Scotland’s agritourism sector enjoys boost

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

Popular experiences include farm stays, farm tours, field to fork experiences, sheepdog demonstrations and feeding Highland Cows as well as food and drink activities which support a growing trend towards buying locally and reducing food miles. 

A survey of Scottish agritourism businesses 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 from the Scottish Agritourism tracker suggest that if the sector’s strategy targets, which were announced in 2021, 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.

Recent figures show that last year there were 3.2 million visits to Scotland from overseas tourists, compared to 3.46 million visits over the same period in 2019.