From Field to Feast

More than a fifth of holidaymakers visit a farm shop or farmers’ market during a trip of Scotland, new figures have revealed.

To coincide with World Agritourism Day (16 May) VisitScotland is highlighting the important role the sector is playing to enhance the country’s culinary reputation and reduce food miles.

The Scotland Visitor Survey 2023, one of the biggest undertaken by the national tourism organisation found 22% of visitors said they spent time at a farm shop or farmers’ market.

The activity was particularly popular with visitors from Australasia with almost a third (30%) highlighting the experience.

Typically conducted every three or four years, this is the first time the Scotland Visitor Survey has been undertaken since the pandemic.

From March to October 2023, around 11,500 visitors were interviewed while in Scotland to help understand why visitors take a holiday or short break in Scotland and what they do while here.

Agritourism in Scotland is defined as tourism or leisure on a working farm, croft or estate which produces food.

In recent years, particularly during the pandemic, agritourism has become a growing travel trend with visitors seeking out authentic rural experiences that connect them to the countryside and Scotland’s natural larder.

Popular experiences include farm stays, farm tours, field to fork experiences and sheepdog demonstrations, as well as food and drink activities which support a growing trend towards buying locally and reducing food miles.

A survey of Scottish agritourism businesses undertaken by VisitScotland on behalf of Scottish Agritourism in 2022 found that sector was benefiting from a growing trend for buying locally sourced food and drink.**

The findings revealed that money generated by farm retail increased by almost £50 million during the first year of the pandemic, rising from £62m to over £110million. This demonstrates the significant value and opportunity for Scotland’s farms, rural communities and visitor economy of including a food and drink experience as part of Scotland’s agritourism offering, which is worth £170 million overall.

Over a third of agritourism businesses offer food and drink consumption on site. This can include farm produce enjoyed as part of a holiday on a farm, in a farm café or after a farm tour.

More than half of respondents said they sell their produce online (55%), in an on-farm shop (36%) or via an on-farm honesty box. (29%)

It is believed the boom in farm retail sales is a result of growing awareness of the economical, ethical and environmental benefits of buying directly from local farmers. Last week, VisitScotland, in partnership with Scotland Food & Drink, launched a new industry guide to help tourism businesses take a share of the lucrative food tourism market, which globally reached £757 billion in 2023.*

Vicki Miller, VisitScotland Director of Marketing and Digital, said: “We know that food and drink is an integral part of the visitor experience, and this new research demonstrates a clear appetite for agritourism experiences from visitors from all across the world.

“Our farms are a key chapter in Scotland’s food and drink story. With particular demand for locally produced food and drink and a desire by visitors to be more sustainable, there is a real opportunity for Scotland’s farms to make the most of this increasing appreciation. Incorporating eating and drinking experiences into their offering can help create jobs, sustain rural communities and contribute to the country’s economy.”

Caroline Millar of Scottish Agritourism, said: “World Agritourism Day is a fantastic, international celebration of the sector. We know that farm retail plays a huge role in encouraging visitors onto farms to engage with farmers, learn about where food comes from and the hard work that goes into producing food and drink. In Scotland we’re particularly lucky to have a really diverse offering of farm retail experiences including home delivery, pop up shops, farm shops of all sizes and honesty huts and we also have superb choices for eating on a farm. We tend to find that most towns and cities will have a farm shop or café within a few miles of the boundary making buying food and drink from a farmer an easy accessible agritourism offering for many.“

Nikki Storrar of Ardross Farm, in the East Neuk of Fife added: “Scotland’s reputation for food has changed considerably and we now sit among the best, offering world class produce, sourced direct from our farms, estates and crofts.

“Farmers are in a unique position to offer visitors an experience that immerses them in fresh air, breath taking views and outstanding produce, which has travelled metres rather than miles. Visitors are eager to learn about our food culture and see beyond

the farm gate. It’s incredibly satisfying to speak to the customers in our farm shop and learn just how interested they are in our story.

“Food features in everyone’s holiday plans and farms can now pay a significant part in that. Feedback from an Australian visitor who experienced our foodie farm tour just proves this - ‘It’s been a year since we were at Ardross Farm and it is still one of the best memories of my eight months travelling.”

To find out more or to access the new food and drink industry guide visit: Food Tourism Industry Guide I VisitScotland.org

ENDS

*Food Drink Tourism - Visitor Research & Statistics | VisitScotland.org

**Scottish Agritourism Tracker 2022 was based on the responses of 221 farms. Around seven in ten respondents are actively involved in agritourism activities and around four in ten have farm retail1 operations. There is thought to be between 500 to 700 active agritourism operators in Scotland.

*Culinary Tourism Market Report 2024: https://www.researchandmarkets.com/report/culinary-tourism