Travel and exotic tours have become increasingly popular in recent years, and rural tourism is no exception. Many city dwellers get tired of the frantic rhythm of large cities and prefer to relax away from civilization and the bustle of the city.
That is why rural tourism is considered a promising business area. A significant advantage is that starting such a project does not require huge investments and a large number of documents. At the same time, the usual rental of a house in any village will not bring very high profits. To increase your earnings, you can create a guest estate and offer turnkey services to tourists - accommodation, services, entertainment. We will discuss in the article how to properly organize the whole process, what nuances you need to know and what to expect from rural tourism.
Read about another business idea for farmers.
Business Features
The main feature of rural tourism is the accommodation conditions: guests are accommodated in old log houses or in antique-style manors, located in areas with untouched nature, far from industrial enterprises and multi-story concrete buildings. With the exception of complexes with complete historical reconstruction, such village hotels provide visitors with amenities at the level of resort apartments: the rooms have bathrooms, air conditioning, televisions and refrigerators, and guests are provided with three meals a day in the dining room. The main meaning of this type of vacation is to separate the residents of megacities from the usual bustle and immerse themselves in a leisurely and measured rural life. In addition, the tours are also educational: many townspeople have never seen an authentic folk costume, sat with a fishing rod at dawn or milked a cow.
In Russia, rural tourism attracts mainly women, whose share in the target audience reaches 70%. Living in a village may also be of interest to other residents of megacities - married couples with children and young people who give preference to a healthy lifestyle and a clean environment.
Another fairly broad category of tourists are foreign citizens who want to get acquainted with cultural traditions and folklore. For such guests, the natural environment, national flavor and authenticity of rural life are sometimes more important than the presence of a TV in the room. Considering that foreigners select vacation spots mainly via the Internet, it is necessary to develop your own multilingual website with colorful photographs, descriptions of services and price list, as well as regularly post advertisements on foreign travel forums and social networks.
Collective outdoor trips are also common in the corporate environment: managers of various companies buy such tours for their employees in order to conduct events aimed at strengthening team spirit and developing ways of interaction between employees. Such clients usually rent a hotel for a period from several hours to two or three days and pay significantly more for this than ordinary private visitors.
Finally, the concept of rural tourism development implies close interaction with tour operators: companies interested in cooperation on favorable terms will not only post information about home hotel services on their website and in advertising materials, but will also help in developing a high-quality tourism product, organize transfers and entertainment program.
How to promote green tourism
Since this niche is new, and the clients are not passers-by on the street who can be attracted by a bright sign, the advertising channels will be very diverse.
- Your own website. You can create your own website and place there all the necessary information about your business and services.
- Page on social networks. Nowadays it is impossible to imagine business promotion without the use of social networks. Proper positioning and promotion on social networks can bring a large flow of customers.
- Targeted and contextual advertising on the Internet . For advertising to work, you need to work out your offer in detail and determine the target audience.
- Cooperation with tourism organizations. Also a good way to promote your services.
- Advertising with bloggers . A fairly popular method of promotion that produces results. But you need to wisely choose those from whom you plan to buy advertising - their subscribers should be your target audience.
Types of rural tourism
Clients of home hotels have different requirements for organizing their vacation: some simply want to spend time in nature, others are interested in hunting and fishing, others come to the village to get acquainted with folklore and folk crafts. In accordance with the list of cultural and leisure activities, several of the most popular rural tourism programs are distinguished:
- Medical tourism. Its goal is to study the means and methods of traditional medicine, collect medicinal plants, as well as carry out health procedures that are in demand by people with various diseases;
- Historical tourism. It represents a complete immersion in authentic ancient life, including accommodation in reconstructed huts with minimal amenities and meals with dishes of Old Russian cuisine;
- Rural ecological tourism. It involves living in a remote village with the telephone turned off, without television or the Internet. Various cultural events contribute to complete immersion in rural life;
- Sports tourism. In this case, the countryside is used as a platform for various sports competitions, hiking, orienteering, rock climbing, rafting, and horseback riding;
- Educational tourism. This type of rural tourism involves the study of classical folk crafts - pottery, artistic painting, wood carving, weaving wicker products, embroidery;
- Agricultural tourism. Includes active recreation with the opportunity to take part in basic agricultural processes, including grazing livestock, collecting firewood, field work, haymaking, hunting, fishing, picking mushrooms or berries;
- Folklore tourism. Aims to study folk art, rituals, oral tales and songs, visit historical places and museums, as well as festivals and fairs held in rural areas;
- International tourism. This type of tourism in rural areas may include one or more areas of interest to foreign guests - the study of folklore and folk crafts, history and medicine.
