New growth tracker set to chart value of agritourism

The size and scale of Scotland’s agritourism sector is to be measured for first time in a new annual census of farms, crofts and estates across the country.

Launched in partnership between VisitScotland and Scottish Agritourism, the growth tracker aims to show the impact that the sector has on the Scottish economy, the role it plays to sustain businesses and rural communities and its propensity for growth.

It will involve collecting data on the number of businesses in the sector, visitor numbers and the amount of businesses who are considering agritourism.

The results, which will be revealed at the Scottish Agritourism annual conference in November and published on www.visitscotland.org and www.scottishagritourism.co.uk , will be used to help shape future policy and support for the sector.

Agritourism has become a growing consumer trend in Scotland with an increasing number of farming enterprises looking to diversify their operations. Popular experiences include farm stays, farm tours as well as food and drink activities.  

VisitScotland and Scottish Agritourism is now inviting relevant businesses to take part in the survey, which launched today (Friday 11 June) and closes on Friday 2 July 2021.

“We are committed to helping Scotland’s tourism industry recover from the pandemic and supporting new and emerging sectors such as Agritourism is key to this.”