|
Are you dreaming of bringing more dollars to your farm or ranch
by hosting tourists interested in wildlife, nature or
agriculture?
Here’s advice on what to consider before getting into the
business.
The agri-tourism possibilities are endless—from bird watching
and nature photography to U-pick enterprises, corn mazes and
educational tours. So, does establishing an agri-tourism
business hold future potential for you? There are lots of
considerations before you dive in, according to those in the
business.
Begin By Evaluating
One of the first steps in determining if your property lends
itself to an agri-tourism opportunity is to evaluate its
potential. Knowing and interpreting your resources in clear,
interesting and relevant ways is critical, according to Desmond
Jolly, an ag economist and retired director of the University of
California’s Small Farm Center which is dedicated to assisting
farmers in finding new value-added opportunities.
By definition, Jolly says agricultural tourism refers to the act
of visiting a working farm or any agricultural, horticultural or
agribusiness operation for the purpose of enjoyment, education,
or active involvement in the activities of the farm or
operation.
That said, begin with assessing the potential attractions that
already exist on your property, rather than spending money on
creating something new.
For instance, consider your land resources such as rangelands,
woodlands, meadows, streams and ponds and what they may offer,
as well as wildlife, fishing, livestock, and proximity to
natural or man-made points of interest. Also evaluate the
activities on your operation that might appeal to a visitor.
Remember, what seems routine to you may be considered unusual
and interesting to the non-farm public. Some examples might
include cattle drives, calving or lambing, trail rides, roadside
produce stands, machinery operations (harvesting, planting,
cultivating), or on site food processing.
As an additional consideration, Jolly points out that
nature-based tourism businesses should also try to work closely
with local community leaders and resource managers for a
community-wide approach.
Service First
If you intend to start an agri-tourism business, you’ll need a
focus on customer service, say veterans in the business. Just as
with any business, happy customers are the most important key to
success.
“This is the people business. If you don’t like people, it’s not
for you,” says Brent Hackley, of Richards Ranch (www.richardsranchtexas.com),
a cow-calf operation that was established in 1865 near
Jacksboro, TX.
In 1999, Hackley, who is the sixth generation on the ranch,
added nature tourism opportunities to the ranch along with the
help of his parents and his wife and two children. They began
with limited fee hunting and fishing, and today also offer
guided ranch and heritage tours, hiking, hayrides and other
outdoor activities. The ranch also offers a guest lodge, cabins
and a pavilion for large gatherings and events.
Of their foray into tourism, Hackley says the primary motivation
was really for the long term viability of the ranch. “The
Richards Ranch has been in the family for 140 years and that’s
not long enough for me. We are trying to utilize all of our
resources. We are planning for and taking care of our future and
that’s why we do it.”
Additionally, he says “We saw this as an opportunity to educate
urban people about ranching and agriculture, and we feel a
responsibility to do that. That is becoming increasingly
important today, expecially when urban folks go to the polls to
vote.”
Since adding tourism to the ranch, Hackley says it has been a
learning experience. “You have no idea how much time and energy
it takes to be in the nature tourism industry. You always strive
to keep the customer happy, and a lot of time you do the work
yourself because you can’t afford to hire staff.”
Hackley has also learned you can’t be all things to all people.
“We started with a wide net to catch all the dollars, but have
since narrowed our focus. You can’t be inflexible. You need to
make changes with experience and figure out what realistically
works best for you.”
Don’t Be Afraid To Charge
Those with experience in agri-tourism say they’ve also found it
is important to cater to as “high end” a customer as you can and
don’t be afraid to charge for your service.
Mike and Debbie Arrington of Canadian, TX, whose nearly hundred
year old home was featured in the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away,
have turned their home into a bed and breakfast along with
offering wildlife viewing, photography, tours and hiking on
their ranch (www.arringtonranch.com).
Debbie says initially they set their room rates fairly low, and
because of it, some visitors were apprehensive at first,
thinking it wouldn’t be a nice place because it was inexpensive.
But she quickly learned that if you charge more for your
service, people are actually more willing to try the experience.
She says, “You don’t have to be upscale, but you do need to
offer a quality experience.”
The Arrington’s have also learned that people don’t come to
necessarily fish or ride a horse or tractor. They come to have
fun and relax and want an enjoyable experience. “Visitors don’t
need to be entertained at every moment. They are willing to pay
for privacy and a place to rest and relax,” says Debbie.
