Von der Sommerfrische zum Agrotourismus

Die Auswirkungen von Urlaub am Bauernhof auf Lebens- und Arbeitsverhältnisse auf Tiroler Bauernhöfen

Abstract

Holidays on farm have had a significant impact on the economic structure of mountain farms in Austria. The activities started with the upcoming mass tourism in the 1960s, not yet as a special segment but in the context of private bed-and-breakfast offers. During the 1980s a specialised product called ‘holiday on farm’ (Urlaub am Bauernhof) was developed and institutionalised as an association. The aim of the article is to describe the nature and amount of change this new economic activity has brought to the farm. The analysis covers different periods in the development from the beginning to the present day. Most significant impacts on farms are found in the following fields: Investments into the household were effected earlier than in other farms as tourism required a certain domestic infrastructure; involvement in tourism introduced the use of new communication technologies earlier than on other farms; tourism provided for the first time substantial cash income for farm women, therefore influencing the gender relations and roles on the farms; tourism impacted on the appreciation of farm products, thus altering the consumption patterns of the farm members. The paper provides an empirical case study on the development of farm holidays in the province of Tyrol, Austria. It is based on a context analysis of the major regional agricultural newspaper, the Tiroler Bauernzeitung, covering the period from 1966 to today. Besides this view on the general development, a number of interviews with various stakeholders and relevant internal documents provide material for a detailed analysis of the provincial asso- ciation ‘holidays on farm‘.