How to organize a reception
To organize your stay, you will need a separate room (or building). Typically a house (or part of it) with a separate entrance is used. The room should be equipped taking into account the comfort of the guests. That is, you will need to take care of beds, bedding, and dishes.
A necessary condition is the presence of a TV, computer (with Internet), telephone connection. Do not forget that rural tourism focuses not only on locals, but also on foreigners. Therefore, you will need conversational skills (minimum English). In addition, you will need to feed your guests. To do this, you will have to master the dishes of not only the local, but also some other cuisines (not everyone will agree to a “country” table).
In this regard, there is a need to have a supply of food. It must be selected in such a way that guests do not feel inconvenienced. It is advisable to inquire about their wishes in advance. Please note that unfavorable reviews (there are plenty of people who like to write them on the Internet) can ruin all your efforts.
Advantages and disadvantages
An entrepreneur considering how to open a rural tourism business should pay attention to the characteristic features of this activity and take into account their positive or negative impact on the operation of the enterprise as a whole.
The advantages of agritourism include the following factors:
- To open a home hotel on a farm, you do not need to obtain a hotel license - just register as a peasant farm or individual entrepreneur;
- This direction is considered a priority, thanks to which the entrepreneur has the opportunity to participate in the rural tourism development program;
- If you have a subsidiary farm, you can reduce the cost of food for guests by using environmentally friendly products of your own production;
- The hotel owner does not have to pay rent;
- Using the surrounding natural resources and the potential of the region, you can create an exciting program of cultural and educational events;
- At this stage, the industry is characterized by a low level of competition;
- To organize rural tourism you do not need to have experience or special knowledge in this field.
At the same time, negative factors can significantly complicate the work of an entrepreneur and lead to additional expenditure of resources aimed at overcoming the consequences of their influence:
- Rural areas often lack the infrastructure and resources necessary for tourists to live comfortably;
- The activities of home hotels are not regulated by law;
- Under the influence of urbanization, villagers quickly forget traditions and lose their identity;
- The development of rural tourism in Russia is hampered by the rapid decrease in the number of able-bodied residents of villages and villages.
How profitable is rural business?
The income of this business directly depends on how well you selected the area, comfortably furnished housing and properly organized leisure time for tourists. There is no significant competition in this niche yet, so there is an opportunity to become a leader here. In a good situation, investments can be repaid in one season (from May to September).
Agricultural tourism today is a developing niche where there is practically no competition. With the right approach, you can earn a good income and become one of the leaders in this industry. But it is important to immediately calculate the costs and risks of this business, think through advertising channels and create your own unique offer that will attract a flow of tourists to you.
Read a review of other business ideas for rural areas.
Required Resources
Of course, not every village will be attractive to tourists: in some settlements there are no attractions or interesting natural resources at all.
Therefore, it is advisable to open a home hotel in a region known for its cultural traditions, crafts, architectural monuments and beautiful landscape. A big advantage will be the presence of a nearby forest and any body of water - a lake, pond or river: visitors will definitely be interested in such active recreation as fishing, swimming, going for mushrooms or berries. Accordingly, the entrepreneur will be able to make money by providing guests with various equipment - boats and catamarans, bicycles, fishing rods, mushroom picking kits.
When choosing where to start rural tourism in such an area, it is necessary to pay attention to the availability of any such resources and evaluate the possibility of using them to develop a program of cultural and leisure activities. In addition, to serve and entertain tourists you can use:
- The estate. Several rooms are allocated in the house for guests to stay, and the surrounding area is put in order, flower beds and lawns are laid out here, gazebos, barbecues and swings are installed, and parking spaces are arranged;
- Pets. Maintenance, feeding and grazing of chickens, sheep, pigs, cows and horses will become part of the entertainment program, and the use of livestock products will provide visitors with fresh milk, meat, eggs;
- Garden. For urban residents, ordinary agricultural work will become an active and educational holiday - many of them have never seen potatoes, carrots or corn in the natural environment. In addition, dishes made from these vegetables can be served at the table in the evening;
- Orchard. Gardening, harvesting and processing may also be of interest to tourists. Fresh apples, pears, plums, cherries are eaten or used to prepare various desserts - pies, jams, preserves;
- Russian bathhouse. Bath procedures are used for health purposes, supplemented with homemade kvass or herbal tea. Fans of extreme relaxation will want to jump from the steam room into a snowdrift or into an ice hole with icy water;
- Craft, hobby. Various master classes dedicated to wicker weaving, pottery, woodworking, soap making and other works typical of rural life will help attract and interest customers;
- Special knowledge. The hotel owner needs to learn the art of receiving guests, get acquainted with local historical, architectural and landscape attractions for excursions, master the preparation of national cuisine, and also improve communication skills in foreign languages to serve foreign guests.
