Wageningen International Centre of
Excellence on Development of
Sustainable Leisure
The Netherlands: A
Rural and Agri Tourist
Product
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Drs Jan W. te Kloeze
Chairman WICE-DSL
P.O.Box 544
4100 AM Culemborg
The Netherlands
T. + 31 (0) 26 4722639
E-mail jan.tekloeze@wice-dsl.nl
Content
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Rural tourism – agritourism – definitions
Products
Agritourist entrepreneurs - gender
Agritourists; target groups
Economic aspects
Organisational aspects
Policy aspects
Promotional aspects
Rural Tourism
Definitions
Rural Tourism
That part of tourism based on activities of agrarians with touristic side
activities and of entrepreneurs in the rural areas with tourist side activities,
and the use of this supply by recreationists and tourists.
Four types:
●
●
●
●
agritourism [agrotourism]
cultural tourism [heritage tourism]
ecotourism
active tourism [sport and adventure tourism]
Agritourism
Part of rural tourism taking place at farms
Source: Stichting Recreatie, Plattelandstoerisme in Europa [Rural Tourism
in Europe], 2005
Why Rural Tourism?
•Generating income and jobs
•Exchange between rural and urban areas
•Multiplier effect while relatively small scale
direct investments
•Strengthening local and regional structures by
creating networks
•Stimulating physical infrastructural developments
•Enlarging diversity of economic developments
•Awareness of values of an area [landscape, nature,
culture, and its economic potential]
Source:
Stichting Recreatie,
Plattelandstoerisme in Europa [Rural
Tourism in Europe], 2005
Features of Rural Tourism
●
●
●
●
●
seasonality
fragmentation; co-operation needed
internal and external markets;
external markets needed
role of women
economic role: side income for
farmers and other entrepreneurs in the
rural area
Source: Stichting Recreatie, Plattelandstoerisme in Europa [Rural Tourism in
Europe], 2005
Elements of the Rural Tourism
Product
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Accommodations
Attractions
Supply of activities [e.g. horse riding]
Events [e.g. farmers’ fairs]
Service [restaurant; hospitality]
Transport [infrastructure; e.g. rail service]
Sustaining services [explaining touristic routes]
Source: Stichting Recreatie, Plattelandstoerisme in
Europa [Rural Tourism in Europe], 2005
Scheme 1.
A Complete Product: “the 5 A’s of the
Rural Tourism Holiday Network”
Accommodation
Access
Facilities
Available Amenities
services
Activities
Caravan sites
Camp sites
Hostels
Small Hotels
Self catering
B&B
Airport
Rail service
Bus
Booking and
reservation
Website facilities
Bank
Taxi
Car hire
Boat hire
Restaurants
Shops
Attractions
Source: Heneghan, 2002
Scenery
Lakes
Landscape
Mountains
Forest
Rivers
Pubs
Walks
Fishing
Visitor
farms
Agritourism in the
Netherlands
Some theoretical notions
Demand
↔
Supply
Demand
* Demographic changes
* Changes in value orientations
Small-scaledness [small scale tourism versus mass tourism]
* Authenticity
Nostalgia
* Variety of distinctive products [cf. Bourdieu]
Supply
* European and national agricultural policy
* Pluri-activity
* Alternative sources of income
Scheme 2 Definitions of tourism products
Characteristics
Rural Tourism
Core Product
Rural environment
Farm Products
Sports and recreation Agrarian Way of Life
Rural festivities
Agrarian festivities
Secondary
products
Holiday villages
Countryside hotels
Stay at private homes
Camp sites
Places to eat
Animation
Shops
Signposting
Information
Source: Bubendorf, 1994: 15
Agritourism
Farm Tourism
Life on a farm
Stay at ‘active’ farms Stay at farms
Use of agrarian space
Camping
Meals
Recreation
Shops
Meals
Recreation
Definition agritourism
"Agritourism comprises all forms of tourism that are
directly connected with the agrarian environment,
agrarian products or agrarian stays" (Te Kloeze,
1993).
