the help of their parents. The development of agritourism is a family project.

While there may be differences in terms of age, the reasons for this kind of farming are influenced by the geography of the region. Indeed, in Luxembourg, the pragmatic side is prioritized. “The size of the farms is important. Some farmers decide that it is better to occupy the available space. Some consider that they are rich enough and do not need to add an extra preoccupation. Whatever the case may be, the people of Luxembourg have never really had a culture or tradition of welcoming tourists and when they go on holiday, they usually travel far from home”, explains Charline Dubois, as she repeats verbatim what the farmers who were interviewed said. In Wallonia, things are different. Visitors enjoy a very friendly welcome on the part of the farmers. “Most farmers from Wallonia seek contact with people; they want to open up their living space. It is the holidaymakers who visit them because most of these farmers do not have time to travel”, considers the geographer.

This need to meet other people is often initiated by the female partner. She wishes to occupy a more important place in the process of production and acquire a financial responsibility and independence in relation to the male partner. In the commercial context generated by tourism, the female partner can then call upon skills that she previously executed for free. “It is therefore often the farmer’s wife who takes care of the agritourism while the farmer himself looks after the agricultural activity”, affirms the researcher.

An activity encompassing several areas

Agritourism is far from being a standardized and well-known brand. In Wallonia and Luxembourg, the classification of agritourism is complex. According to Charline Dubois, it is be necessary to break it down into several “sectors” of activity (fig. 3). The “accommodation” sector, which is by far the most represented, describes the renting of country guest houses, B&B or camping. The formula of the country guest house is often offered because it represents the simplest solution for the farmer; you only need to give a key to the tourists whilst allowing them a maximum amount of autonomy. On the other hand, camping is rarely offered (only some farms in Wallonia work in this way). The “gastronomy” sector is becoming more and more fashionable and refers to a concept of restaurant on the farm where local products are used. The “teaching/information” activity makes it possible to offer courses on the farm to inform people about the farming profession. The “hiring” activity makes farm buildings available (for family parties, dinners etc.) and meadows (for scout camps or open-air activities). Finally, there is the “leisure and activities” sector which involves a multitude of activities for the wider public: ice-cream making on the farm, baking, golf on farm, horse-riding activities, sign-posted walks, biking, lake-swimming, fishing and hunting etc. A sensual experience is often sought by agritourists. Increasingly, new and original activities are being created: “There are transparent spherical balls in the middle of fields and which are equipped for sleeping. So during the night you can observe the stars and wake up beside a cow that is just outside the spherical ball”, says a bemused and somewhat amused Charline.

The next step in the study by the young researcher from Liege is to construct a model showing the links between different types of agritourism and types of countryside. “I wanted to define agritourist regions but this is very complicated because there are many kinds.  Yes, there are certain links but it is not possible to regionalize. I have been able to demonstrate links between certain types of agritourism and a typology of the limited types of countryside (crop-growing, breeding, mixed farming and forests) to which I first added factors linked to accessibility to the tourist destination and the agricultural environment and then filters of development such as competition from the real estate market”, she explains. Therefore, in those regions strongly devoted to crop-growing, like Hesbaye, agritourism is developing less often by virtue of the fact that tourists generally want to see agricultural activity and preferably, animals. Consequently, in these regions, agritourism is centred more on gastronomy or the hiring of rooms. Conversely, hilly regions such as the Ardennes are more oriented towards forestry. Agritourist operators advertise the sports and thrill-seeking aspect of agritourism.

Finally, the mixed category seems to be the ideal solution to be developed. The farmer can focus on different activities such as contact with the animals, discovering different types of crops, signposted walks etc. Condroz and Pays de Herve are suitable for the development of this type of agritourism which is aimed at a demanding family-based clientele.

Farmers are not necessarily aware of the link mentioned above. Their reasoning is based on other more obvious factors. From the outset your budget must be well thought-out. “You need to see what you can do with your money. Investing in a country guest-house is just like investing in a house, it’s something important”, states Charline Dubois. Farmers then ask various practical questions: Do we have any buildings free? How big are they?  What do we want to do with them? Do we want to see people? Would we prefer country guesthouse or B&B? Is the region tourist-friendly? Is the region calm? “Here, things become more complicated, affirms Charline, because certain people will prefer holidays in a remote location while others would like to remain in a dynamic and easily accessible region”.

After considering the physical potential, human potential comes into play. The aptitudes and qualifications of each of the members of the family are examined carefully. “If you are a farmer, you will most likely not have gone to catering college”, explains the researcher, logically. “On the other hand, if the tourist is restaurant-based, it is sensible to concentrate of the gastronomy activity. In addition, if the tourist is teaching-inclined and there are large buildings available, it could be interesting to develop a teaching-type farm activity”, she adds.

