Agrotourism - a neglected source of employment

At a time when the creation of new jobs is one of the top priorities for Malta's social and economic progress, it is imperative that we neglect no opportunity for job creation. One potential source that has, in my opinion, been neglected by the present Nationalist government is agrotourism.

Agrotourism, as the word itself denotes, combines agriculture with tourism. Tourists experience "hands-on farming", learning the basics of farming through actual participation in farming activities. Not only are they accommodated in farmhouses but they are also taken on visits to other farms, wineries and rural areas to buy products and to participate in various aspects of rural life and its environment.

Activities may include horse-riding, picking flowers, fruit festivals, country music festivals, picnics, ornithology, wine-making, harvesting of fruit and other produce, animal husbandry, etc. The meals served at the farms will, of course, be natural local products.

It is not easy for agrotourism to attract a large number of high-spending tourists to Malta, given the competition from other Mediterranean countries that are well-established in this field. However, if the Maltese islands are efficiently marketed as agrotourism destinations and the programme of activities for agritourists includes visits to historical heritage sites, then there is great potential for this touristic initiative.

Consider, for example, a visiting family who is accommodated in a farmhouse in the Rabat area. Such a family could go on a guided heritage walk in a rural environment, visiting the Victoria Lines, the Chadwick Lakes, Mdina, Buskett and Dingli Cliffs. On the way back, they could stop to buy local products from roadside stands and farm stands.

Back at the farm where they are accommodated they can look forward to a healthy meal which would include, among other things, such items as orange juice produced from local oranges (for the children), Maltese wine, Maltese bread, gbejniet (cheeselets) and bigilla (broad beans paste). Afterwards, the children can enjoy themselves riding ponies as well as feeding and caring for the animals under the guidance and supervision of a professionally trained "hands-on farming" educator while the parents relax and look forward to attending a festival of Maltese ghana (folk singing) in the evening.

Obviously, for agrotourism to succeed, certain priorities are a must. Farmers offering accommodation, farmhands, guides, vendors, etc., have to be trained in social and hospitality skills. Tourists have to be treated in a friendly manner and accorded the status of welcome guests. Farmhouses should be kept in a clean and attractive state. The safety of farming practices and activities, especially where children are involved, has to be ensured.

Agrotourism will create more full-time and part-time jobs. There will be a greater demand for guides, drivers, farmhands, labourers, cleaners, stall vendors, "hands-on farming" educators, cooks, country music singers and guitarists, etc.

Given the present situation, agrotourism should be seriously considered by the government as a viable job-creating option. I do hope that nobody is under the illusion that just taking a busload of tourists to a festival of country music or simply accommodating tourists in farmhouses which are so-called only because of the type of building-structure involved, constitutes agrotourism. When speaking of agrotourism I imply a professionally-run touristic initiative and not piecemeal efforts forming part of a tourist package that has little to do with agriculture and rural life.