Weighing Up the Opportunities*

What options are there?

Farm tourism is about generating additional income for working farmers and their families from a variety of tourism enterprises.

It involves ‘sharing’ some aspect of the farm with visitors (house or land) in a way that enables the farm work to continue at the same time as providing visitors with something they want and are happy to pay for.

Most importantly, it is about providing a sustainable and reliable additional income source over a long period, providing a real return to farmers and their families in relation to the investment of their time and capital.

Is this guide for you?

This guide is designed to help farmers and their families identify if there is a tourism enterprise suitable to them and their farm.   This includes farms in traditional ‘tourist’ areas as well as those close to commercial towns.

It is for those seeking additional income sources and helping confirm if there is an opportunity worth developing.   It is not designed for those seeking a complete rethink of their total farming business.

How to use this interactive guide?

This guide provides you with the ability to quickly assess, in broad terms, a wide variety of farm tourism business options that might be appropriate for you and your farm.

Considering any of these should enable you to make an initial decision:

• Interesting, let’s have a look in a bit more detail.
• This is not for me.

Farm Business Options

Bed and Breakfast - Self-catering - Static caravan site
Camping/Touring caravan site - Camping Barn/bunkhouse
Visitor Attraction - Restaurant/Tea Room

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*This Guide has been produced by South West Tourism, working through MPA. It was originally developed with the assistance of DEFRA and EAGGF funding.