Travel Industry Lingo Every Traveler Should Know - Part 2
We're back with more terms to inform conscious travelers on their journey!
If you missed part 1, dont worry, this blog is not a sequel but just more great industry words to add to your lexicon! To really be in the know, you can find part 1 of this series here
Agritourism
Have you ever visited a pumpkin farm, gone apple picking, or tasted wine at the vineyard?
If so, then you have participated in agritourism!
“I was first introduced to this concept when I was working with an agriturismo, as they are known in Italy. Here the word means both the type of tourism and the farm that is hosting tourists. The farms are country homes, which open to travelers who wish to experience the rural lifestyle for a few days. Agriturismo’s are complete with historic farmhouses and host families serving home-cooked meals all while surrounded by gorgeous countryside. It's an incredible experience!”
Tara - founder of Conscious Travel Collective
Examples:
Apple picking
Visiting a Maple farm & learning about the process of sugaring
Vineyard with onsite wine tasting
Corn Maze
Pumpkin patch
Working farms open to the public
Dude Ranch
Cut your own Christmas Tree farms
Alpaca farm
On farm farmers markets
Honeybee farms
Lavender fields
How agritourism creates positive impact:
Agritourism offers farmers the possibility of supporting their business by generating additional income from allowing visitors to have experiences on the farm.
The potential of agritourism in revitalizing rural communities:
Farming is a fickle business. Tourism is a way farmers can diversify into an area of income generation that is less risky. The guests also provide farmers with an avenue for direct marketing to consumers. Additionally, since farming tends to yield a low income, with huge overhead costs, tourism is a source of often needed additional revenue.
Agritourism favors small-scale production systems, which are more integrated with the natural environment. Supporting producers who use regenerative practices means supporting the land, water, and air quality of the local area.
Farms are vital to their communities, which are often in rural areas. Agritourism holds potential to revitalize rural communities, while also creating potential for new jobs and an increased tax base.
In Italy, agritourism contributes to over 20,000 operating farms! "The Italian countryside has been able to save a very significant number of valuable historic farm buildings and preserve traditional agriculture in areas difficult to cultivate.”
Furthermore, many of the practices used in small scale farming have been passed down and are part of a cultural heritage that when treated as a legacy, can continue into the future.
When places offering agritourism are near cities and urban centers citygoers have an opportunity to observe and discover the relationship between the earth, and food production, and the farmers that work tirelessly to feed us!
Why every conscious traveler should know this term:
Agritourism is very often a sustainable form of tourism!
Protecting the local food supply might not seem like what's happening when you visit, for example, a Mezcal farm, however it's very common for small producers to use a portion of their land for community farming practices. Meaning their commercial enterprise is for mezcal, but they also grow food crops for their own use, to feed their livestock and staff, as well as to support the community.
Agritourism presents a unique opportunity to provide financial, educational, and social benefits to tourists, producers, and communities. Educational opportunities for the public helps to preserve agricultural lands, and a way of life for small scale farmers who might otherwise not be able to compete with large producers. When locals open their doors to visitors, there is often a wonderful opportunity to learn about another way of life, that could be quite unique! Agritourism provides a real win-win-win for everyone: Visitors, Farmers, & the Environment!
Overtourism
Definition: You’ll find many definitions of Overtourism. At CTC we define it this way; Too many travelers in a place, so that their numbers are negatively impacting the quality of life for the people who live there, putting excessive pressure on the destination (food supply, services, transportation, etc.), and potentially harming the environment.
Travelers may experience this when it feels the destination is too congested. While locals may experience frustration by their reduced access to the resources they need, including housing.
How does this happen:
Too much too fast - When a place gets attention from travel writers or a TV show resulting in travelers flocking there in a short period of time. The destination won’t have time to adequately respond to the quick rise in demand
Poorly managed destinations - Unfortunately, this can happen when management is not prioritized, or is done remotely, without local stakeholders playing a role, and from a lack of monetary resources in the city, state or national government.
Social media has contributed to the problem of over tourism by posters prioritizing the most “instagramable” spots when planning where to go in a certain destination
Geotagging – places often don’t have the infrastructure to support thousands of visitors, but geotagging is one of the ways that places get overcrowded, far beyond its capacity. - For more of geotagging – check out this article from National Geographic.
Greed – many of those organizations profiting from the mass influx of tourism are not invested in the destination they expose to these risks. These powerful interests can be a formidable adversary for the destination managers, and local citizens frustrated by the situation.
<