Agritourism in the Netherlands = camping at a farm
In France: camping à la ferme; chambre d’hôte;
table d’hôte
Agritourism in the
Netherlands
Offering
* accommodation:
* camp site at the farm (quantitatively the main product)
* apartments
* rooms
* bed and breakfast
Selling
* meals
* home-made farm products
* handicrafts
Guiding
Cultural aspects of agritourism
* visiting archaeological sites as part of the so-called 'knapsack routes‘;
* agritourist or rural museums;
* farm & country fairs;
* cultural festivals in the countryside; and
* cultural and natural heritage in the countryside
Camping at a farm, The
Netherlands
Table 1.
Agrarian Enterprises with
accommodation for lodging [The
Netherlands], per province
Region
Agrarian enterprises with accommodation for lodging
The Netherlands
2463
Groningen
Friesland
Drenthe
Overijssel
Flevoland
Gelderland
Utrecht
North Holland
South Holland
Zealand
North Brabant
Limburg
63
163
129
273
44
400
92
238
198
329
328
206
Source: Landbouwtelling 2003
Table 2.
Agrarian businesses according to
type of business (in
percentages)
Type of business
Agrarian business Total agrarian sector in
with camp sites
the Netherlands
Agriculture business
25
13
Dairy farm
25
34
Mixed farm
25
5
Rest
26
48
Total
100
100
[379]
[133.844]
Source: CBS, 1987
Table 3.
Costs and benefits from offering
camping facilities at the farm
[Province of Zealand, 1986]
Gross yield
Dfl. 12.600
Fixed costs
Dfl. 2.900
Variable costs
Dfl. 2.300
Net yield agritourism
Dfl. 7.400 [275 working hours]
=
Net yield agriculture [1986]
Dfl.
27 / hour [Euro 12.--]
Dfl.
16 / hour [Euro 7.--]
Source: Voskuilen and Van Elk [1989]
Table 4.
Part of income from mini camp site as
percentage of the total income of the farm
household, Province of Zealand and other
parts of the Netherlands, 1988
(percentages)
Part
Zealand
other parts of the Netherlands
nihil / small
± 1%
± 5%
± 10%
± 20%
> 20%
1
11
16
15
25
32
22
32
21
11
7
7
100 [103]
100 [272]
Source: Te Kloeze [1990]
Remark: The Province of Zealand [coastal area] is touristically very attractive
Conclusion: Strong relationship between part of income derived from agritourism
and touristic attractiveness of the area in questions
Table 5.
Part of income from letting group
accommodation at the farm as
percentage of total income of the farm
household, the Netherlands, 1992
(percentages)
Part
The Netherlands
0%
± 1%
± 5%
± 10%
± 25%
> 25%
100%
unknown
no answer
3
3
3
12
9
15
2
23
30
7
7
7
25
18
33
5
.
.
100 [130]
100 [61]
Source: Ubaghs [1992]
Table 6. Part of income from letting rooms as percentage of total income
of the farm household, the Netherlands, 1992 (percentages)
Part
The Netherlands
0%
± 1%
± 5%
± 10%
± 25%
> 25%
unknown
no answer
1
8
13
6
9
8
14
41
3
17
30
13
20
17
.
.
100 [66]
100 [30]
Source: Ubaghs (1992)
Table 7.
Number of stays at 'mini camp sites' and regular
camp sites in the Netherlands; 1993-1995
(estimation); benefits (estimation)
see also slide 21
Mini camp sites
1993:
1994:
963.000 stays
1,300,000
costs of stay
p.p.p.n.
[Dfl. 3]
benefits for regular camp s.
the local
community
[Dfl. 15¹ ???]
Dfl. 2,889,000
Dfl. 3,900,000
14,445,000 25,551,200 stays
19,500,000 24,864,000
35% increase
1995
1,500,000
- 2,7% decrease
Dfl. 4,500,000
[Euro 2,045,000]
22,500,000
- 9,5 % decrease
+ 15% increase
¹
baker, butcher, supermarket, petrol, [farmers’] market, souvenirs, tourist recreative
visits
Source:
SVR [Stichting Vrije Recreatie; Foundation for Free Recreation] + NBT
[Nationaal Bureau voor Toerisme; National Tourism Board]
Net Yield Agritourism in the Netherlands 1995
Gross Yield
Fixed costs
Variable costs
Net Yield
Dfl.