Where to start (required conditions)
For rural people who have no other source of income, rural tourism is becoming increasingly attractive. The business plan for the development of such a business is not too complicated (at least at the first stage). But it still has some mandatory conditions.
It is necessary not only to be passionate about the idea, but to have some “start-up” capital. Fixed assets: land, a house suitable for receiving guests, transport (car, boat, etc.), pets, vegetable garden or garden. For the first time, you will be able to allocate part of your own living space. It must be equipped with a separate entrance. You need to take care of the dining room, the place where guests will eat. It should be comfortable, spacious and cozy. You will have to prepare food in a separate, specially equipped room. Please note that special services are monitoring this issue.
It is advisable to have a pond, forest, and meadows nearby. That is, the area that would be attractive to tourists. Mandatory conditions also include the desire and ability to work, communicate, and learn new skills (even professions). It is necessary to take into account that guests will need to be taken care of as family members, cooked, cleaned, and entertained. This is serious and hard work.
Arrangement of rooms and territory
Quite high requirements are imposed on an estate that claims to be a home hotel, designed to ensure maximum comfort for guests. Therefore, when landscaping the local area, it is necessary:
- Remove all debris from the site, repair paths, sow lawns with grass and flowers, if possible, find and install carts, their wheels, and antique agricultural machinery as decorative elements;
- Provide parking space for visitors' cars;
- Clean and put in order the paths to the well, spring and reservoir;
- Avoid proximity to abandoned and dilapidated houses, garbage and manure heaps, livestock farms and other sources of unpleasant odor and noise;
- Ensure the availability of telephone communication, satellite television and the Internet (many guests will want to immediately publish photos on social networks);
- Install artificial lighting on the site;
- Arrange rest areas, install gazebos and garden benches, hang hammocks.
Premises intended to accommodate guests must be equipped with ventilation, lighting and heating systems, bathrooms and showers. Of course, some tourists, in pursuit of historical authenticity, will want to live with stove heating, wash from a stream and sleep in beds, but the majority of visitors will prefer a minimal set of amenities:
Living room equipment
| Name | Qty | Price | Sum |
| Bed | 9 | 8 000 | 72000 |
| Wardrobe for outerwear | 3 | 4500 | 13500 |
| Linen closet | 3 | 6000 | 18000 |
| Chair or stool | 9 | 1 000 | 9000 |
| Dining table | 3 | 2500 | 7500 |
| Chandelier or wall lights | 3 | 2000 | 6000 |
| TV | 3 | 9 000 | 27000 |
| Air conditioner | 3 | 18 000 | 54000 |
| Router | 3 | 1500 | 4500 |
| Electric kettle | 3 | 1000 | 3000 |
| Mini fridge | 3 | 6500 | 19500 |
| Bedspreads | 9 | 2 000 | 18000 |
| Pillows | 9 | 500 | 4500 |
| Blankets | 9 | 2 000 | 18000 |
| Bed sheets | 18 | 500 | 9000 |
| Toilet with cistern | 3 | 4 000 | 12000 |
| Shower cabin | 3 | 12 000 | 36000 |
| Mirror | 3 | 2 000 | 6000 |
| Washbasin | 3 | 8 000 | 24000 |
| Mixer | 3 | 1 000 | 3000 |
| Boiler | 3 | 5500 | 16500 |
| Large towel | 18 | 500 | 9000 |
| Small towel | 18 | 300 | 5400 |
| Rug | 3 | 500 | 1500 |
| Clothes dryer | 3 | 1 500 | 4500 |
| Garden tent | 3 | 3500 | 10500 |
| Garden furniture set | 3 | 6 000 | 18000 |
| Brazier | 3 | 700 | 2100 |
| Set of dishes | 3 | 5 000 | 15000 |
| Hammock | 3 | 1000 | 3000 |
| Total: | 450000 | ||
The area of guest rooms is selected at the rate of at least 6–7 m² per person for double rooms, or 5–6 m² per person for triple rooms.
PRODUCTION PLAN
- Selection of location.
The key factor in planning this business is choosing the right location. This should be a location away from large cities, sources of pollution and road noise. A prerequisite is the presence of a body of water (preferably suitable for swimming), as well as an abundance of places for hiking and cycling (forests, hills, ravines, mountains, streams, etc.). At the same time, the place should be relatively safe for tourists and not threaten their life and health. Also, visitors should not become the object of negative attitudes towards them from local residents. The place must have good transport accessibility (asphalt road, railway), communications (at least electricity), and mobile communications. In our case, the place fully meets all these requirements and has a wide selection of places to visit, including coniferous and mixed forests, several lakes (including those equipped for swimming), a river, steppe, picturesque ravines and meadows with herbs. The village in which the agricultural estate is located is located far from large cities, in a rural area that is not adjacent to dirty industries. The village has an asphalt road, two shops selling food and essential goods. The village can be reached by private car, by bus departing daily from the district center, and by train.
