daniel chigunweObert Chifamba
Agric Insights
GONE are the days when the mere mention of the word tourism would conjure memories of such places as Victoria Falls, Lake Kariba, Hwange National Park and the Great Zimbabwe, to name just a few.
Today, the concept of tourism has come to encompass a lot of things that used to be overlooked with people overly concentrating on nature-based attractions oozing with that ‘hey, gee-whiz, look at that’ kind of aura.
Sadly, the continued focussing and visiting of the very same attractions year after year has led to the same being labelled as tired fascinations with people beginning to look for possible replacements that bring with them a fresh breath of air.
The countryside with its refreshing greenery from crops and natural vegetation plus the vast population of diverse livestock categories has easily become an irresistible option.
This has given birth to a shift in inclinations with visitors slowly migrating from conventional tourism to farm-based retreats that allow them to do activities such as picking fresh fruits and vegetables, enjoying realistic farm life and even tasting organic foods grown at the farms.
It does not require rocket science for anyone to realise that the serene environment of the countryside is difficult to resist especially for the current crop of health conscious travellers, culture conservationists and ecologists who so wish to connect with local people and also take part in their activities.
Such visits are known to create opportunities for the travellers to enjoy experiences that are different from the typical holiday experience.
This is called agri-tourism.
Agri-tourism can be defined as a holiday concept that involves visiting an agribusiness operation for the purpose of entertainment, learning and purchase of farm products.
For the farmer and the communities, agri-tourism represents a means of diversifying farming activities and is an alternative source of income.
Agri-tourism is the practice of inviting guests to an agricultural operation with the goal of purchasing farm goods and having fun. It combines chances for outdoor recreation, agricultural education, and agricultural recreation.
It allows visitors to experience rural life, participate in farming tasks, and learn about agricultural processes.
Travellers are keen to learn about rural life and the products that draw it, and this form of tourism has been rapidly growing throughout the world.
As a result of this new development, farmers must diversify their operations to attract more customers and improve their socio-economic standing.
Agri-tourism brings with it socio-economic benefits through an additional income, improved standards of living, creation of new job opportunities, conservation of biodiversity resources, preservation of local culture, respect for farmers and rural communities.
In fact, agri-tourism is gaining momentum and showing enormous promise.
Due to its wealth of natural resources and diverse agricultural landscapes, Zimbabwe offers a significant opportunity for the growth of agri-tourism.
To compete with established tourist enterprises, farmers in agri-tourism must develop and take part in a variety of on-farm plans and initiatives involving all the significant players.
The rationale behind practising agri-tourism is to provide visitors with a pleasurable and instructive experience while engaging in sustainable agriculture and improving local lives. Farmers are ensured of favourable returns on their investments once all of these are in place.
But the farmer also needs to select a location that is ideal for his agri-tourism project to draw tourists. The place must be accessible and close to necessary amenities like highways and refreshments, among others.
It must possess stunning scenery and be safe for visitors with parking, accommodation, restrooms, dining areas, and entertainment facilities of good standards. It is natural for tourists to prolong their stay in such serene locations, away from the clamour and distractions of city life if the farmers’ hospitality provisions tick all boxes on travellers’ wish list.
Local residents increase the location’s attractiveness by providing indigenous foods and beverages, lovely homesteads while a distinct traditional dress code concurs with this.
This further suggests that culture is essential in ensuring that tourists have a thorough understanding of rural living.
Most agri-tourism initiatives become attractive through allowing visitors to participate in activities such as fruit picking, hayrides, wine tasting, and farm-to-table eating. It is also important for the farmers to have the right infrastructure from which visitors can learn the production process of come products.
Agri-businesses must invest in the marketing of their places and activities to attract visitors to their farms and ranches and agri-tourism businesses.
It is crucial for visitors to enjoy the farm’s peaceful settings as well as have access to high-quality agricultural services and products, such as farm-to-table dining, fresh produce, and animal husbandry, among others.
If the products are to be more desirable, they must be authentic, developed locally, and produced sustainably.
Visitors can learn more about the connections between sustainable agriculture and the methods utilised to produce farm goods. It is normal for travellers to evaluate the quality of their vacation based on the services, commodities, attractions, accessibility and infrastructure.
It is worth noting that agri-tourism also feeds into the current push by Government for farmers to treat their activities as businesses given that it is catalytic in the development of smart towns and creation of job opportunities for the local communities and beyond.
This is all part of the rural industrialisation programme that the country is striving to achieve as it moves to graduate into an upper middle income economy by 2030.
A number of African countries that include South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, and Tanzania have successfully embraced agri-tourism and can provide a wide range of activities, such as farm tours, agricultural festivals, wine tours, cooking classes, and eco-lodges on working farms.
Agri-tourism has a lot of potential to grow in Africa because of the continent’s diversity in agricultural landscapes and richness of natural resources.
Zimbabwean farmers, for instance, can take advantage of the country’s favourable environment, climate, topography, and their sustainable agricultural methods that have a wide appeal to consumers globally to start agri-tourism.
The country is known for its serious afforestation, conservation efforts, and sustainable agriculture techniques that are allowing it to salvage some decent yields even in the face of climate change challenges.
It is refreshing to note that if the country was to seriously invest in agri-tourism, it would not be difficult to attract visitors from the international arena, as it already has a culture of hosting agricultural festivals, for instance, the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show and Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF)and other events that give tourists the chance to speak to farmers, participate in local traditions, and pay respect to the country’s agricultural heritage.
These festivals usually feature exhibitions, agricultural displays, culinary markets, and cultural performances that together with the people form part of the strong pillars of tourism the country naturally brags of.
Online Reporter