To expand their income opportunities, the Arrington’s also host
events and tour groups on their ranch, but Debbie doesn’t try to
do the cooking. Instead, she teams up with a local caterer to
provide meals for these events. “I like to see others in our
community get a piece of the tourism pie, too,” she says.
Additional Details
Final tips for designing a successful tourism-based business
come down to details. Here are some guidelines:
- Make sure your telephone is
answered professionally – “Anderson Ranch” rather than
“hello.” Your answering machine should have a professional
message as well, and be sure to return calls promptly.
-
Let
your neighbors know about your business. Join the local
chamber of commerce, talk to gas station owners, cafes, clubs,
motels, and neighboring farms. Make sure people in your area
know about you and have your brochure. Advertise in the
telephone book. Put signs on your property that are visible
from the road. Make sure people can find you and have a way to
contact you.
Send information about your business to magazines and
newspapers in target markets. Send them news releases and
story ideas. Invite them out for a free stay or visit.
-
Produce quality brochures and public relations materials. Use
good photos, provide detailed information and always include
contact names and phone numbers.
Develop a mailing list. Get names from outdoor magazines,
associations, and other sources of people that like outdoor
activities. Include mailings to past customers and follow up
with personal calls.
-
Have
liability insurance coverage. Jolly says, “If something
happens to someone while visiting your place and you do not
have liability insurance, you risk losing your entire
operation,” he says. He adds that if an operator completes a
risk assessment on their operation and develops a plan to
mitigate those risks, the liability insurance rates are
decreased.
What Tourists Want
In establishing a tourism-based business, one should understand
what people want from their vacation. This can help assess the
opportunities on your property for various recreational
enterprises. Here is insight from a survey conducted by the
University of California:
-
To
build and strengthen relationships. Respondents to this survey
ranked the number one reason for going on vacation is to be
together as a family. This really isn’t surprising as families
today have little time to be alone together. Thus they seek
vacations to get away from the stress of home and work and to
rekindle relationships.
-
To
improve health and wellbeing. The vast majority of adults
surveyed also said a vacation is vital to their family’s
physical and mental well being. And, many expressed they want
to refresh and renew themselves by actively participating in
outdoor activities.
-
To
have an adventure. Many travelers look to vacations for
exciting experiences that stir emotions. Adventure, whether
dangerous or romantic, provides the heightened sensation that
these consumers seek. Many expressed that they travel because
they are looking for something different: a better climate,
prettier scenery, slower pace of life, cleaner air, quieter
surroundings or anything else that is missing or deficient in
their lives back home.
-
For
knowledge. This survey found learning and discovery are strong
motivators for today’s better-educated travelers. People
travel to learn or practice a language, study a culture,
explore gourmet foods or wines, investigate spirituality, or
discover something about themselves. They want to see, touch,
or feel something unfamiliar.
-
To
mark a special occasion. Some travelers take vacations to
celebrate milestones in their lives: new relationships,
marriages, anniversaries, birthdays, or professional
achievements. Many people also travel to reminisce and relive
fond memories. In the case of agri-tourism, some vacationers,
especially older travelers, will choose a farm visit to
rekindle memories of the simple, rural lifestyle they remember
from childhood.
-
To
save money or time. Although going on vacation almost always
costs money and time, where one goes on vacation can influence
costs. By traveling close to home, or taking a short vacation,
travelers can save time and money, making agri-tourism
ventures an alternative option.
Art
& Culture: A Boon For Rural Areas
A recent study reported by the Center for Rural Affairs shows
that art and culture events not only enhance rural living, they
also bring visitors who spend about twice as much as the locals
($40.19 compared to $19.53) while they are in town Arts-based
communities have seen revenue skyrocket over 24% from 2000 to
2005, according to the study done by Americans for the Arts.
Many arts-based organizations also strive to make their
communities more enjoyable places to live and, by doing so, have
become economic drivers as well.
Even
more significant, the study showed that arts-based community
patrons spend much more than the event ticket or admission
price. The typical patron across the nation spends an average of
$27.79 in addition to the price of admission. These dollars go
to such items as eating out prior to the event, paying the
babysitter, hotel or motel costs, parking, etc.
The study estimated that the average event attracted 61 percent
local attendees and 39 percent from outside the community—which
makes the case for rural communities to look at their assets and
use them to attract others to spend time (and money) in the
community.
The arts and culture business generates approximately $166
billion a year, which represents 5.7 million jobs. |
