Real estate agent Marco Tedeschi
"Agritourism is booming"

During the nineties Tuscan farmers started to rent rooms to tourists. In a few years this agritourism became very popular. Real estate agent Marco Tedeschi from Betolle explains why.

What exactly is agritourism?
The term is frequently used in a wrong way. At the moment it denotes all kinds of accommodation, from regular holiday houses to the pure so-called agritourism, which involves as stay on a farm where you can still buy self-made products. At La Fratta for example, you can buy home-made dressing and wine, even fresh cheese and olive oil, depending on the season.

Where does this trend come from?
Actually, the farmers came up with the idea. Ten years ago, they opened up their farms to guests. At first, it was only done on a small scale, they just rented out a few spare rooms to tourists who were looking for a pleasant stay in the Tuscan countryside. The idea is as a sort of natural evolution of the well-known Tuscan hospitality.

How do you explain this sudden increase in agritourism?
During the nineties, tourism really boomed here, resulting in a growing demand for lodging accommodations. Apart from that, farmers also had it rough to make a living out of their products. Tuscany in general, and more specifically the province of Siena, has a rich agricultural tradition. Everywhere in this region you can find the old fattorie, manor farms that now are partially converted to provide lodging. The province of Siena takes the lead, she offers up to 34 per cent of all the rooms available in Tuscany. Another advantage is the financial support young families receive to furbish their houses.

What kind of people does agritourism aim at?
In Tuscany we mainly welcome foreigners. Only twenty per cent of the tourists are Italian, since they normally prefer going to the mountains and the sea. The foreigners on the other hand are mainly students and foreign families. I think they come to Tuscany for its rich culture and astounding landscapes. And for the beautiful weather of course!

More about La Fratta:

La Fratta
Agritourism

Sant Anna in Camprena: Sodoma

Gastronomy: The Chianina

back | top

- This site was realised thanks to the co-operation between the town council and the inhabitants of Torrita di Siena and ten graduated students 2004 from the “Katholieke Hogeschool Mechelen”, Belgium, department communication science, campus De Ham. - © Torrita di Siena