- Accommodation.
Despite living in the village, many guests cannot refuse the benefits of civilization, so it is desirable to have a bathroom, split system, wireless Internet access, etc. in the rooms. In addition, a swimming pool, green areas for outdoor games, gazebos, barbecues, etc. will be created for guests. The rooms will be divided into two categories: by the number of beds (double, quadruple) and level of comfort (standard and superior).
- Nutrition.
For those wishing to choose from, one or two meals a day will be provided. For cooking, organic products will be used, purchased from one of the local farms (milk, curdled milk, lard, meat) or grown or collected directly by the owner (vegetables, fruits, berries, mushrooms), as well as fish caught in the surrounding reservoirs. The missing ingredients will be purchased from a village store or market in the district center.
- Program.
In addition to the location, you should take care of a rich program for guests. Active and healthy recreation will be promoted at the farmstead: with collective sports games between guests, organizing hikes in the surrounding area to pick mushrooms/berries or visiting natural places or cultural and historical monuments. The program should include entertainment for every taste, so the owner of the project will establish an agreement with one of the local farmers to organize horseback riding. The owner himself and his family members will take part in cycling and rafting trips, acting as guides and maintaining the good mood of the guests. For example, in the evening, the owner can organize guitar playing, dancing to folk songs, and stories around the fire about the history of these places. An agreement will also be established with the rural folklore ensemble to provide paid costume concerts for guests of the agricultural estate. The content of the programs will vary depending on several factors: the wishes of the guests, the number of guests, weather conditions, and the season. The goal of all programs is to form a base of regular customers who would return to visit the agricultural estate at different times of the year for the sake of a warm homely atmosphere and recuperation.
- Employees.
One of the advantages of the project is the absence of personnel costs. The project manager will be its initiator, the owner of the agricultural estate, and his assistants will be family members. For the initial period of activity, you will need to hire a watchman-general worker to guard the estate at night and perform auxiliary work (collecting firewood, cleaning the territory, mowing lawns, etc.). Representatives of a folklore ensemble and a local livestock farm will also be involved for a negotiated fee. Thus, even despite the small scale of the business, its very presence will become an additional source of income and improve the material condition of the village residents.
- Preparation of the territory and estate.
Creating an agricultural estate will require preparatory work to develop the territory and repair the building. At the initial stage, guest rooms will be created in an existing building with an area of 150 sq. m. meters. In the future, additional holiday houses will be built on the site. The renovation of the building will include partial redevelopment and overhaul of the interior (44 sq.m. - 206.8 thousand rubles at the rate of 4.7 thousand rubles per sq.m.), puttying, painting of coatings (walls, floors) (88 sq.m. m. - 132 thousand rubles at the rate of 1.5 rubles per sq. m.), finishing the common dining room with wood (72 thousand rubles), creating additional bathrooms (300 thousand rubles). The total investment in the renovation of the building will be 710.8 thousand rubles, taking into account unforeseen costs - about 750 thousand rubles. A log bathhouse 4x6 m will be erected on the land plot (RUB 390 thousand), a swimming pool with an area of 12 sq.m. will be created. m. (690 thousand rubles), a subsidiary farm with pets was arranged (40 thousand rubles), an attractive design of the territory was created (35 thousand rubles). The work will be carried out with the involvement of specialized companies (for example, construction of a bathhouse, swimming pool), as well as on our own (arrangement of a mini-farm, creation of a new territory design).
- Equipment.
The purchase of the necessary equipment will require 1,204,200 rubles. An approximate list of what is needed is given in table. 3.
