Agritourism is a thriving industry that is expected to be worth $18.6 billion by 2030, and the North West is jumping at the opportunity to harness the region’s potential.
The Plains Inc has partnered with Destination Country and Outback NSW to deliver a first of its kind Agritourism Forum: Sowing the Seeds of Innovation to help people understand what agritourism is and how they can apply it to their business.
“Overseas in places like France, Italy, and Spain, agritourism is thriving. You’ll see signs of agritourism everywhere and its marketed really well. I really do think people are interested in agriculture right across Australia,” said The Plains Publicity Officer, Neive Roebuck.
Agritourism could be thought of as the crossroads of tourism and agriculture.
It presents a unique opportunity to combine aspects of the tourism and agriculture industries to provide a number of financial, educational, and social benefits to tourists, producers, and communities.
However, there is a myth that agritourism needs to be something specifically on a farm.
“Agritourism applies to anyone within a regional business,” said Ms Roebuck.
“It could be a café, an AirBnB, creating granolas; it’s all these types of businesses that are there to promote agriculture.
“So really, we want people to understand how they can apply agritourism to their business now but also understand where agritourism will be in the future.”
The Liverpool Plains is home to some of the biggest agricultural producers in the area and while The Plains is hosting the forum, business owners from as far as the Riverina and Orange are travelling to the event.
Ms Roebuck said it's more than just focussing on the Liverpool Plains but focussing on how to really increase the visitor economy within the regions.
Agritourism Forum: Sowing the Seeds of Innovation
Monday November 6, 8:30am-3:15pm.
Springfield Woolshed, Spring Ridge.
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