Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
4
Off-Farm Marketing and Retailing
Introduction
Not all food tourism developed by farmers and growers needs to be farm
based. Many farmers may prefer that the public do not go on their prem-
ises due to family, business, safety and hygiene reasons. Or the farm is in
the wrong location to attract tourists. In this case off-farm marketing and
retailing is the best approach.
Off-farm food tourism can be split into two distinctive activity areas.
1.
Where the farmer establishes an offsite activity where the culinary tourist
has to travel a distance to the venue.
2.
Where there is food tourism activity taking place in the local community,
often within walking distance of the tourist's home.
The more local the better for many consumers, this is not just a convenience
factor, The Local Food Movement is an increasing force and one that will
influence food tourism in the future.
Walk down many streets around the world and you will see boarded up
shops. This does not mean that retailing is in decline, it means that retailing is
changing. Today's time-poor consumer now wants an alternative retail offer.
In the old model of retailing the consumer came to the retailer. Now the
time-poor consumer often does not have time to drive to the store, park the
car and then walk to the store and bring items back to their car. In many
communities the retailer has to go to the consumer and provide them with a
convenience offer.