In order to encourage more investment, farmers can count on subsidies from the government. There are also partners (Accueil Champêtre (Rural welcome) in Wallonia and the association for the promotion of rural tourism Luxembourg) which, thanks to annual funding, are responsible for managing the promotion of the activity and giving advice both on a legislative level and also with regard to decoration, before any commitment is made by the would-be farmer.

The town rat and the field rat

Who to entice under one’s roof? The city-dweller or the rural person? In truth, both are necessary. There is no exact profile for those tourists who choose agritourism. Nonetheless, certain characteristics are more favorable to the practice of this type of tourism. The experience is often experienced in a family situation, during a long and relaxing weekend regardless of the time of year. Behind the shutters of a quiet holiday there is also the farm-teaching aspect. According to Charline Dubois, “Whether the parents are from town or countryside, they want to teach something to their children while at the same time rediscovering some of their roots”.

It is also surprising to observe the different conceptions that individuals have of agritourism. For example, the geographer mentions the worried and legitimate reaction of some people: “This is not a holiday. Personally, I don’t want to work when I am on holiday!” Certainly, this kind of practice exists; it is known as woofing. But this is not considered as agritourism. Other travelers perceive agritourism as contact with animals and the discovery of farm-machinery. Those who have already lived the experience realize that there is not always contact with the farm. “These tourists think that they will be in a peaceful place where they will not be treated as numbers, like in a hotel for example. They feel as though they are considered as people”, explains the young researcher from Liege.

“Emma at the farm », the new edition”

Contrary to perceived ideas, people from the countryside are not necessarily characteristic of the agriculture. Even more astonishingly, city-dwellers have a more realistic view of what constitutes a farm. In 1954, Casterman published the famous “Martine à la ferme”. The cock standing on a pile of fertilizer, geraniums on the balcony, the friendly farmyard… This is the traditional image of the farm, or at least it was. Today, tourists expect to be welcomed in the same pastoral surroundings while, figuratively speaking, there are two distinct versions of farming(4). The first one leads the tourists into the beautiful square courtyard which reflects the heritage and architecture of yesteryear. The second- and the one which does not interest tourists – constitutes the journey of tractors to the farm constructed in a large hall a kilometer away. “By promoting the type of agriculture featured in Martine à la ferme, we do nothing to promote modern agriculture and new agricultural technologies. People hold on to a perceived image of what a farm should be and this is rather a pity”, says Charline Dubois disapprovingly.

Apart from this regrettable observation, agritourism remains a “win-win” solution. On one hand, the audacious farmers are recompensed and can make ends meet financially. And on the other hand, the demand by tourists craving a bit of greenery is guaranteed, and only a few kilometers from their door. But will this phenomenon last over time? Nothing could be more uncertain. “In Luxembourg, the current situation is particular. The government wants the phenomenon to grow. But mentalities must change… Both on the part of farmers and tourists”, explains the researcher from ULg. In Wallonia, the trend is to prefer prime establishments (those having 4 or 5 épis) and/or the unusua. “Few farmers will invest in an establishment that has only a 1 épi classification because they know the tourist is king. The latter wants to feel more at home. Therefore they do not want épi 1 room. And yet, something needs to be done with regard to less prestigious establishments as well as in camping. Because the most fervent campers are the Flemish and Dutch. And this represents 70% of the clientele of tourism in Wallonia”.

Much effort still needs to be made in order for agritourism to really become a solution for all farmers who are launching a career in the profession. If the standardization of agritourism makes it possible to gain better recognition and publicity, it could also become the worst kind of activity possible by denaturing a product that needs diversification and authenticity. In addition, the heuristic model proposed by Charline Dubois should make it possible to increase the overlap between the expectations of the different actors.

(1)  Marcotte P., L. Bourdeau & M. Doyon (2006). « Agrotourisme, agritourisme et tourisme à la ferme ? Une analyse comparative », Téoros, Vol. 25 n°3, 80 p.
(2) Dubois C. (2014). « Quels agritourismes pour les campagnes périurbaines ? Les cas de la Wallonie et du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ». Thèse de doctorat, Université de Liège, 306 p.
(3) Dubois C. & S. Schmitz (2013). « What is the position of agritourism on the Walloon tourist market ? ». European Countryside, 5(4), pp. 295-307.

(4) Dubois C. & S. Schmitz (2013). « What is the position of agritourism on the Walloon tourist market ? ». European Countryside, 5(4), pp. 295-307.