The Future of Travel…and how it could affect your Business

In Issue 20 of Wining Magazine Andrea Black, a travel writer looked at the future of travel and what we need to prepared for moving forward.

There are number of interesting aspects to her article that apply to agritourism.

This is my take on her findings

1. Off season Travel is a Trend

Tourists are looking for a more immersive experience and travelling in peak season makes them feel like one of the herd, rather than someone special. This means agritourism experiences could and should be extended to cater for these tourists. Many farmers are already identifying this opportunity. The weather is no longer a deterrent to travel, except in heat waves.

2. Buyouts are becoming more Common

Visitors are looking for a more hyper personalised and are prepared to pay for it. They want to have exclusive use of the farm or farm stay and are prepared to pay a premium pro ice for the opportunity. This is especially an opportunity for smaller agritourism operators who can cater for this exclusive visitor.

3. Considered Design Experiences

These are Andrea’s words not mine. I would have se aid engage the visitor by using all their senses. Let them taste, touch, smell, hear and see. This is where farms can easily own this experience, but they need to promote it and ensure the visitor engages their senses on a tour of the farm.

4. Taking the Slow Route

We are seeing an increase in luxury rail travel around the world, plus, not being located next to a freeway is no longer a barrier. Visitors want to take the slow route and discover. This is where agritourism operators can benefit, even if they are remote, but remember you still have to market your business and how to get to it.

5. Elevated Wellness Experiences

The majority of genuine agritourism experiences are in the wellness experience category and this is a growing sector of tourism. Hotels and the like are just discovering the opportunity that we already have.

6. One-off Special Events Travel

Travellers are prepared to pay to attend a special event. We have all seen that recently with the Football World Cup and how much people were prepared to pay for the experience. As Agritourism operators we should be in the special events arena.

7. Luxury Activity Adventures

Visitors are looking for adventure, but they want it to be safe, they want it to be unique and they still want a bit of luxury. This is where some of the new designed play areas on farms can come into their own.

8. Saying No to Routine

The airlines may still be promoting their frequent flyer programmes, but more and more travelers are rejecting loyalty programmes and looking for none routine adventures.

Now is the time to brainstorm what you can do to meet the needs of the future travelers to your agritourism adventure.