At the end of 2018, it still looked as if the tender little plant of agritourism in the frankenwald would not survive the winter. After almost five years, the bavarian ministry of agriculture’s model project of the same name came to an end in december, and klaus schaumberg cleared out his desk at the kronach office of the food, agriculture and forestry department.
15 highly motivated stakeholders
Should almost five years of intensive work have been in vain?? By no means. Although it was not possible to establish the initiative in an existing institution such as the nature park or frankenwald tourism. For this, 15 highly motivated actors from the areas of farm vacations, direct marketing, adventure farms, tourism and gastronomy were found, who founded the association "agrotourismus frankenwald" at the end of december grundeten.
"Agrotourism serves rural development, it is an instrument against demographic change and structural change and the associated migration", schaumberg is convinced. At the first world congress of agrotourism in november in bolzano, he learned that this tourism segment is becoming more and more popular, especially in regions without outstanding hotspots.
Own initiative is roughly written
Fortunately, initiative has been a big issue in the region for many years, so the association’s founders want to pick up where klaus schaumberg left off.
At the beginning of the project, about 120 tourism-relevant businesses had been identified in the franconian forest. Among them were some who had already been extremely successful in this field and did not have to rely on outside help. For some others, a stronger commitment did not make sense, either because the farms were only run on a sideline basis or because there was no successor in sight. 40 farms were actively involved in the project. They participated in the network, obtained qualifications – such as for the health farm – went on excursions and developed ideas for the region in workshops. The founders of the association, who see agrotourism as an opportunity for themselves and for the entire frankenwald region, come from this group.
Networking is the be-all and end-all
The purpose of the association is outlined in the statutes: networking of the relevant companies, development of cooperations with tourism relevant initiatives and public relations work. But what could illustrate the extensive offer of agrotourism in the frankenwald better than the rough-format overview map with all direct marketers, vacation farms, mills or pasture world butchers?? It has already been published in its third edition, is available in the tourist information offices and can be downloaded from the frankenwald tourism website. "It strengthens the regional self-esteem of the actors", klaus schaumberg is sure.
Vital network established
As the second chairman of the new association he can continue to fight for the realization of his ideas. What does he wish for? "That creative minds develop agrotourism as a complement to hiking, that politicians perceive it as a serious instrument of regional development and that the vital network is further strengthened and concrete projects are derived."
Markus martini from the "schlossberghof" was elected chairman marktrodach gewahlt. Johannes welscher from the rotwildgehege welscher in kronach acts as a font driver, carolin walther from the ferienhof barnickel-thierauf in kronach as a cashier.