We have heard of tourist tour places in the world and we have heard of how tourism is important in national development, different people from different walks of life visit tour centers for different reasons, while some visit for educational reasons, some visit for fun and recreation, some visit for nature appreciation and lot more. All of this reasons have done one particular thing which is increasing the profitability of the owners of the firms that cater for the tourism.
World tourism organization defined tourism as the accommodation being offered in the farm house or in a separate guesthouse, providing meals and organizing guests’ activities in the observation and participation in the farming operations. To me Agro tourism is the interest in visiting commercial farm organization and farm of interest. One of the things that make a farm tour worthy is how much they have invested into enhancement and advancement of nature in their environment.
Agro tourism can be thought of as just the integration of tourism and agriculture. More precisely, it’s defined as a form of commercial enterprise that links agricultural production or processing with tourism in order to attract visitors, with a number of financial, educational and social benefits for tourists, producers and communities. It does not have to be a big complex farm or a large processing firm, it can be beautifully small and have the adequate capability to receive tourist and attract tourist attentions and at the same time improve the stand of living of the farmers involved.
Enough of youth thinking production is the only way to agricultural profitability, it is time to know that we can have a farm as beautiful as the world most beautiful places then our consciousness will be awaken to agro tourism. Tourism in agriculture is another way to make agriculture attractive to the youth and the major skill needed in making this happen is creativity. The ability to mix up art work with farm plant and livestock and photography skills will make agro tourism achievable.
Why is agro tourism important?
It contribute to agricultural development: technology and modernized driven Agricultural setting will contribute not only to the income of farmers but also to the development of food production in a particular community. Agricultural development is defined as the process that creates the conditions for the fulfilment of agricultural potential, agricultural potentials are also embedded in agro tourism. Agro tourism has the ability to put a small town on the map.
A way to market old products: The crowds drawn to your farm as a tourism destination may be interested in making purchases. In fact, the appreciation and understanding that they have developed through their agro tourism experience may encourage them to support your endeavor and bring home some real food!
Interaction with the customer: Many Agropreneur value the opportunity to interact with their customer base, cultivate relationships with them, and listen to their needs. Agro tourism by its very nature fosters farmer–customer partnerships.
It attract youth participation in agriculture: The reason most of the youth won’t do agriculture is because of it dirty nature, the youth don’t want to post a picture of themselves on media platform and they are on the floor or packing poultry poo, they want to snap and post where they are well fed and well catered for in a nice environment, all this requirement from the youth can be done by agro tourism, the significance of agro tourism is not only to those that paid to visit a farm it is important for the psychology of those working there that agriculture can be beautiful.
Increased sales of local products and services: The visitors to your farm just might stop in nearby towns to fill up the gas tank or do a little shopping and dining. If you offer your farm as a marketing venue for neighboring small farmers, they may see some enhanced revenues, as well.
It contribute to better income for farmers: farmers need to see opportunities in the agro tourism and invest more in making sure that farms are tourist worthy. Enough of farming in a rural setting and still making the farm look rural, farmers should start being creative with their farm setting, let us have the farm show and scream food production arena, enough of having farms screaming poverty and lack of funds, with the little we are making on the farm, let us make sure we are creative and farm beautification is top notch. Instead of having a farm where there is no direction to the poultry section or fishery section, we can make directions on farm easier by making sure that the way or path to each section is well defined, we can also work on making sure farm setting from the onset is well defined, processing section should not be mixed up with administration sector so as to allow for concentration and maximum efficiency of the administration staff during work hours, all of this must be put into consideration. If all of this are well checked out, farmers won’t be making money from productions of food and cash crop only, agro tourism will definitely increase and improve farmer’s income.
Agro tourism enhance better agricultural education: Nigerian university student studying agriculture have over the time complained about the agricultural education they have received in the four walls of their theatre hall, they complained about how inadequate the lessons are, they complained about how the practical’s are inadequate and insufficient to compete with the life after school and even contribute to agricultural development. Farms well equipped will attract student to come around to learn and this will enhance better education in the agricultural sector and help produce better graduate that can handle the development attached to different agricultural firms they get to work with.
