Farm stay operators should use the media, influencers and events to promote their businesses.
So say three farm stay operators who shared their experiences on a webinar run by the Global Agritourism Network and AgritourismNZ.
The online event had over 260 registrants from 50 countries.
Shaun Monk, who operates a walking track and accommodation on Island Hill Station, owned by Dan and Mandy Shand, said a single appearance on Country Calender pushed their bookings from 30% capacity to 100%.
They had 70 bookings during the airing of the show, mostly from local customers, Monk said.
Key to that success was having a functioning website where people could find them and make bookings.
Monk said a good way to create awareness is by holding events on farms.
The farm hosts the Skedaddle trail run every year, he said.
Inviting the media is key.
“Everything that comes from an event, such as news articles, is good for PR and great for business,” he said.
The event also created other opportunities, when the Save the Kiwi Foundation contacted him after they saw coverage of the event and wanted to run a project and release kiwis on the farm.
Amber Tyrrell, who owns and operates Valley Views Glamping in Kurow, Canterbury, said they primarily use Instagram to promote their glamping accommodation.
Valley Views has 19,000 followers on Facebook and 16,000 followers on Instagram.
They got their first real social media coverage in 2017 after a hen party, when photos of the accommodation and views on the farm were shared and reshared on Instagram, she said.
Farms with “great views are halfway there” because people post photos of these views, she said.
The farm also hosts yoga and wellness retreats, Tyrrell said.
Tyrrell posts photos to Instagram “a couple of times a week”, which generates views and public interest.
The interior design of a place is important, and once that’s looking its best she pays content creators to make videos and take photos, or invites influencers, she said.
Tyrrell recently began operating 4×4 tours on her brother’s farm next door, where guests are taken to locations with views of Mount Cook.
She pays to have the blue tick on her Instagram account. The tick verifies her account is real. This lends credibility to her social media presence and gives better online security, after her account was hacked in the past, she said.
Rachel Bartrum, who owns and operates Lynton Downs Farmstay in Kaikoura, said they began operating accommodation on the farm so she could stay home with her children.
The farm also offers farm tours.
Bartrum was approached by a tour operator who wanted to invite international guests.
They also made use of a listing on the Tourism New Zealand website.
Because the 3480 hectare farm is a working farm, they book guests only between October and April, with most international guests booking six months in advance, she said.
Marijke Dunselman, founder of Agritourism New Zealand, said great customer experience means good reviews and more bookings.
But an online system where booking is seamless is essential, she said.
She said Facebook and Instagram are the most used marketing tools by farm stay operators in New Zealand.
