Shaun Monk says it tooks his friends, Island Hills Station owners Dan and Mandy Shand, “about three seconds” to give the green light to his idea for a hiking experience on their land.

He now runs tramps on the Northenr Canterbury station, and says they attract people for all sorts of reasons.

“Once you cross that cattle stop you leave the rest of the world behind the boundary fence, you also get to meet cute farm animals, meet hearty people, and exercise in fresh scenery,” Monk said.

The Shands had experience with agritourism running the Hurunui High Country Track in the early 2000s on the farm, one of New Zealand’s first on-farm multi-day hiking experiences, Monk said.

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“Having a third party selling a visitor experience at your private home takes a bit of getting used to, especially when they are taking on a business that you previously ran yourself,” he said.

But everyone realised the benefits of a dedicated tourism operator that was not caught up in other farm duties, because it took time to do tourism well, he said.

Monk said Covid was a big part of the decision to re-open the private walking track.

The amount of time and money spent on the great outdoors by domestic travellers boomed and public tramping destinations became overwhelmed, he said.

“Private options allowed access for those who can’t be bothered racing for a bunk, or sleeping under a tree outside the hut,” Monk said.

Airbnb country manager for Australia and New Zealand Susan Wheeldon said globally tiny homes were the most booked unique stay, but in New Zealand farmstays beat tiny homes for the number one spot.

“Farmstays appeal to many in rural areas as a way to diversify their income. They have the space, in many cases unused buildings or homes that can be easily converted, and importantly the wherewithal to do it, helping spread the tourism dollar further and supporting local jobs and businesses,” Wheeldon said.

After the pandemic Airbnb recorded more non-urban nights being booked, she said.

Marijke Dunselman, founder of Agritourism NZ, said there was room to grow agritourism, but farm hosts did not always know exactly what it was.

It was more than just a farm stay or a farm tour, she said.

A luxury lodge on a farm that charged over $3000 per night, a farmer teaching people how to restore old furniture, a guided hike on a hill country farm and rich listers attending a million dollar wedding on a Wānaka sheep station were all part of broader agritourism, Dunselman said.

When someone was already part of agritourism they often did not advertise it well enough, she said.

“There is a lot of agritourism [in New Zealand], but often when people have an amazing little farm cottage they don’t even mention that it’s on a farm when they list it on Airbnb,” Dunselman said.

In times when the cost to farm grew and a farm could not support a farmer and their children at the same time, agritourism could be part of succession planning, she said.

“It is a way to diversify and generates cash flow. It’s a way to green the farm in a time when you have to reduce stock numbers because of environmental policies. At the same time you can employ family and community members,” Dunselman said.

The concept is not well understood locally, but Australia had government funded resources to help different regions build agritourism opportunities, she said.

Airbnb saw agritourism as an opportunity because there’s been they disrupted property and rental market in cities, in rural areas there were no limits to the possibilities, she said.

There were many farm cottages that asked $100 per night, but with some extra marketing, better bed linen and a food platter, could ask $400 per night, Dunselman said.

“Younger people spend money on experiences. They don’t buy things, but they spend their money on doing things. So they’re happy to pay $400 for a night in a really cool and amazing spot on a farm with an outside bath.”

Farmers interested in agritourism could attend a Regional Agritourism Accelerator, a 6-month programme to help them and others interested in agritourism identify opportunities on their farm and attract visitors, Dunselman said.