• To earn additional income as production costs increase
• To diversify risk (e.g. climate change)
• To educate the consumer/visitor about farming and farming practices so as to bridge the gap
• To keep farm workers employed throughout the year as opposed to seasonal employment

No we can’t help you find an investment.

Rural Tourism Africa provides local and international tourists with an information portal to farms in South Africa and Africa that offer some or other form of tourist activity or attraction. We are unique in that we are the only Agritourism Association in Africa.

If you would like to cancel your membership, simply send us an email and we will process the cancellation for you.

Your membership will be canceled 1 month after you notified us.

Agritourism is a growing international sustainable tourism experience. It is any tourist activity happening on a farm and linked to the farm’s activities and attractions. This can include agricultural activities such as milking cows at the dairy, shearing wool, harvesting crops, culling herds, using agricultural implements, tasting and buying farm produce. Using the farm’s resources for game viewing, birding, biking, hiking, fishing are all part of Agritourism. Boarding and lodging on the farm is a bonus but not a necessity.

An Agritourism farm must be a working farm. It offers farmers the opportunity to earn additional revenue with existing resources.

1. To provide additional income streams to rural communities, villages, and farmers.
2. To encourage the efficient use of underutilized recourses.
3. To preserve farmlands and to encourage the preservation of natural conservation areas.
4. To share our agricultural heritage and rural lifestyle with visitors from cities.
5. To encourage families to remain farming.
6. To encourage city dwellers to play an active role in rural community activities.
7. To promote interest in agricultural actives amongst the youth.
8. To show where your food comes from.
9. To maintain the agricultural infrastructure.
10. To showcase good farming practices and develop our food security.
11. To provide income streams that are less dependent on the climatic and risk factors of farming.
12. To encourage the exchange of friendship, ideas, and knowledge between city and country people.
13. To attract further investment into rural areas and increase the value of our agricultural assets.

• Individuals who seek out and enjoy authentic personal experiences that they can discuss with others
• Individuals who want to involve themselves in holiday activities, are social by nature and who like to engage with local people and meet farmers
• Individuals who are active and adventurous in their pursuits and enjoy a wide variety of experiences – “self-challengers”
• Individuals who place a high value on contrasting experiences that are different from their daily lives in cities
• Young couples who want a romantic weekend holiday
• Self-drive visitors who want to explore the countryside
• Gap year agricultural students who want a farming experience in Africa
• Individuals who want peace and to ‘get away from it all’
• Farmers from other countries who wish to observe South African farmers who are often seen as leaders in their field

There are several factors for successful Agritourism Route tourism development including: cooperation networks, product development, infrastructure development; community participation, micro-enterprise development and innovation; information and promotion. The standards below are based on the Italian Agritourism model which has been the most successful internationally.

• The benefits remain the same, but ASA communicates with one liaison person and one Agritourism Route per region i.e. we do not deal with individual farmers who have signed up to the Agritourism Route. The Agritourism Route Farmers must communicate with this one Liaison person who they have appointed.
• ASA cannot write on every farm, just the Agritourism Route. This applies to Social Media as well.
• ASA cannot personally visit every farm because of time limitations.
• The farms that belong to the Agritourism Route must agree to the Code of Conduct.
• The Agritourism signage must have the Agritourism logo on and it is for the Farmer’s account.
• The Agritourism Route needs to include working farms that offer an authentic product/activity/experience.
• The Agritourism Route does have access to the Agritourism logo providing that the Code of Conduct is signed by the Responsible Liaison person. The Logo must be removed, if the Agritourism Route Membership is not renewed, to protect the Agritourism Brand.
• Rural Tourism Africa promotes sustainable Rural Development by creating an environment in which Farmers and Rural Communities can initiate, coordinate and implement Agritourism campaigns.

Rural Route Development is one of the most effective ways of ensuring sustainability in tourism. The concept of Agritourism routes refers to an “initiative to bring together a variety of activities and attractions under a unified theme”. Agritourism Routes is a market-driven approach for tourism destination development.

Agritourism Routes appeal to special interest tourists, who often, not only stay longer but also spend more to pursue their particular area of interest.

Steps to successful Agritourism Route development:

• Do an audit of attractions/activities that you want to include in the region.
• Develop standards so potential Agritourism Route members understand what they are committed to.
• Identify Unique Selling Experiences/Activities/Products of the Agritourism region.
• Do an Agritourism Business Plan, which must include a Strategic Marketing Plan and Budget.
• Decide on a Plan of Action with regards to signing up Agritourism Route Members.
• Start small and do research on the Target Markets that can be classified as Special Interest visitors.
• Develop an Agritourism Brand Identity for the Route.
• Re-evaluate your Agritourism Route Plan every six months.