Agritourism that can sustain & regenerate people, place & planet

More farmers than ever are interested in and practicing regenerative agriculture these days. They are focused on putting more back into their land and their animals so that more (and better) may be produced. But what about the concept of regenerative agritourism?

On the surface, tourism seems like a one-way industry: Visitors travel to a place, learn or see something different, maybe buy a memento or a snack and then leave. But as interest in both regeneration and agritourism continues to grow, so does the need for a clear and shared understanding of what regenerative agritourism truly means in practice. The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) is taking on that project.

An online session bringing together nearly 50 in the ag industry from around the world had a goal of unpacking how agritourism experiences can “go beyond sustainability to actively restore ecosystems, strengthen local communities and deepen visitors’ connection to land, food and culture.”

Defined globally, agritourism is an agricultural diversification activity that results from the synergistic intersection of agriculture and tourism. Agritourism offers authentic experiences related to ag production that showcase the tangible and intangible resources of a region or locality, per the GAN.

Two of the panelists – Dr. Cherise Addinsall, a senior research fellow for Pacific Regenerative Agritourism, and Dr. Saskia de Klerk, associate professor and discipline lead for marketing, international business and tourism, from the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia – are focusing on refining that definition further to take into account regenerative ag.

A unified definition for regenerative agritourism should have a “beacon effect,” they said. It should solidify practices for others to look to and follow. It should also provide a way to measure accountability, with clear metrics to track who benefits from regenerative agritourism and how.

Addinsall and de Klerk looked to studies from the past six years to see what other definitions have been used. Hansen et al. (2022) said regenerative agritourism should leave “destinations better than before tourists arrived. Farming practices should benefit soils and ecosystems.”

ACIAR’s study from 2023 stated, “Regenerative goes further than ‘sustainable’ because it ensures the diversity, quality of production, vitality and health of the soil, plants, animals and people improve together. It’s not about minimizing damage of income-earning activities; it’s about building on our traditional knowledge to improve the wellbeing of our people, communities, the land and ecosystems.”

Five other studies, spanning from 2020 to 2025 and largely conducted in Europe and North America, echo similar sentiments. “Agriculture is core of all these definitions; diversification is second,” de Klerk emphasized.

She added that some of the main reasons for branching into agritourism are economic, but they’re also social, with farmers focusing on the markets they want to service. “We need to incorporate more regions and more voices to learn more,” de Klerk said.

Addinsall said after COVID, there was a big shift in how people traveled and their connection to food. The goal today is to keep people interested in agriculture, but the challenges in doing so are difficult:

• Extractive tourism – Tourism often extracts more than it gives back to communities.
• Agricultural shift – Agriculture globally shifted toward large-scale monocultures, high inputs and market efficiency
• Cultural erosion – Culture and traditional food systems are being worn away

“We’re trying to bring the ‘culture’ back to agriculture,” she said. Per the GAN, agritourism provides authentic cultural experiences by reflecting local/regional culture, traditions, innovations and ways of life; delivering meaningful activities, products and services; and sharing unique stories and practices.

As defined by the Cambridge Dictionary, regeneration is “the act of improving a place or system, especially by making it more active or successful.” In farming, that means moving beyond sustainability too.

“Sustainability asks ‘How do we reduce harm?’ Regeneration asks ‘How do we restore living systems?’” Addinsall said. Regenerative ag means moving from monocultures to diverse, resilient food systems; restoring soil health, biodiversity and nutrition; and reviving traditional knowledge alongside innovation.

“Healthy soil creates healthy food. Healthy food creates healthy people. [Regenerative agritourism can be] a restoration of the relationship,” she said.

Addinsall and de Klerk believe regenerative agritourism is not an intersection of industries but an integration of relationships. “Agriculture, culture, community and visitors come together as a living system where each element strengthens the others,” they stated. “Guests are privileged to visit, not entitled – all parties are respectful and engaged.”

To learn more about the work the GAN is doing, visit globalagritourismnetwork.org.

by Courtney Llewellyn