Agritourism is considered to be a leisurely activity in the rural areas. It is a sort of an activity, which helps a person understand and appreciate the land and the people who live on it. For quite some time travel has become much more than just ticking through the mandatory list of local museums and sites. On discovering a new destination the travelers want to slow down. They are interested in meeting as well as in getting involved in their natural environments and become more involved with the land they are visiting.

It was in this way that Agritourism was born. Basically, Agritourism is a sort of a travel, which takes place on a ranch or a farm. It provides a meaningful visit with a producer of land-based products and services

It is not all about staying in a village and relishing the food. Agritourism provides an opportunity to be close to where the 75% of Indians live. An interesting aspect of staying on a farm is that guests can contribute to the place through their involvement. It also makes the tourists live life like a villager, right from ploughing the field, milking the cow, and bathing in a well to plucking fruits and climbing trees.

Why Should You Choose Agritourism?

The potential advantages of Agritourism for local agriculture are varied. These are as follows:

• Agritourism can produce diversified opportunities for local farmers to increase revenues and enhance the viability of their operations.
• It may be an excellent tool to educate the public about the importance of agriculture and its contribution to the county’s economy and quality of life.
• It can also provide economic incentives and reduce friction in the agricultural-urban interface, thus helping to preserve agricultural land in India.

Agritourism can also foster regional marketing efforts, enhance the appeal and demand for the local product, and create value-added and spread the benefits to various communities in the county and direct-marketing opportunities that may stimulate economic activity.

Agritourism has great scope in the present context for the following reasons:

An Inexpensive Getaway:

The cost of accommodation food is an inexpensive gateway; recreation and travel are least in Agritourism. It helps to widen the tourist base. It is with the urban and rich class that the present concept of travel and tourism is limited to which constitutes only a small portion of the population. But, the concept of Agritourism takes to travel and tourism to the larger population thereby widening the scope of tourism due to its cost effectiveness.

Curiosity About the Farming Industry and Lifestyle:

The urban population has its roots in villages always have had the curiosity to learn about sources of plants, food, raw materials like handicrafts, wood, culture, languages, dresses, tradition and rural lifestyle. Agritourism is an activity, which rotates around farmers and villages. This is why agriculture can satisfy the curiosity of this segment of the population.

Health Consciousness of Urban Population and Finding Solace with Nature-Friendly Means:

We are living a modern lifestyle and this has made life stressful and this is why the average lifespan has come down. This is why the people are in constant search of pro-nature means to make life more peaceful.

Basic Principles of Agritourism

Agritourism should ensure the following three basic principles:

• Has something for visitors to see: Birds, animals provide something for the visitors to see, nature and farms are some of the things, which Agritourism could offer to the tourist. Asides from this, dress, culture, festivals and rural games could create enough interest among visitors in Agritourism.
• Has something for visitors to do: Agritourism provides the visitors with something to do in swimming, agricultural operations, camel riding, bullock cart riding, cooking, buffalo riding and participating in the rural games are few activities to quote in which tourists can take part and enjoy.
• Has something for visitors to buy: Agritourism also has something for the visitors to buy- dress materials, rural crafts, processed foods and farm gate fresh agriculture products are the few items which tourist can buy as a memento for remembrance.

Last but not the least, Agritourism can be an effective tool to educate consumers about its issues, local agriculture and its importance to the county’s economy and quality of life. It also demonstrates the uniqueness and diversity of local agriculture so as to enhance the visibility and the appeal of locally grown products.