--Dfl.
21,400.-6,400.-- (minus)
7,000.-- (minus)
8,000.--
Variation Gross Yield:
between Dfl. 1,000.-- and 70,000.-1/4 of all enterprises
1/3 of all enterprises
: < Dfl. 5,000.-: > Dfl. 25,000.--
Income derived from:
agrarian part of the enterprise
agritourism
other sources (outside the farm)
: 66%
: 17%
: 17%
Number of working hours agritourism
Net Yield Agritourism
: 470
: Dfl. 17.--/hour
The Netherlands:
Number of agritourism businesses
Gross Yield
Net Yield (income from agritourism)
Source: LEI [Agricultural Economic Institute, 1998]
: 2.258
: Dfl. 48,000,000.-: Dfl. 25,000,000.—
Gender
Table 8.
♀ only
♂ only
♀+♂ only
Others(s)
?
Task sharing between husband/wife
(farmer/farmer's wife) in agritourist
businesses (letting group
accommodation) (The Netherlands,
1992) (percentages)
Daily
management
Paperwork
Cleaning Cleaning
facilities accommodations
Maintenance/
reparations
31 42
12 15
19 26
13 17
25 .
41 53
20 26
11 14
5 7
23 .
29 37
5 7
18 23
26 33
22 .
30 39
5 6
11 14
31 41
23 .
1 1
52 68
5 7
19 24
23 .
100 100
130 100
100 100
130 101
100 100
130 100
100 100
130 100
Total %% 100 100
N=
130 98
Source: Ubaghs [1992]
Citation
The importance of the role of the farmer's wife is clear
in the division of labour in the recreational subsidiary
business. She has the lion's share of all the tasks:
"Most of the work is now done by my wife. She settles
the accounts, cleans the toilets and showers etc. The
toilets are closed in the mornings from 11.15 to 12.00.
Everyone knows this and it runs smoothly. I mow the
field once a week which takes about half a day. We
have a container for the rubbish which is collected
once a week during the summer, so that is hardly any
bother to me at all".
[Te Kloeze, 2000: 11]
Table 9.
Task sharing between husband/wife
(farmer/farmer's wife) in agritourist
businesses (letting rooms) (The
Netherlands, 1992) (percentages)
Daily
Papermanage- work
ment
Cleaning Cleaning
facilities accommodations
Maintenance/
reparations
♀ only
♂ only
♀+♂ only
Others(s)
?
35 55
3 5
24 38
2 2
36 .
44 71
2 2
9 15
7 12
38 .
5 7
41 66
5 7
11 29
38 .
Total %%
N=
100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
66 42
66 41 66 41 66 41
Source: Ubaghs [1992]
44 71
17 27
1 2
- 38 .
47 76
- 6 10
9 14
38 .
100 100
66 41
Table 10.
[farmers
Groups of camp site
owners, The
Netherlands
only; N = 374]
Degree of commercialisation and
professionalisation
Degree of idealist motives
Less socially
oriented
More socially
oriented
Less commercially and
professionally minded
Pragmatic
type [27%]
Idealist
type [27%]
More commercially and
professionally minded
Professional
type [20%]
Idealist professional
type [27%]
Source: Te Kloeze, 1990
Table 11.
Typology of farm
campers, The
Netherlands [N = 731]
Desire for comfort:
Camping at the farm:
a matter of principle
Less desire for
comfort
More desire for
comfort
Less principly
Pragmatic
type [33%]
Comfort oriented
type [21%]
More principly
Principle
type [20%]
Complex
type [27%]
Source: Te Kloeze, 1990

Various target groups
How to match between supply types and demand types?
Consequences for promotion!!!