Table 3. List of equipment
| № | Name | price, rub. | Quantity, rub. | Cost, rub. |
| 1. Equipment for the site | ||||
| 1 | Ready summerhouse | 60 000 | 3 | 180 000 |
| 2 | Brazier | 7 000 | 3 | 21 000 |
| 3 | Video tracking system | 30 000 | 1 | 30 000 |
| 4 | Household equipment, tools | 12 000 | 1 | 12 000 |
| 2. Home equipment | ||||
| 2.1 Guest rooms | ||||
| 5 | Single bed | 8 000 | 6 | 48 000 |
| 6 | Double bed | 16 000 | 6 | 96 000 |
| 7 | Wardrobe | 13 000 | 6 | 78 000 |
| 8 | Nightstand | 2 500 | 12 | 30 000 |
| 9 | Desk | 8 000 | 2 | 16 000 |
| 10 | Chair | 2 000 | 10 | 20 000 |
| 12 | Coffee table | 3 000 | 6 | 18 000 |
| 13 | Chandelier | 2 500 | 6 | 15 000 |
| 14 | Armchair | 8 000 | 2 | 16 000 |
| 15 | Split system | 15 000 | 6 | 90 000 |
| 16 | Mirror | 1 500 | 6 | 9 000 |
| 2.2 Other equipment, plumbing | ||||
| 17 | Washing machine | 16 000 | 1 | 16 000 |
| 18 | Large dining table | 18 000 | 1 | 18 000 |
| 19 | Chair | 2 500 | 20 | 50 000 |
| 20 | Toilet | 6 000 | 3 | 18 000 |
| 21 | Shower cabin | 13 000 | 3 | 39 000 |
| 22 | Wash basin | 2 000 | 3 | 6 000 |
| 23 | Mirror | 1 500 | 3 | 4 500 |
| 3. Sports and tourism equipment | ||||
| 24 | Adult bicycle | 17 000 | 6 | 102 000 |
| 25 | Bicycle for teenagers | 14 000 | 3 | 42 000 |
| 26 | Kid's bicycle | 9 000 | 3 | 27 000 |
| 27 | Hammock | 1 500 | 2 | 3 000 |
| 28 | Kazan | 3 000 | 1 | 3 000 |
| 29 | Protective equipment, set (knee pads, elbow pads, helmets) | 2 000 | 4 | 8 000 |
| 30 | Volleyball net | 3 000 | 1 | 3 000 |
| 31 | Badminton rackets, shuttlecocks | 400 | 5 | 2 000 |
| 32 | Balls for playing football, volleyball | 3 000 | 1 | 3 000 |
| 33 | Children's skis | 4 500 | 3 | 13 500 |
| 34 | Skis for adults | 6 500 | 6 | 39 000 |
| 35 | Headlight | 200 | 10 | 2 000 |
| 36 | Sleeping bag | 1 000 | 10 | 10 000 |
| 37 | Tent | 2 500 | 5 | 12 500 |
| 38 | Small backpack | 1 500 | 5 | 7 500 |
| 39 | Hiking backpack | 2 000 | 5 | 10 000 |
| 4. Other | ||||
| 40 | Bed sheets | 1 500 | 16 | 24 000 |
| 41 | Blankets and pillows | 1 500 | 16 | 24 000 |
| 42 | Cookware | 10 000 | 1 | 10 000 |
| 43 | Towel | 200 | 16 | 3 200 |
| 44 | Pool/sauna accessories | 5 000 | 1 | 5 000 |
| 45 | Items for decorating the site | 10 000 | 1 | 10 000 |
| 46 | Other | 10 000 | 1 | 10 000 |
| Total: | 1 204 200 | |||
- Volume of production.
It is quite difficult to accurately predict the planned occupancy volume of an agricultural estate due to the abundance of factors, and therefore it is necessary to consider a pessimistic and optimistic sales forecast, and then highlight the average indicators. In Table. 4 shows all three options for events for a two-year period, taking into account the seasonality of demand (increase in May-August and December-January, decrease in September-November, February-April). The start of work is planned for November in order to welcome the first guests for the New Year holidays.
Table 4. Planned production volume, rub./month
| Service/year forecast | 1 year | 2 year | |||||||
| Dec-Jan | Feb-Apr | May-Aug | Sep-Nov | Dec-Jan | Feb-Apr | May-Aug | Sep-Nov | ||
| Accommodation of guests | pess. | 30000 | 22000 | 34000 | 26000 | 50000 | 26000 | 58000 | 28000 |
| optim. | 77500 | 50500 | 91000 | 64000 | 145000 | 64000 | 172000 | 71000 | |
| average | 53750 | 36250 | 62500 | 45000 | 97500 | 45000 | 115000 | 49500 | |
| Nutrition | pess. | 5000 | 0 | 10000 | 5000 | 10000 | 5000 | 14000 | 8000 |
| optim. | 15000 | 3000 | 30000 | 15000 | 30000 | 15000 | 42000 | 24000 | |
| average | 10000 | 1500 | 20000 | 3250 | 20000 | 10000 | 28000 | 32000 | |
| Rent of tourist/sports equipment | pess. | 12800 | 8000 | 15000 | 10000 | 25600 | 10000 | 33000 | 14000 |
| optim. | 38400 | 24000 | 45000 | 30000 | 76800 | 30000 | 99000 | 42000 | |
| average | 25600 | 16000 | 30000 | 20000 | 51200 | 2000 | 66000 | 28000 | |
| Excursions | pess. | 0 | 0 | 2000 | 2000 | 0 | 4000 | 8000 | 4000 |
| optim. | 0 | 6000 | 14000 | 10000 | 0 | 9000 | 18000 | 11000 | |
| average | 0 | 3000 | 8000 | 6000 | 0 | 7500 | 13000 | 7000 | |
| Additional services | pess. | 8000 | 8000 | 16000 | 9000 | 10000 | 12000 | 18000 | 11000 |
| optim. | 14000 | 14000 | 46000 | 18000 | 22000 | 22000 | 86000 | 30000 | |
| average | 11000 | 11000 | 31000 | 13500 | 16000 | 17000 | 52000 | 20500 | |
| TOTAL: | pess. | 41800 | 22000 | 61000 | 36000 | 79600 | 41000 | 115000 | 49000 |
| optim. | 128900 | 81500 | 210000 | 121000 | 257800 | 124000 | 401000 | 162000 | |
| average | 101350 | 67750 | 151500 | 94500 | 184700 | 98500 | 274000 | 121500 | |
Catering
Three meals a day are included in the basic package of home hotel services.
