The collective voice of farmers across the country who choose to diversify their farm business with agritourism will now be heard thanks to a new organisation.
The Australian Agritourism Network (AAN) has announced its formation as a farmer-led peak body for Australian agritourism operators. It has been established to facilitate a strong communication network within the industry.
The organisation will provide representation, support and advocacy for farmers in agritourism to encourage the responsible growth of the industry across Australia, while protecting and strengthening the agricultural interests of farmer members to incorporate agritourism alongside existing agricultural businesses.
Tim Parsons, President of the AAN, officially announced the formation of the association at the Global Agritourism Network Conference in Scotland.
“Based on research from Tourism Research Australia (TRA), the demand for Agritourism is well documented and understood while supply side information is lacking,” he added.
“There is a knowledge gap where farmers are over-regulated, over-advised and underrepresented.
“The time is right to launch a farmer, operator led, national association as a critical outcome to the strategic goal of forming a national agritourism body.
“The current fragmentation of policy, state priorities and competition for support and extension dictates that the best way forward is to form a network for farmers by farmers.”
The Parsons family are 7th generation farmers at Curringa Farm in central Tasmania, a 300ha mixed farm with nine self-contained cottages and experiential farm tours with sheep shearing and dog show demonstrations with BBQ lunches – commencing the agritourism component in 1984.
Mr Parsons has been a long-time advocate for agritourism via his engagement in local, regional, national and global tourism platforms.
Curringa Farm was internationally recognised in 2024 as a recipient of a Global Agritourism Award, presented by Agritourism India.
“As we move forward with a raised profile and a heightened awareness around our industry, ensuring that we grow sustainably and with integrity will be critical to the future success of agritourism in Australia.” Mr Parsons said.