Campers in France
facilities [in
agritourist
percentages]

Motives for
offering camping
facilities
[Zonneveld, 1988]
Motives for
offering camping
facilities
Appeldoorn et al,,
1994
Motives for
offering Bed &
Breakfast
Appeldoorn et al.,
1994
Financial
21,6%
20,6%
16,2%
Contacts and
socialibility
To let city people
enjoy
Opportunity and
space available
To meet the
demand
To improve the
image of the
agricultural
business
To spend time
usefully
21,1%
17,6%
48,6%
15,7%
14,7%
2,7%
15,7%
14,7%
13,5%
9,5%
8,8%
5,4%
3,3%
5,9%
8,2%
1,2%
0,0%
2,7%
Total
N = 421
N = 35
N = 38
Source: Zonneveld, 1988; Appeldoorn et al., 1994
Organisations Agritourism in the Netherlands
●
SVR:
●
VEKABO:Vereniging van Kampeerboeren – Union of farmers
the
●
Stichting Vrije Recreatie – Foundation for Free
Recreation [> 1,750 businesses in the Netherlands,
250 elsewhere in Europe; > 150,000 supporters ~
appr. 1/2 million tourists]
www.svr.nl
exploiting a camp site [1,600 businesses in
Netherlands]
www.vekabo.nl
ECEAT: European Centre for Eco Agro Tourism [968
businesses, 25 European countries; 168 businesses
in the Netherlands]
www.eceat.nl and www.groenevakantiegids.nl
Agritourism and Network products in the Netherlands [examples]:
●
Knapsack tourism in the Province of Drenthe
●
Hof van Twente [Garden of Twente]
Table 13.
Interest in possible arrangements in the
Province of Brabant and the
Province of
Friesland [The Netherlands,
1993]
Brabant
Friesland
Visiting Recreation Park
combined with
Cycling
cycling
nature rambling
covered wagon tour
horse riding lessons
city walk
canoeing
nature rambling
boat tour
visiting museum
covered wagon tour
city walk
horse riding lessons
canoeing
22%
20%
10%
10%
7%
8%
combined with
Nature rambling
combined with
Boat tour
cycling
visiting zoo
covered wagon tour
visiting recr. Park
horse riding lessons
cycling
nature rambling
covered wagon tour
horse riding lessons
city walk
canoeing
20%
10%
5%
7%
5%
Source: Consument and Arrangement (1993)
20%
26%
14%
10%
10%
10%
7%
combined with
26%
13%
9%
8%
7%
6%
Table 14.
with
Number of Eco Agro Touristic Farms in
25 European countries affiliated
ECEAT, 2009
France
The Netherlands
Spain
Belgium
Poland
Germany
Portugal
Italy
United Kingdom
Finland
15 other European countries
329
168
65
50
48
41
40
38
31
21
137
Total
968
Source: ECEAT (2009)
Eceat campsite
Scheme 3
Organisations in the Netherlands offering agritourist
accommodations (situation 1998)
SVR
VEKABO
ECEAT
Who is organised
Producers +
Consumers
Producers
Producers
Supply
Camp site
Letting rooms
Apartments
Camp site
Letting rooms
Apartments
Camp site
Letting rooms
Apartments
Meals
Guiding
Eco Hotels
Area
The Netherlands
[> 1,750 addresses]
Europe
[250 addresses]
[> 150,000 supporters =
½ million tourists]
The Netherlands
[1,600 addresses]
Europe
[968 addresses]
The Netherlands
[168 addresses]
Price
Low
[controlled by SVR]
Relatively high
[free to determine]
Low
Information
Consumers [donaters]
€ 12.50/year;
addresses free
Buying a brochure
Buying a
brochure
Ecological
Not especially
Not especially
Yes
Agritourist initiatives in Central and Eastern Europe (Wageningen
students research)
Dobrinishte (village in South Bulgaria)
Zemplén Hills (North East Hungary)
Kłodzko Region (South Poland)
Danube Delta (East Rumania)
(Willem Geldof)
(Jolanda Vrolijk)
(Job Boersma)
(Mark de Vries)
All thesis research on 'the possibilities of agritourism in ...'.
Main results concern:
●
(apart from nature + culture) main aspect of 'agritourist product':
hospitality
●
lack of money to start initiatives
●
lack of taking initiative (awaiting attitude; 50 years of communist
rule)
●
lack of knowledge how to start with (management; promotion)
Poland
Table 15.