To organize it, it is necessary to equip a small dining room for 10–12 people, in which you can also install a samovar and place sweets on dishes to organize tea drinking at any time of the day. It is possible that this particular place will become a center for guests to communicate and exchange impressions after a busy day. The basis of the menu for tourists consists of simple and unpretentious village dishes prepared from farm products. This may include:
- Vegetable salads, homemade pickles, fresh herbs;
- Homemade milk, sour cream, cottage cheese and cheese;
- Cutlets, meatballs, homemade sausage, dumplings, kebab;
- Fish and fish dishes;
- Various porridges, navy pasta;
- Baked potatoes, boiled with herbs, stewed with mushrooms;
- Fish soup, cabbage soup, pickles, vegetable and cold soups, borscht;
- Homemade eggs, omelettes and scrambled eggs;
- Pies, honey gingerbreads, pancakes, pancakes, homemade jam;
- Compotes, herbal and fruit teas.
You need to be prepared for the fact that some guests who adhere to a vegetarian or medicinal diet will find the village menu unacceptable and will want to prepare their own dishes from products they brought with them or bought from the farmer. For their convenience, you need to equip a separate kitchen, equipped with all the necessary utensils and household appliances:
Why do tourists go on vacation to the village?
An eco-farm is a completely new format of pastime for Russia, which involves obtaining health benefits and improving the overall psychological state. As a rule, the craving for ecotourism in the countryside arises among residents of megacities, who consider themselves locked among concrete and asphalt, involved in the unbridled rhythm of the city. The destination is also of interest to those people who are already tired of world resorts. Holidays outside the city are perfect for a family vacation with children.
- You can live in cozy huts made of pine logs. They are built and furnished in Russian rustic style.
- For those who like to take a steam bath, there is a classic wood-fired sauna.
- You can walk along ecological trails.
- The importance of local history is rising to a qualitatively new level.
- You can interact with pets and try top quality meat and dairy products. Thanks to proper care and balanced nutrition of animals, goat, cow and sheep milk acquires good environmental performance. Farm owners do not use any synthetic feed.
- You can fish on the pond (crucian carp, carp, rudd - a potential catch for vacationers).
- In the summer forest, ecotourists enjoy picking mushrooms (boletus, boletus, boletus) or berries (strawberries, cranberries, blueberries, lingonberries).
- In nature you can practice yoga, qigong, and conduct meditation.
Secluded corners of Russian nature have a special aura. Here it is pleasant to enjoy the cleanest air, forests and fields unspoiled by civilization. You will feel at home, forget about the bustle of the city and problems at the office, taste fresh milk and appreciate the taste of real homemade cheese. Every detail of the eco-farm contributes to relaxation. Guests feel like they have entered a completely different world, where time seems to have stopped!
Guest kitchen equipment
| Name | Qty | Price | Sum |
| Set of pans | 2 | 3500 | 7000 |
| Set of frying pans | 2 | 3000 | 6000 |
| Knife set | 2 | 500 | 1000 |
| Forks, spoons | 2 | 2900 | 5800 |
| Gas stove | 1 | 6000 | 6000 |
| Cutting boards | 2 | 800 | 1600 |
| Kitchenware | — | 3000 | 3000 |
| Food processor | 1 | 3000 | 3000 |
| Fridge | 1 | 15000 | 15000 |
| Washing | 1 | 600 | 600 |
| Mixer | 1 | 1000 | 1000 |
| Total: | 50000 | ||
Prospects for the development of agritourism
Does village tourism have development prospects in Russia? The demand for this type of holiday has actually increased slightly. People are willing to pay for rural tours, but only if they feel comfortable. The reality is that a trip to a “modern” village with a large estate, natural food, animals and a variety of entertainment is expensive. It is unlikely that you will be able to find a price below 10 thousand rubles per day. For comparison, in the Krasnodar region at the height of the season you can rent a comfortable room next to the sea for 3-4 thousand rubles per day.
