Marketing Structures for Farm Tourism: Beyond the Individual Provider of Rural Tourism

Better use of the marketing process in rural tourism could help create more sustainable forms of development by reducing provider isolation, utilising resources more effectively, and allowing rural tourism to connect with international flows of tourists. The case study analyses the Farm Holiday Bureau, a national structure for farm accommodation in the United Kingdom, networked at local level. The primary research included semi-structured interviews and two surveys, one postal and one self-administered. The model highlights the different marketing activities carried out at the different levels of the national structure. The structure tackled product quality and consistency, the development of external linkages, and the pursuit of repeat business, whilst enhancing local identity and sense of place. The model offers direction for the creation of similar marketing structures, either for farm tourism in other countries or for other rural tourism products. Above all, it acknowledges that marketing activity incorporates more than the promotional function and moves beyond the marketing activities of the individual rural tourism provider to investigate collaborative practice.