The agritourism industry is calling on an investment of $15.8 million for the development of its sector with targeted capability building programs and a federal grant to support development.
The first ever strategy framework for Australia's agritourism industry will aim to bring authenticity to the sector that is both sustainable and embraced by regional communities.
Australian Regional Tourism executive officer Lauren Douglass said it was an exciting time for authentic on-farm experiences, but there was no distinct definition of agritourism.
But the release of the framework has changed that and has defined the sector as a "type of experiential travel which connect people to product or produce, delivered on farming land through a direct 'on-farm' experience"
"This strategy is supported by all our our states and territories and will provide a stepping stone for the regions to really develop and grow agritourism," Ms Douglass said.
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She said in addition to the framework, a toolkit for local government and farmers was launched, while an action plan to be presented to governments will call to support developing regions.
"Throughout the development of this program, it's been incredible to see an interest in agritourism gain momentum through all our states and territories in Australia," she said.
Australian Regional Tourism project officer, agritourism, Dana Ronan said it was important to include all kinds of entities in the consultation of the framework from farmers, to Indigenous entrepreneurs to planners.
"We aren't necessarily trying to encourage a particular product, we just want the whole sector to succeed," she said.
"One of the key topics that [came out of consultation] was the current lack of people to fill employment and a realisation that many regional communities are going to actually have to solve those problems and build skills capacity from within."
The framework reported that there were 15.6 million international and domestic visitors to farm gates or wineries and they spent $17.4 billion.
Taking out wineries, 1.1 million people had on-farm tourism experiences and spent $5.6 billion in total.
The strategy included an aim had a focus on supporting farmers in future thinking was launched at the National Agritourism Conference held in Ballarat on Thursday
Board member of Australian Regional Tourism Nick Baker said there were fascinating alignments between both the agriculture and tourism industries.
"There is a strong desire to see agritourism get the recognition that it so richly deserves," he said.
Mr Baker sad tourism and agriculture were the third and the sixth largest export industries respectively in the country and a combination of both industries meant great potential.
"The top five export markets in the world from an agricultural and tourism perspective are pretty much the same," Mr Baker said.
"We're talking about the UK, China, the USA and Japan, and this neat intersection of the industries brings them... and when Tourism Australia looked at demand and what triggered people to come and travel, food and wine was very much at the centre of that," he said.
Mr Baker also said regional tourism started to work with the National Farmers Federation to "champion income diversification for farmers".
"The interest in product, provenance and where food comes has not been higher than what it is right now, and so that is why it makes us have a unique opportunity to showcase the best of what the country [and] give an opportunity for farmers to diversify," he said.
The framework also urged opportunities for Indigenous tourism to thrive.
