Farm holidays: securing enjoyment and a future in rural areas!

Farm holidays: securing enjoyment and a future in rural areas!

“Farm holidays” are becoming increasingly important, both in Austria and throughout Europe. This form of diversification in agriculture not only supports farmers economically, but also sustainably revitalizes rural areas. According to information from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management, “Farm Holidays” offers a combination of hospitality, regional added value and high-quality offers. These offers have developed into an integral part of many agricultural livelihoods and create perspectives for the young generation.

With over 2,200 member companies in Austria and around 27,400 guest beds, the importance of “holidays on the farm” should not be underestimated. Around every 30th tourist overnight stay in Austria takes place on a farm, which accounts for around 3-4% of the total overnight stays. This type of travel also secures around 23,000 jobs in rural areas, many of them for women. The member companies benefit from professional marketing, digital bookability and clear quality standards, which increases their attractiveness and gives them high brand awareness. This information comes from a recent Ministry factsheet detailing the versatility and benefits of this form of leave. The document is available here.

Farm holidays in European comparison

If you look beyond the borders of Austria, you can see that farm holidays are flourishing throughout Europe. In Germany, for example, there are over 10,000 providers that offer around 140,000 guest beds. In 2022, around 16 million overnight stays were recorded on German farms, which is close to pre-Corona levels. According to estimates by the German Farmers' Association, agritourism demand generates annual gross sales of around 900 million euros.

Over two thirds of overnight stays in Germany occur in the federal states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony. The trend is also increasing in Italy: in 2022 there were a total of 25,849 active agriturismi there, almost twice as many as ten years ago. Guest arrivals at Italian holiday farms exceeded 4 million, an increase of 8.5% compared to 2019. However, agriturismo remains a niche market in Italy, as only around 3.4% of all holidaymakers chose this type of stay.

Economic relevance and challenges

The economic relevance of farm holidays extends across the entire EU. In France, for example, the “Bienvenue à la ferme” network counts around 8,000 farms that provide agritourism offerings and generate an estimated annual turnover of around 1 billion euros. Austria's approach through the organization “Holiday on the Farm” positions itself excellently in the competition and offers companies support in the form of a strong network and targeted representation of interests.

Despite these successes, many providers face challenges such as maintaining competitiveness and adapting to the changing expectations of holidaymakers. However, trends show that farm holidays have become established in many European countries and will continue to gain in importance. You can find more information here.