In addition to the high price, there is another factor that reduces the flow of tourists to the village - bad roads. It is difficult to get to estates and farms; guests have to change several types of transport. It's inconvenient, difficult, expensive and doesn't contribute to a positive experience. All successful tourist villages are located in close proximity to Moscow. Whether travelers will travel hundreds of kilometers on bad roads is a very controversial issue.
Leisure organization
Few guests will be satisfied with the opportunity to simply live away from the noise of the city, swim in a clean river, take a steam bath and look at live cows: usually people interested in agritourism are attracted by slightly different goals - immersion in rural life, active recreation, participation in agricultural work. In addition, many people buy family tours and bring children to the village who grew up in the city and have never seen wildlife. Therefore, a set of various cultural and leisure activities is being developed for guests, including them in the basic package or offering them as additional services:
Agricultural holidays:
- Picking berries, vegetables and fruits, working in the fields and gardens;
- Pumping out honey, excursion to the apiary;
- Feeding and driving animals to pasture, working as a shepherd;
- Baking homemade bread;
- Setting up a smokehouse, smoking meat or fish;
- Collecting sour cream and whipping butter;
- Tree felling and firewood preparation.
Leisure:
- Hunting and fishing;
- Horseback riding, sleigh rides, excursion to a horse farm;
- Water procedures, swimming in a river or lake;
- Hiking and cycling;
- Bath health treatments;
- Picnics;
- Access to recreational equipment - balls, badminton;
- Conducting photo sessions with pets.
Educational rest:
- Getting to know local customs, rituals and folklore;
- Participation in celebrations, invitation of folklore groups;
- Conducting master classes on folk arts and crafts;
- Excursions to museums, inspection of architectural and natural monuments.
Legal registration
To work in the field of rural tourism, you must register as an individual entrepreneur. This organizational and legal form is clear for beginning entrepreneurs and simplifies taxation issues. If a businessman plans to build a large tourist complex, he will need to obtain SRO approval. Without this document, construction will be considered illegal. Guests can be received at the recreation center only after obtaining permission from the fire service and sanitary and epidemiological control.
Investments
When developing a business plan for rural tourism, it is necessary to take into account that the work on arranging a home hotel is not limited to repairs in the rooms: to ensure an acceptable level of comfort and organization of leisure for guests, you will have to tidy up the local area, install air conditioners and satellite dishes, and purchase equipment.
It is also advisable to have at your disposal a small minibus to transport tourists to their vacation spot and organize excursion trips. The list of costs associated with creating a hotel of three triple rooms will include the following items:
Investments
| Name | price, rub. | Quantity, pcs. | Amount, rub. |
| SPD registration | — | — | 2000 |
| Renovation of guest rooms | 75000 | 3 | 225000 |
| Guest room equipment | 150000 | 3 | 450000 |
| Kitchen equipment | 50000 | 1 | 50000 |
| Yard landscaping | 150000 | 1 | 150000 |
| Installation of a septic tank for 6 m³ | 80000 | 1 | 80000 |
| Touring bikes | 10000 | 4 | 40000 |
| Boats | 40000 | 3 | 120000 |
| Sports equipment | — | — | 20000 |
| Development of an information site | — | — | 20000 |
| Transport, minibus | 350000 | 1 | 350000 |
| Total: | 1507000 | ||
Unfortunately, farm owners engaged in providing rural tourism services do not physically have enough time to serve guests, care for animals and field work at the same time. Therefore, the company needs to hire several hired assistants:
- Technical worker for laundry, cleaning rooms, washing dishes;
- Animator-guide for excursions and master classes;
- Cooks to work in the kitchen.
Maintaining a subsidiary farm will provide guests with vegetables, fruits, herbs, pickles, meat, and homemade bread. Accordingly, the hotel owner will have to purchase only products that cannot be produced on a farm. At the same time, food costs will not exceed 250 rubles per day per person.
Expenses for the year
| Name | Amount, rub. |
| Communal payments | 36000 |
| Equipment repair | 20000 |
| Marketing expenses | 30000 |
| Property insurance | 10000 |
| Fare | 24000 |
| Chef salary | 180000 |
| Salary for a tour guide-animator | 180000 |
| Cleaning lady salary | 180000 |
| Payroll tax | 164700 |
| Administrative expenses | 24000 |
| Food | 369000 |
| Insurance premiums for individual entrepreneurs | 27600 |
| Total: | 1245300 |
Registration of activities and selection of objects
Opening an eco-business company begins with registering an entrepreneur with the tax authorities. There are two main options: individual entrepreneur and LLC. The form of registration depends on the plans for the development of the organization. You can start with an individual entrepreneur certificate, because... the process is simplified and less expensive in all respects. You will also need to choose a tax system. Most likely, this is the simplified tax system of 15%.
