FARM TOURISM BTR205

Learn how to set up and run an agritourism venture.

COURSE STRUCTURE

There are 8 lessons in this course:

1. The Scope and Nature of Rural and Agricultural Tourism

  • Background and History of Farm Tourism
  • Forms of Agribusiness for Managers and Farmers
  • Agritourism Beyond the Farm
  • Types of Agricultural Tourism
  • Possible Issues
  • Animal Welfare

2. Creating an Agritourism Setting

  • Planning Your Offering
  • Resource Management
  • Selecting Target Markets – Market Segmentation
  • Marketing Approaches
  • Legal and Health & Safety Requirement

3. Managing an Agritourism Business

  • Managing the Physical Resources
  • Managing People
  • Setting up and Running a Farm Shop

4. Agricultural Tourism Accommodation

  • Styles of Accommodation
  • Costing Accommodation
  • Maintenance
  • Farm Tours and Activities
  • Identifying Major Target Groups
  • Tours Within the Farm
  • Tour Schedules and Bookings

5. Designing and Conducting Tours and Activities

  • Creating and Delivering Activities
  • Creating Activities Outside the Farm – Mobile & Online

6. Agritourism Events

  • Types of Agricultural Events
  • Planning for an Agricultural Event
  • Phases of Delivering an Agricultural Event
  • Dealing with Event Issues
  • Managing Visitor Access

7. Marketing and Promoting an Agritourism Business

  • Introduction to Customer Relationships
  • Customer Care Policy
  • Customer Care – Levels of Involvement
  • Effective Communication
  • Dealing with Complaints
  • Self-Evaluation
  • Maximising Customer Service
  • Importance of Market Research
  • Analysing Costs and Benefits

8. Special Project - PBL – Design a Farm Tour Activity Problem-Based Learning Project 

 

COURSE AIMS

  • Determine agritourism prospects for a property or wider community in a rural area.
  • Identify and plan development of potential agritourism attractions.
  • Explain critical tasks that require management in an agritourism enterprise.
  • Compare options for providing accommodation facilities and services for agricultural tourism.
  • Explain some of the considerations for designing and conducting various activities for agricultural tourism, including farm tours.
  • Explore the diverse activities possible for agritourism and your region and globally.
  • Identify the most appropriate agritourism marketing tools to effectively promote your business.
  • Create and present a plan with specific strategies for integrating an element of farm tourism into the operation of an existing agricultural business.

 

WHAT YOU WILL DO

  • Find and investigate marketing materials that promote agritourism.
  • Observe behaviours of the animals in agritourism and consider the animal welfare.
  • Identify potential hazards in agribusiness including how event organisers mitigate hazards.
  • Perform a S.W.O.T.  analysis to help identify the events Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats in an agritourism business.
  • Investigate the creation, sales or service of a food product related to an agribusiness, such as a café, food truck or road-side stall.
  • Research how and where you might go to recruit staff for your business including seasonal workers such as backpackers or fruit pickers.
  • Consider the physical and safety resources required to run an agribusiness.
  • Identify utilities and furnishings that you both consider to be essential and non-essential.
  • Identify of costs associated with the accommodation (budget, intermediate and luxury) and estimate amounts for each.
  • Explore and experience virtual or mobile farm tour activities.
  • Create a mind map for an agritourism event that you would like to run.
  • Identify the apparent success of an agritourism attraction based on observations such as potential income and public interest.
  • Research examples of advertising for agribusiness events in your area (billboards, signs, pamphlets, tv or radio advertisements, email etc) and conduct a cost benefit analysis, considering things like longevity, reach, target audience and monetary cost.
  • Integrate theoretical information to derive sensible solutions to potential problems involved in integrating farm tourism.