A new paper in Regional Studies “Regions” magazine provides new evidence to show that farm diversification into tourism is aiding the resilience of farm households as well as contributing to a more sustainable local economy and local community. The key success stories came where farmers recognised ways in which they could “sell” local characteristics, turning the “rural” itself into a commodity, rather that it being a space just for the production of agricultural commodities.
Not all farmers have the same access to opportunities nor are they all as entrepreneurially-minded to recognise opportunities and the research indicates that better targeting of business support can extend the benefits of diversification to more farmers, and by implication, create more sustainable rural communities in remote parts of Wales.
This paper was written my Mandy Talbot who is studying for a PhD at Abersytwyth University. It was initially presented to the Rural Tourism Symposium held in September 2011 at the University of Lincoln.