Demand for farm-based holidays reaches new heights

DEMAND for farm-based holidays is continuing to surge, quashing concerns the staycation has had its day.

According to figures from popular booking platform Pitchup.com – Europe's largest outdoor accommodation provider – searches for camping, glamping and caravaning on farms were up 266% in July this year compared to July 2023.

The growing popularity of agritourism is also being felt at the farm gate with one dairy farmer in Derbyshire having achieved £140,000 in bookings so far this year – double the revenue the campsite had generated by the same point last year.

Pitchup.com's most popular pop-up farm campsite, operating under the new 60 day Permitted Development Regulations (PDR), has so far taken £63,000 in bookings, also trouncing last year's sales.

But Pitchup.com founder, Dan Yates, said that the number of pop-up sites listed on the platform was down 10% so far this year compared to last.

As a result, he said that farmers are missing out on a growing opportunity to generate significant extra revenue from little extra work.

He said: "The COVID pandemic sparked a resurgence of interest in holidaying in the British countryside and whereas this was in some sense forced as people could not go abroad, the impact of that is continuing to endure.

"Nowhere is this more evident than in the agritourism sector, which has grown year-on-year since the pandemic, and shows no sign of slowing down.

"In fact, the opposite is true. Our farm filter has seen a 266% increase in use this year compared to last, meaning thousands of people are wanting to spend their holidays on working farms.

"For those farms capitalising on tourism, the sector is delivering big returns which are increasingly becoming a vital part of the farm business mix. And there's huge potential in the marketplace to for new entrants to get involved."

The news follows Pitchup.com breaking its record for the biggest number of bookings in a day on July 31 this year.

The platform received a total of 7,657 bookings on that day, overtaking its previous record of 7,446 bookings which it achieved on August 9, 2022.

Mr Yates said UK holidaymakers were still eager to visit the British countryside despite foreign destinations having been accessible again for more than three years.

"Rumours of the staycation's death have been greatly exaggerated," he said.

"The pandemic forced people to rediscover the British landscape, be that coast or countryside, and what we're finding is that desire is not diminishing with time. In fact, it is growing.

"There are a number of people with significant disposable income who have reverted to foreign holidays, but they are combining those with breaks in the UK at other points in the year.

"Those on tighter budgets are continuing to pick the UK for their main holiday destination because of the value for money it offers, the vastly reduced travel time and cost, and the fact that the landscape is as beautiful and changeable as anywhere in the world.

"Farmers and landowners continue to be in a unique position to capitalise on this and help meet the rising demand. Not only will this provide extra income for their businesses, it plays an increasingly important role in creating sustainable rural communities as tourists spend in the local area."

One farmer who has noticed an increased interest in farming among her guests is Bridget Gooden, who runs Garslade Farm on the Somerset Levels.

Bridget, who operates the campsite alongside an organic dairy herd, put this down to the 'Jeremy Clarkson effect' due to the popularity of his TV show, Clarkson's Farm.

Bridget said: "Before, people used to ask about bird watching or flooding – things they have seen on the six o'clock news. But now all they want to know is if I watch the programme and if it is true to life.

"He's got such a big platform and is controversial, yet a great entertainer. The show has certainly got more people interested in staying on a working farm."

Bridget added that the cost of living crisis is also playing a role.

"It's a very touristy area around here and some places are very expensive," she said.

"We try to keep our prices as reasonable as possible and that helps when people are feeling the pinch." 

Nick Kiddy, who runs Eastgate Farm near Royston in Cambridgeshire, added he gets asked a lot of questions about the farming side of his business. 

Nick has 250 acres of arable crops, plus pigs and sheep alongside a campsite. 

He said: "Depending on how busy we are, we like to get around everyone when they arrive and they always have questions about the farm. 

"We have lambs grazing in the field, so that generally leads to questions too. 

"On the whole, people are very interested in the farming side."

Mr Yates added that setting up a camping site is one of the quickest, easiest and cheapest forms of farm diversification, yet still has the potential to generate significant extra income.

The most back-to-basics temporary sites often only need running water and toilets to operate, but generate on average around £13,000 per season.

In England, where PDR for pop-up campsites has been extended from 28 days to 60 days, there is potential to earn far higher sums without the farmer or landowner needing to apply for extra planning permission.

However, adding more facilities, glamping opportunities and caravan pitches, joining an exempt organisation or securing planning permission to operate all year round can transform a small diversification project into a business turning over hundreds of thousands of pounds per year.

"The great thing about agritourism is farmers can choose the level at which they want to get involved," Mr Yates said.

"A small campsite operating under PDR needs little up-front investment to get going and generally doesn't conflict with the day-to-day running of the farm.

"Often, these back-to-basic sites are in great demand as many people seek a bucolic break in off-the-beaten-track locations away from the main tourist hotspots.

"But farmers or landowners with an appetite to create something bigger give themselves the opportunity to attract families and more mainstream holidaymakers looking for a relaxing break in the country.

"These sites do take more management, but can be extremely profitable and a vital part of the whole-farm income."

For advice on how to set up a farm-based campsite, visit Pitchup's 'How to Start a Campsite' page: https://www.pitchup.com/how-start-campsite-caravan-park/.