Cultivating Agritourism: Tools and Techniques for Building Success contains thirteen chapters and an extensive resources appendix containing a wide range of websites and printed materials suited to “ cultivating agritourism”. Each of these easy-to-read chapters contain practical management information, as well as case studies and vignettes that are used to illustrate best practices related to the theme being presented. In combination, these case studies highlight agritourism management practices from each and every province in Canada, as well as the Yukon. In addition, there are included some exemplary cases from the United States.
The information in this publication can help farmers and ranchers evaluate, plan and manage successful agritourism business opportunities. It can also assist community and commercial organizations understand how to benefit from agritourism development in their region. There are practical tools and techniques that can be put to use immediately.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1:
Agritourism: A Route to Diversification
· Agricultural Diversification Trends
· What is Agritourism?
· The Agritourism Diversification Option
· Agritourism Benefits
· Agritourism Challenges
Chapter 2:
Understanding Agritourism Markets
· The Character of Agritourism Markets
· Speciality Agritourism Market
· Translating Market Trends into Revenue Opportunities
Chapter 3:
Assessing the Fit: Agritourism and You
· Introduction
· Consider Benefits and Costs
· Assess What You Have
· Personnal Evaluation
Chapter 4:
Working with Government Policies
· Introduction
· Zoning and Building Ordinances
· Business Licenses and Registration
· Employee Regulations
· Tourism Industry Acts and Regulations
· Agricultural Regulations
· Navigating the Regulation Maze
Chapter 5:
Building Financial Support trough business Planning
· Introduction
· Describing the Business Idea
· Business Plan Benefits
· Business Plans: the Blueprint for success
· Approaching Lenders
· Building Success One Step at the Time
· Finding Financial Partners
Chapter 6:
Marketing Your Agritourism Business
· Introduction
· Marketing Plan
· Marketing Budget
· Monitoring Market Mix Effectiveness
Chapter 7:
Strengthening the Human Touch
· Introduction
· Recruiting New Employees
· Training for Superior Customer Service
· Retaining Your Employees
Chapter 8:
Managing Risk and Liability: Insurance Considerations
- Introduction
- Landowners’ Liability
- Develop a Risk Management Plan
- Agritourism Risk Management Plan
- Risk Management Plan for People
- Risk Associated with Food Product
- Bio-security and Animal Welfare
- Purchasing the Right Insurance
Chapter 9:
Ensuring Product and Service Quality
- Introduction
- Meeting Customer Needs
- Product Quality
- Service Quality
- Maintaining Quality
Chapter 10:
Creating Productive Partnerships
- Introduction
- Forming Partnerships: Where to Begin
- Partnership Dimensions
- Building Community Relationships
Chapter 11:
Hosting School Tours
- Introduction
- Safety and Liability Management
- Planning for School Tours
- Managing the Farm visit
- Suggestions for School Tour Activities
Chapter 12:
Managing Farmer’s Markets
- Introduction
- Organizing Festivals
- Conclusion
Appendix:
Agritourism Resources Worth Exploring
- Introduction
- Agritourism Web Resources
- Publications
- Finance
- Tourism Industry Association
