THERE are now more millennials getting into farm tourism, a former official of the tourism department observed.
Former Tourism secretary Mina Gabor said many young and affluent Filipinos who have stayed abroad for years have packed their bags and returned to the Philippines to venture into farming.
Some are owners of big farms in the country and were asked to come home to transform family-owned properties into a business venture while others are newbies in farming but are eager to learn to make it a sustainable attraction.
“Farm tourism is attracting the younger generation to agriculture,” said Gabor, during the recently-concluded La Vida Local, a tourism summit and travel fair hosted by the Cebu Provincial Government.
“They are marrying tradition and technology to create sustainable farm sites.” Farm tourism is the business of attracting visitors and travelers to farm areas, generally for educational and recreational purposes, that encourages economic activity and can provide income to both farms and communities.
Gabor, who is the founder of International School of Sustainable Tourism, said they are seeing young people in their early 20s venturing into this new sector, tilling the land or planting vegetables, fruits and flowers.
“I actually call them sexy farmers because while working at the farm, you also see them holding mobile phones,” said Gabor.
These millennials, she added, are actively involved in the business side of farm tourism, with some of them holding positions as business development managers or marketing directors while others hold administrative responsibilities.
This way, Gabor said operations of a farm become sustainable and the produce of the farmers are properly priced.
According to Gabor, 30 percent of the tourists now are interested in nature or eco-tourism and that the Philippines, being an agricultural country, can take advantage of this.
“With our resources, we can be a major player in this new market,” said Gabor, adding that in Southeast Asia, the Philippines is leading the way for farm tourism.
She said farm owners turned their farm sites into attractions to augment their income in crop production. Some have also opened their farms to the public to raise awareness on sustainability.
Agriculture in the Philippines is one of the sectors struggling for a comeback, with some in the sector saying it’s a dying industry, as agricultural lands are being turned into commercial developments and farmers are growing old.
The country’s agricultural output hardly grew in the second quarter this year, churning out 0.07 percent growth compared to the 6.22 percent growth it logged in the same period last year.
Gabor said the country will fail to maximize the country’s potential in agriculture if it will not push for farm tourism.
“This type of tourism has defined activities for tourists to enjoy,” she said.
According to Gabor, the DOT has been offering farm visits in the past but the idea of organized farm visits was boosted when it was called farm tourism rather than agri-business.
Activities offered were also expanded to include farm-to-table dining, fruit-picking, and selling of special products sourced in the farm, which have hooked families and nature lovers to visit farm sites over and over again.
According to the DOT 7, Central Visayas has five accredited farm tourism sites, with one located in Cebu managed by the Lamac Multi-purpose Cooperative.
There is also one accredited farm site each in Siquijor and Bohol, and two farm sites in Negros Oriental.
Moreover, other opportunities that arise in the promotion of farm tourism include promotion on rural cuisine, employment opportunities, appreciation of minority culture and local lifestyle, improvement in food processing and educational opportunities.