Two high-profile speakers have been announced for this year’s Scottish Agritourism Conference in Perth.
A session focusing on international agritourism will feature Marijke Dunselman and Pandurang Taware, eminent figures in their respective countries of New Zealand and India. Both have played a fundamental role in developing agritourism in their home sectors.
And they continue to make significant impacts to agricultural landscapes by raising the profile of agritourism as a means of diversification for farmers.
New Zealander Marijke ‘excited to be coming’ to Perth event later this year
Marijke has worked with farmers for more than 26 years and is founder of Agritourism NZ, New Zealand’s national agritourism body.
She is responsible for the development and delivery of the New Zealand agritourism monitor farm equivalent. She also chairs the education committee of the Global Agritourism Network.
Marijke said, “I’m very excited to be coming to the Scottish Agritourism Conference this year, meeting members of the Scottish sector, sharing experiences about agritourism in New Zealand and learning from each other.”
‘Father’ of Indian agritourism
Pandurang is a multiple award-winning agritourism leader, fourth-generation farmer and entrepreneur. He is known in his homeland as the “father” of Indian agritourism.
Through his efforts to educate and support farmers, he has driven significant growth for India’s rural economy over the past 20 years.
The impact of these initiatives can be measured in excess of 60 million Indian rupees for farming families and more than 7,000 jobs for women and youths in rural communities.
Pandurang is visiting Scotland for the first time to speak at the conference, with an itinerary that includes visits to agritourism in both Scotland and England.
He said, “I am so excited to participate in the Scottish Agritourism Conference, and share and exchange agritourism experiences and knowledge for the betterment of farming communities in our respective nations.
“The Scottish Agritourism conference is a testament to Scotland’s innovative spirit, bringing together farmers, entrepreneurs, and tourism experts to explore the synergy between agriculture and tourism, fostering sustainable growth and enriching rural communities.”
Scotland’s biggest agritourism event
The conference, now in its fifth year, will take place at its regular venue of Perth Concert Hall on November 18 and 19.
The one-and-a-half-day event is Scotland’s largest annual gathering of agritourism businesses and sector supporters.
This year’s programme includes sessions covering innovation, the importance of building great teams, tourism sector insights with a focus on food and drink experiences, and the future of agritourism.
In recent years the conference has attracted upwards of 300 delegates who are either operating or considering agritourism, alongside representatives of professional services and the supply chain who work with the agritourism sector in Scotland.
Local authorities, destination marketing organisations and many others have taken part.
World Agritourism Conference heading to Aberdeen
Earlier this year, it was announced the World Agritourism Conference will be held in Scotland in 2026.
It is expected to attract about 1,000 delegates to Aberdeen’s P&J Live in June of that year, further increasing the profile of Scotland’s growing and diverse agritourism sector.
Scotland’s ‘tight-knit’ agritourism sector
Caroline Millar, of industry body Scottish Agritourism, said, “We are extremely fortunate that the agritourism sector in Scotland is a tight-knit network. Everyone is so enthusiastic and supportive.
“This really makes the Scottish Agritourism Conference stand out as an annual highlight and an excellent opportunity to showcase the diversity and growth of Scotland’s agritourism community.
“We’re really pleased that both Pandurang and Marijke have agreed to come and speak to our delegates this year. Both are real trailblazers, and have been instrumental in shaping agritourism in their own countries and also internationally.
“They will provide a huge amount of transferable information and inspiration to support the development of the Scottish network ahead of the World Agritourism Conference in 2026.”
Conversation