The sustainable type of tourism you never heard about

Let’s start this article by looking at some history. Everybody is familiar with the events of WWII: Europe came out of it in its worst shape ever, with entire cities to rebuild, lacking a whole generation of men, and politically divided. Even so, many tend to forget about what happened in the countryside of areas like France and Italy… In fact, the rural areas suffered a lot, particularly because of urbanization and emigration. This is why, between the ‘50s and the ‘60s, a whole new type of tourism came up – it was known as “rural tourism”. 

France started it and Italy followed along, with the first laws to regulate the creation of an “agriturismo”. What were once just farms, focused on the sale of local products or animals, turned into tourist attractions, giving local travelers the chance to get away from the cities and try the freshest possible foods. This concept is often translated into “farmhouse”, but “agriturismo” is something very unique: you get to become part of the farmers’ family, learn about the products you consume and explore the true hidden gems of a country.

The development and growth of the “agriturismo” from the 70s to today is incredible: there aren’t many statistics, but many researchers say that the number of this type of accommodation has doubled over the past ten years. Italy had over 25,000 in 2023! There is indeed another factor that has made them so popular, specifically over the past few years, and that is sustainability. Old warehouses were converted into rooms for the guests, who are fed with handmade-products and entertained with activities nearby or mostly at the agriturismo itself. This means less need for transportation, but most importantly consumption of freshly made natural products. It educates people about the meaning of authenticity and contributes to the fight against big brands exporting using fake labels. This happens with tons of cheeses, cold cuts, wines and liquors!  

Why am I talking about this now? In the beginning of May I got to spend 7 days in paradise, sleeping at Agriturismo “Il Giardino di Vigliano”. Located in Massa Lubrense, near Sorrento, this place truly reminded me of what an amazing reality this is… And that this type of tourism should be advertised a lot more! If you want to learn about my time there, check out my latest post on Instagram and Facebook, where I list all the activities we got to try. 

The one flaw of this type of accommodation? They are hard to find. Which is where having a travel designer’s help truly makes a difference!