From Crops to Cabins: What Guests Want from Farm Vacations

On a sunny morning, visitors follow the farm owner into the orchard to pick fruit. They then proceed to the fields to sow seeds and weed, experiencing the joys of farm work. In the afternoon, they can use the fruits they’ve picked to make jam.

However, a memorable holiday not only relies on engaging farm activities but also the overall quality of the visitor experience like rural accommodations. Rustic farmhouses or tents, with basic facilities, lack aesthetics and comfort, failing to meet the expectations of city dwellers accustomed to more convenient living conditions. If you’re looking to boost your farm’s income through farm vacations, this article may provide some insights into what visitors hope to gain from their farm vacation experiences.

The Rise of Farm Vacations

Urban life’s stress and costs push people to seek peace in rural areas. Farm vacations are gaining popularity as they let city folks enjoy nature, learn about farming, and breathe fresh air. Post-COVID, many want safer, open getaways, making farm vacations a great choice perfectly.

According to data from USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture, “In 2022, US farms and ranches generated $1.26 billion in income from agritourism services, an increase of 12.4% from 2017 after adjusting for inflation.”

These pieces of information indicate that transforming your farm into an environment better suited for urban tourism will bring you unexpected revenue.

The conventional modes of travel typically afford travelers mere fleeting stops at diverse tourist attractions, thereby precluding them from delving deeply into the local way of life and cultural heritage. In stark contrast, agritourism provides an immersive opportunity for individuals to actively engage in rural labor and gain firsthand experience of agricultural practices within the context of nature.

Thanks to growing public enthusiasm for genuine rural lifestyle experiences, farm owners can take this opportunity to tailor activity programs that not only enhance visitors’ understanding of farm life but also create valuable income opportunities for agricultural enterprises’ profits.

The Target Audiences of Farm Vacations

To offer farm experience that can meet the needs of tourists, it is necessary to understand which groups of people are more inclined to choose farm vacations. Next, I will briefly introduce these groups of people to you.

Urban residents: This group of people may be the ones who are most interested in experiencing rural life. Due to the fatigue caused by long-term high-pressure urban life, the rural scenery will brighten their eyes. A healthier lifestyle is also very attractive to them.

Families with children: For this group, parents mainly want their children to learn natural knowledge and get in touch with farming culture, so as to enhance the interaction and connection among family members. They prefer to create unforgettable learning and experience memories for their children in a relaxed and interesting way.

Nature lovers: People who love nature not only like the rural scenery and ecological environment, but also especially support sustainable tourism and ecological protection projects. This group includes photography enthusiasts and environmentalists.

Food lovers: People who are particular about food will pay more attention to choosing natural and organic ingredients. Compared with the homogeneous food in cities, they are more willing to experience different local special foods.

Educational institutions and student groups: Schools or educational institutions will let students have a short-term experience of rural life through activities such as field trips, so as to enhance their agricultural knowledge and environmental awareness.

Wedding and event planners: The unique rural landscape will also attract wedding or event organizers to build customized event venues and services locally.

What Guests Expect from a Vacation on a Farm

Achieving rural tourism success hinges on meeting tourists’ vacation expectations. Superior guest experiences not only cultivate favorable reputations but also drive organic visitor growth through positive testimonials.

Authentic Farm Experiences

When people in the city can only learn about natural scenery, crops, and farming culture through TV or the Internet, this way of perception without a real sense makes them have a strong desire to experience rural life firsthand. Interesting farm activities can leave a deep impression on tourists.

For example, led by the farm owner, tourists carry feed buckets to the livestock shed and feed the feed to poultry such as chickens, cows, and sheep. They can also learn how to milk cows. When the weather is good, they can go to the orchard to pick fruits and then put these fruits into food such as jam with their own hands. In these processes, not only can a sense of accomplishment be generated, but also the interaction among people can be enhanced, bringing social pleasure.

Fresh, Local Food

Tourists who travel long distances expect to fully experience local life during their vacation. Long-term urban residents often consume synthetic foods daily, so tourists yearn for pure natural food that is rarely seen and expensive in cities. Farm owners can open farm-style restaurants within farms, specializing in cooking unique dishes with fresh ingredients from the locality. Being able to taste authentic cuisine will make tourists feel they have not come in vain.

In addition, setting up a farm owners’ market can also attract tourists. Leading tourists into the market to recognize and purchase fresh ingredients not only promotes local delicacies but also helps promote transactions at the farm owners’ market, thereby increasing income.

If you want to enhance the interactivity and sense of experience of tourists during their vacation, you can organize simple cooking classes. This will stimulate tourists’ greater interest in recording the process of the course and sharing it on online platforms, thus effectively promoting the resort plan of the farm.