Comparison of the ideas of rural residents (RR)
and officials (OF) about the development of
agritourism (Kłodzko Region, Poland)
RR
%
OF
Good facilities and infrastructural
provisions should be made
7
18
5
11
Governments should take action
4
10
2
4
Better foundations, credit,
taxes etc. are needed
9
23
3
6
The mentality of farmers has to
change
3
8
10
21
Source: Te Kloeze and Boersma (1996)
%%
Table 16. Financial support for rural development
in the Netherlands
European Union
financial support for
Euro
share in %%
15 EU Countries, 2000 – 2006
10 EU Countries, 2004 – 2006
32,905,900,000
5,761,000,000
100%
100%
The Netherlands [from EU]
Financial support by
Dutch GovernmentP
Part from EU
[this figure differs from figure above]
Source: European Commission, 2003
417,100,000
1,3% from EU
1,146,050,000
509,000,000
44%
from total NL
budget
Agritourist policy in Europe
Two models:
Dispersion of tasks model: agritourism support role divided among various public
agencies with appropriate responsibilities
(National Tourism Organisation, the Ministry of Agriculture, The Agricultural Bank
etc.)
Austria, West Germany, Britain, Switzerland
Concentration of tasks model: 'support service' provided for agritourism by an
independent agency, following a two-tier system (including a central agency and local
offices)
France: National Federation of the Gîtes de France and the local departments (Relais
Departemental)
Strong governmental support in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland
The Netherlands: policy of the so-called 'Valuable Man-made Landscapes' (protection
of nature and culture; restrictive measures against large scale agriculture and bio
industry). Very appropriate for agritourist development.
Policy of renewing the countryside.
In the Netherlands: no direct support of agritourist entrepreneurs by Dutch
government.
Examples of renewing the countryside in the
Netherlands:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Agritourism (hosts and hostesses; camp site on the farm; farm
restaurants; excursions; festivals; walks; bicycle tours)
Architects of nature and landscape (combination of farm
enterprise + regional environmental policy + regional
economy)
Building chains (processing and direct marketing of farm
products by creating own chains)
Producers of richly varied fare (regional quality, ecological)
Product innovation (new products and services: rural
development, social and economic strengthening of the
countryside)
Providing care ('care' farm; workers: mentally handicapped
people)
Small-scaled entrepreneurship; birth place of new economic
activity
Environmental experts (clean and sustainable agriculture and
horticulture)
Source: Van Broekhuizen, Klep and Oostindie (1997)
Some instruments for Rural Development Policy in the
Netherlands
Spatial planning (VROM 1990): every rural area in the Netherlands is supposed
to be part of a certain 'zone'.
_
Green zone
:
nature development
_
Yellow zone
:
development concentrated intensive
agrarian activities
_
Brown zone
:
variety of soil bound agriculture together
with other functions
_
Blue zone
:
renewal of rural areas; interweaving of
functions
Renewal of rural areas: regional economical and spatial development of rural
areas pointed at differentiation of functions; agriculture and other forms of use of
space (forestry, nature management and development, water supply, recreation,
tourism etc.).
Ecological Main Structure and Valuable Man-made Landscapes: attractive
landscape, a rich cultural heritage, beautiful nature and many possibilities for
recreation and tourism.
11 Valuable Man-made Landscapes in the Netherlands: e.g. South West
Friesland.
The Ecological Main Structure is mainly concentrated in Green and Blue Zone
areas. New facilities for residential recreation and tourist attractions will be kept
away (in principle).
Russian Federation – Tatarstan
Collectivisation [also example Viet Nam]
TISBI Management Expertise
Conclusions:
- In Western Europe: agritourism side income for farmers’
families
- In Central and Eastern Europe: agritourism can be main income
- Agritourists: Special target groups
- Revival of countryside; employment
- Carrying capacity for rural life, heritage, nature: farmers AND
tourists
- Women’s affair
- Sustainability
- Financial support, policy: different approaches
- What about opportunities in countries with [former] collectivised
agriculture? [Small private farms?]
- Focus on domestic tourists and/or international tourists
- Opportunities in terms of “village tourism”, small scale tourism,
green tourism
- Organisational: Topdown? Bottom-up? Which [tourism]
organisation[s] should facilitate farmers’ families? Role of
Ministry? Over-regulation. Under-regulation. Role private
sector? Legal aspects?