Home > Italy Guide > Accommodation in Italy > Italian AgriturismoFind an Agriturismo in ItalyLifeInItaly.co.uk has put together a unique guide to over 6,000 agriturismi categorized by the Italian province in which they are located. This guide can be found by clicking on the following link: Agriturismi in ItalyA Brief History of Agritourism in ItalyAgritourism is a form of tourism in which the visitors are housed in a working agricultural business. The concept was born in Italy toward the end of the 1960's and began to gain its current popularity during the 1980's.Initially conceived to meet the desires of city dwellers who wanted to try an alternative life and often also to work in the country, it then developed to become more like tourism as the hard work part was dropped, but with the tourists continuing to stay on a farm.Agritourism in Italy is a defined part of the larger rural tourism. A number of specific services are provided: overnight accommodation, tasting of native foods and wines, and education about the activities which take place on the farm - e.g. making wines, or olive oil. In 2005 there were 13,500 registered agriturism businesses in Italy with numbers continuing to grow. In addition to creating new opportunities in locations where agriculture is languishing, they have also contributed to safeguarding rural land and created new economic prospects enabling the young generation to remain in the country. |