Optional Learning and Engagement

For families with children and educational institutions, they particularly value the opportunity for kids to learn about nature and farming skills through farm vacations. During the farm vacation process, children are fully immersed in labor, deeply studying all kinds of agricultural activities.

They personally participate in planting and harvesting when the crop is ripe, experiencing the joy of harvest, and learn preservation techniques from local villagers. They also learn how to feed poultry animals and get close contact with these lovely creatures.

In addition to agricultural activities, children actively participate in learning cooking skills, making jams by hand, tasting delicious food while understanding the processing of food; engaging in handicraft production, exercising creativity, turning natural materials into unique artworks.

These practical activities not only deepen children’s understanding of nature, make them more aware of the importance of protecting nature, but also exercise their manual dexterity, enabling them to be more independent in life and master more practical life skills. Farm owners can tailor experiences to different groups, ensuring a balance of fun and education, while also promoting the consumption of farm products and boosting revenue.

Comfortable and Unique Accommodations

Although farm vacations are located in rural areas or farms, this does not mean that the accommodation conditions are worse than those of city hotels. Glamping—short for “glamorous camping”—has become a popular way to enjoy the countryside with all the comforts of modern living. More and more tourists prefer to enjoy natural scenery and rural culture while having comfortable and convenient accommodation options. Imagine being able to sleep on a soft bed with an appropriate temperature after participating in all-day labor and entertainment activities——how pleasant it is!

Stars Glamping’s dome tent is a top choice for this kind of stay. The dome tent is inspired by the geodesic dome. Its smooth geometric contours are aesthetically unique, and the dome structure has excellent wind resistance, enabling it to calmly face complex climate challenges. The main frame is made of powder-coated steel structure, which ensures super-strong structural stability without being too heavy. The unique modular assembly system allows the tent to be set up in a short time without professional tools, significantly reducing labor and time costs and greatly saving operating costs.

The tarpaulin uses PVC-coated polyester fabric, available in two specifications: 850g/sqm fully opaque and 950g/sqm transparent. The farm owner can choose based on local weather conditions. If there is long sunshine and tourists want an environment suitable for sleeping, the fully opaque tent can create a shaded space. In addition, the tarpaulin has waterproofing, UV resistance, fire retardancy (DIN4102, B1, M2/NFPA701), safe durability, environmental friendliness, and fits well with the natural environment of the countryside, with low maintenance costs. Moreover, tarpaulin with the insulation layer helps maintain indoor temperatures, reducing energy consumption and operating costs.

The affordability of this luxury camping tent also lies in its comfort and convenience. The interior adopts modular design, equipped with complete bathroom facilities, comfortable bedrooms, even ample cabinet spaces, meeting basic accommodation needs for various customers’ holidays.

Stars Glamping’s glamping dome can be used not only as accommodations but also transformed into dome greenhouses. Their dome shapes construct closed ecosystems, effectively resisting harsh weather conditions. Choosing 950g/sqm transparent PVC fabric tarpaulin is more suitable for greenhouse cultivation, providing sufficient and uniform lighting to meet the growth requirements of some light-loving plants.

Bonus: Unexpected Perks Guests Appreciate

If tourists can get extra value beyond basic expectations, it will make a good impression on local farm vacations. Farm owners can improve their vacation experience by designing some creative reception plans.

In terms of event planning, provide family-style restaurants and hold family-style exchange activities to create a warm atmosphere like home. Provide pet-specific areas for guests who bring pets to stay at the farm. This personalized plan makes visitors feel that the service is very thoughtful, which helps increase their affection towards your farm.

Use unique decorations to set up various photo-worthy spots, creating multiple distinctive countryside-themed photo spots to attract the attention and interest of influencers, prompting them to take photos actively and share them on social media. You can also design specific theme activities according to different needs of tourists. For example, offer wedding ceremonies combined with nature and local culture for those who want to hold weddings.

Conclusão

It is not easy to attract tourists from afar to come to the farm for a vacation. This requires not only your rich experience in event planning but also ensuring that the accommodation conditions on the farm can meet the expectations and needs of tourists. Due to the seasonal characteristics of crop sowing and harvesting, farm vacation activities largely depend on the seasons. Especially during the rainy season, farm vacations often become unpopular. To make tourists feel that it is worth spending time and money to come, providing comfortable and convenient shelter and accommodation is crucial. With rich industry experience, Stars Glamping can provide you with personalized dome design services, fully considering your business needs and creating a more attractive accommodation method for you. Hurry up and visit the official website of Stars Glamping for consultation!