Agritourism Queensland, Media Release, 13 May 2025
When was the last time you picked a strawberry fresh from the paddock, joined the farmers at the dairy for morning milking, or soaked in a hot tub on the clay pans of Outback Queensland?
Farmers all over the state are opening their farm gates to visitors to share the character and heart of our farming communities. These genuine farm stories are uniquely theirs to tell – each giving visitors a taste of life on the land and leaving them with memories to last a lifetime.
Agritourism is bringing back the magic of the country cousin; farm holidays where lifelong memories are made, and connections to the land and the people who call it home, create stories that will be shared around the dinner table for years to come.
This Friday, 16 May is World Agritourism Day. The theme this year is Innovating Agritourism for a Sustainable Future: Empowering Rural Economies and Preserving Cultures, focusing on sustainable development in agritourism, exploring the ways in which agritourism can empower rural economies, preserve local cultures, and promote sustainability in tourism.
Agritourism Queensland joins with farmers in agritourism across Queensland, all over Australia, and around the world in celebrating World Agritourism Day.
While we’re seeing a rapid increase in those wanting to immerse themselves in truly authentic farm experiences, red tape and regulatory frameworks that are not agile and don’t provide appropriate pathways for farmers to add agritourism as an ancillary income to the farm business model, are stifling growth for the industry and leaving visitors wanting.
Farmers are renowned for their ability to adapt and innovate, changing their business model to adapt to the climate – social, economic, and environmental – around them. Our farmers have responded to calls for them to build more resilient farm businesses, to both diversify and future-proof their farms.
Agritourism Queensland, the peak advocacy body for agritourism in the state, is committed to working collaboratively with government and industry to ensure that farmers can diversify sustainably and responsibly into agritourism. Beyond economic benefits, agritourism enhances consumer connection to the origins of their food, strengthens social licence, and elevates the perceived value of agricultural products.
Agritourism Queensland remains dedicated to achieving balanced, well-managed regulatory reform that supports farmers as well as visitors and consumers. We look forward to continuing our work with government to create practical solutions that benefit the entire agritourism sector.