To register an individual entrepreneur, you need to provide the necessary documents and an application to the tax service, after which you must pay the state fee and wait several days for a response and to receive an individual entrepreneur certificate.
In addition, it is necessary to obtain permits from local authorities to ensure that the premises and territory in which the business process will be carried out meet safety requirements.
The best site for ecotourism is a countryside area or a nearby village where there are beautiful views. Forests, lakes, rivers and other natural features are welcome.
Premises for recreation and living of guests can and should be rented from local residents or built independently. In the second case, you need to make repairs, the costs of which depend on whether you choose a rustic style or a “comfort” room. The cost of one house will not exceed 5-7 thousand rubles per month.
Revenue and profitability
Agrotourism as a business involves the formation of a tourism product from a whole range of basic and additional services. By default, this includes accommodation in a separate room, three meals a day, the opportunity to contact animals, engage in outdoor activities and agricultural work. When developing a pricing policy, you should take into account the tariffs of similar rural hotels located in the Perm Territory, Karelia and Altai: here, each day of stay costs a tourist 1200–1500 rubles. ⏩ Video on the topic To increase the competitiveness of an enterprise, it is recommended to reduce the cost of services during periods of falling tourist activity and thereby attract customers who want to save on vacation. Thus, taking into account seasonal fluctuations in attendance, a farmer renting out three triple rooms can receive an income of 1.74 million rubles during the year:
Home hotel income
| Season | Loading | Guests on average | Person-days | Tariff, rub./day | Income, rub. |
| Summer | 80% | 7,2 | 648 | 1300 | 842400 |
| Autumn | 30% | 2,7 | 243 | 1000 | 243000 |
| Winter | 40% | 3,6 | 342 | 1200 | 410400 |
| Spring | 30% | 2,7 | 243 | 1000 | 243000 |
| Total: | 1738800 | ||||
An increase in the profitability of an enterprise is facilitated by the provision of a set of paid services, the list of which is formed depending on the resources available in a given area: for example, if there is a horse farm, you can organize horseback riding, and if there is a reservoir, you can rent out boats and fishing rods. When drawing up a business plan for agritourism, it is necessary to analyze all available opportunities, and then develop a price list taking into account depreciation of equipment and the cost of cultural and leisure activities:
Additional income
| Name | price, rub. | Amount, rub. |
| Boat rental, per day | 500 | 75000 |
| Bicycle rental, per day | 200 | 60000 |
| Excursions, per person | 400 | 62400 |
| Master classes, per person | 300 | 46800 |
| Firewood for barbecue, packaging | 300 | 46800 |
| Sports equipment rental, per day | 200 | 42000 |
| Total: | 333000 | |
Thus, the total annual turnover of the home hotel will exceed 2 million rubles. Taking into account current expenses, we can calculate the main economic indicators of the project and the expected payback period:
Calculation of economic indicators
| Name | Meaning |
| Annual turnover, rub. | 2071800 |
| Annual expenses, rub. | 1245300 |
| Income before tax, rub. | 826500 |
| Income tax, rub. | 49500 |
| Net profit, rub. | 777000 |
| Profitability, % | 62 |
| Investments, rub. | 1507000 |
| Payback period, years | 1,9 |
What to consider when drawing up a tourism business plan
To competently draw up a business plan, you need to analyze how large your business will be, what services you will provide, and what average bill you can expect. Below is an approximate list of expenses at the start for an estate for 8-10 people without rent (for example, if you already own a suitable house).
| Expense item | Cost in rubles |
| Repair work | From 130,000 |
| Purchasing products for cooking | From 90 000 |
| Purchase of furniture and equipment | From 210,000 |
| Advertising costs | From 120,000 |
| Paperwork | From 1 000 |
| Salary | From 140,000 |
| Communal payments | From 35 000 |
| Total (excluding rent) | 726 000 |
In total, the approximate cost is 726,000 rubles, excluding taxes and rent (purchase) of the house. This amount can vary greatly depending on the size of your home and what work needs to be done there.
Tips and tricks
The target audience among which this type of recreation such as agritourism is in demand is almost 70% women and 30% men. Rural tourism is quite in demand among families with children, as well as people leading a healthy lifestyle. As a rule, these are people with a consistently high level of income who live in large populated areas or married couples.
To attract foreign tourists, it is necessary to focus on folk flavor. This direction requires special developments, presented by its own web resource in the English version, and also provides for the presence of original souvenir gifts for every foreign tourist and ethnic elements in entertainment programs in the form of round dances, dances and ceremonies.
A definite advantage is the development and printing of booklets with historical facts of the region and village in which the eco-estate is located, as well as registration in the international travel database.
28.07.2015 01:48
