Pacific Agritourism Conference Discusses The Future of Agritourism

Agritourism, a burgeoning trend at the intersection of agriculture and tourism, has garnered significant global interest in recent years. This innovative concept involves inviting tourists to rural areas to experience and engage in various agricultural activities, fostering a deeper connection with farming practices and rural life.

The growing appeal of agritourism can be attributed to its multifaceted benefits, including promoting sustainable farming practices, revitalising rural economies, and offering urban dwellers a chance to reconnect with their agrarian roots. This trend is gaining momentum as travellers seek authentic, hands-on experiences and a greater understanding of food production. The market’s very “organic” trend caters to agritourism, where travellers are interested in understanding the sourcing of their food from scratch.

There are numerous apple orchards and farm stay destinations in India that serve as Agritourism destinations.

Pacific Agritourism and Food Tourism Validation Meeting

Recently, Pacific Agritourism and Food Tourism Validation Meeting was organised by Regenerative Vanua, a GSTC member, and the Global Agritourism Network Pacific Committee. It was attended by CB Ramkumar, Vice Chair of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

The event was central in raising conversations around agritourism’s future in the Pacific region. During the discussion, the involvement of Indigenous people was brought up as a crucial topic. The meeting further aimed to promote global collaboration, partnerships and financial support for the agritourism sector in the Pacific.

Additionally, the Prime Minister of Vanuatu was present while signing a Commitment Declaration, which aims to support the implementation of Regenerative Vanua’s Regenerative Agritourism program and standards across the Pacific.

The representatives present at the event included the Prime Minister of Vanuatu and Vice Chair of GSTC, as well as members from the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance (WINTA), Pacific Island Food Revolution, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the CEO of Vanuatu Standards Bureau, Anna Pollock, and various local communities.

About the Global Sustainable Tourism Council

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is a body that has created and maintains the global standards for sustainable travel and tourism, known as the GSTC Criteria. These criteria are divided into two sets: the Destination Criteria for public policymakers and destination managers and the Industry Criteria for hotels and tour operators. The criteria were developed through a worldwide collaboration to establish a universal language for sustainability in the tourism industry.