Organic tourism or bio tourism or agritourism or agrotourism is a kind of tourism that brings the visitor in direct contact with agricultural activities at organic farms. More and more people turn to organic farming, that is to say farming without using any pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. The methods that are used are usually centuries old and include crop rotation, using animal manure or compost as fertilizer and natural methods such as plant extracts and mixed cultivation of plants to protect the crops from diseases and harmful insects.
The main idea is to promote as much biodiversity as possible, so that the crops are less vulnerable to any infections. In simple words, if you have a field full of corn and a plant disease or insect that likes corn comes along, your whole crop is doomed. If, on the other hand, you have a field with many different sorts of plants, insects and animals, both cultivated and wild, the chance of a pest affecting you is much smaller. The ecosystem itself will maintain a balance.
As organic farming has grown, so has the interest of people in such projects. Many organicfarms offer organic and food in the farm so that guests can see for themselves and even participate in the farm activities. The food served is also 100% organic and the truth is that food tastes much better if you have gotten your own hands dirty to help produce it!
Agri-tourism is a style of vacation which is normally on farms. This may include the chance to help with farming tasks during the visit. Agritourism is often practiced in wine growing regions in Italy and Spain. In America, Agri-tourism is wide-spread and includes any farm open to the public at least part of the year. Tourists can pick fruits and vegetables, ride horses, taste honey, learn about wine, shop in lann gift shops and farm stands for local and regional produce or hand-crafted gifts, and much more. Agri-tourism is developing into a large part of the tourism industry and will soon be one of the largest sectors of tourism. People are more interested in how their food is produced and want to meet the producers and talk with them about what goes into food production. Children who visit the farms often have not seen a live duck, or pig, and have not picked an apple right off the tree. This form of expanded agri-tourism has given birth to what are often called 'entertainment farms'. These farms cater to the pick-your-own crowd, offering not only regular farm products, but also food, mazes, open-pen animals, train rides, picnic facilities and pick-your-own produce.