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Food and agriculture
LifestyleTravel & Leisure

Agritourism: why farm stays and rural experiences are set to be the next big travel trend

  • Ever wondered what it’s like to work the land, herd livestock and take part in farm-to-table cooking classes? Agritourism may be for you
  • Southeast Asia’s rich rural landscapes are ripe for the picking, with a number of projects and hotels championing agritourism ventures

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Guests at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan experience a muddy day in the life of a rice farmer. Such agritourism experiences are predicted to rise in popularity when normal travel resumes.
Marissa Carruthers

“I can’t wait to leave behind the city and get back to nature, away from the crowds and somewhere I can really experience a country,” says seasoned traveller Ashley Chung, who is chomping at the bit in Bangkok, the city the Hongkonger has called home for the past three years.

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She echoes the sentiments of many travellers looking forward to a rural experience, away from the crowds, in a post-Covid or perhaps Covid-enduring world.

According to travel experts, destinations in areas enveloped in nature will become highly sought-after, and there will be an increased emphasis on eco- and community-driven tourism. Agritourism – where farming and tourism collide – looks likely to be a major beneficiary, with Southeast Asia’s rich rural landscapes ripe for the picking.

“In the past five years, there has been a lot of interest in eco-, wellness, agri- and adventure tourism,” says Christopher Lund, head of hotels at Colliers International, a global real estate and investment management company. “These all conform with social distancing that will become the new norm. It’s outdoors in nature, staying in lodges and focused on experiences.”
Green rice terraces and farms in Bali could prove popular destinations if the agritourism trend takes off.
Green rice terraces and farms in Bali could prove popular destinations if the agritourism trend takes off.
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Agritourism encompasses farm stays and experiences such as working the land, herding livestock, touring farmland and taking part in cookery classes. It has been gaining prominence along with adventures that immerse visitors in local life, with the benefits running both ways.

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