Scottish Agritourism Growth Tracker results

Research shows wide-ranging benefits of Scottish agritourism

The Scottish Agritourism Growth Tracker 2021 was undertaken by VisitScotland on behalf of Scottish Agritourism. It measured, for the first time, the potential of the country’s agritourism industry.

The tracker found that as well as the opportunity for strong economic growth, the industry played an important role in sustaining and creating rural jobs, supporting vital family employment, and providing equal and inclusive roles for men and woman across various ages and skill levels.

Findings include:

• Agritourism and farm retail businesses provide important employment opportunities in rural areas
• Agritourism provided an opportunity for multi-generational income from farming, retaining on-farm careers and employment
• Agritourism provided an opportunity to add value farm produce with the producer selling direct to consumers, helping lower food miles and raise the profile of quality Scottish food and drink grown on farms in Scotland
• Agritourism farm businesses have more female directors and partners than farm-only businesses
• Agritourism and farm retail businesses reported strong growth future potential
• The industry is making strong contributions to sustainable working practices, with a large proportion of farms actively improving energy efficiency and working practices
• Future projects planned included accommodation projects, particularly glamping style accommodation but also around a third of people were planning a farm tour or farm café business
• Four in ten businesses (42%) not selling farm produce, plan to start selling direct
• A wide range of assets are being used for agritourism activities, ranging from land and panoramic views to crops and historic connection to famous points in history
• Agritourism is a year-round activity with facilities widely reported to be open throughout the year

Agritourism in Scotland

Agritourism in Scotland is defined as tourism or leisure on a farm or croft that produces food or offers holiday experiences.

In recent years, particularly during the pandemic, it has become a growing travel trend with visitors seeking out authentic rural experiences that connect them to the countryside and Scotland’s natural larder.

An increasing number of farms, crofts and estates have developed their operations to attract visitors.

A growing interest in connecting to nature and an awareness of field to fork or bottle / food and drink journeys has also created new opportunities for farming businesses, while offering seasonal events, such as lambing experiences and pumpkin festivals have helped inspire visitors about life on a working farm.

Industry strategy

A new industry strategy designed to galvanise the country’s agriculture and tourism sectors was launched in November last year.

Findings from the Scottish Agritourism tracker suggest that if strategy targets are achieved the combined value of agritourism and farm retail in 2030 would be around a quarter of a billion pounds (£250 million) and support almost 10,000 full time jobs.