Farmers Look Beyond The Farm Gate For New Tourism Income

The Tweed summit will help farmers turn existing land, produce, water assets and regional stories into new tourism revenue.

The 2026 Agri and Agri-Aqua Tourism Summit will help farmers and regional businesses turn existing assets into new visitor experiences and revenue.

Farmers, producers and regional business owners will explore how land, water, produce and local knowledge can generate new income at the 2026 Agri and Agri-Aqua Tourism Summit.

The two-day event will be held in Murwillumbah and across The Tweed on October 20 and 21.

It comes as farmers and other regional operators face rising costs, market uncertainty and changing consumer expectations.

Many businesses are now exploring farm stays, farm-gate experiences, food tourism, educational programs, events, aquaculture tourism and nature-based activities to complement their traditional income.

Summit founder Gary Fitz-Roy said many regional businesses already had assets, skills and stories that visitors would pay to experience.

“The biggest challenge facing many regional businesses isn’t a lack of opportunity,” Mr Fitz-Roy said.

“It’s deciding which opportunities are worth pursuing and where to start.”

Mr Fitz-Roy said diversification did not necessarily require farmers to increase production. Instead, businesses could create more value from what they already owned, produced or understood.

“The future of many regional enterprises may not rely on producing more,” he said.

“It may come from creating more value from what they already have.”

A Practical Business Playbook

A central feature of the summit will be the launch of what organisers describe as Australia’s first dedicated Agri and Aqua Tourism Playbook.

The practical planning framework aims to help regional operators identify opportunities, assess their commercial potential and understand what investment may be required.

Delegates will work through the Playbook during the summit and develop a personalised roadmap suited to their business, property and resources.

The process will encourage participants to examine their land, water, produce, visitor appeal, regional stories and existing infrastructure.

They will then consider which opportunities align with their capabilities and long-term business goals.

Organisers want participants to leave with an achievable plan instead of a collection of ideas without a clear starting point.

“That’s why we’ve developed the Playbook,” Mr Fitz-Roy said.

“We want people leaving with a practical plan, not just another conference satchel full of ideas.”

Learning From Regional Operators

The program will feature farmers, producers, tourism operators and business owners who have already diversified their enterprises.

Speakers will discuss the opportunities they identified, the risks they faced, the mistakes they made and the lessons they learned.

National Farmers’ Federation chief executive Michael Guerin will deliver a keynote address examining the forces reshaping regional economies.

His presentation will also consider why agritourism and agri-aqua tourism could play a growing role in regional development.

Burradoo Park Farm manager Andy Carbone will present a real-world example of how a property can develop tourism experiences and additional income.

Brookfarm founder Pam Brook will join Sydney Oyster Farm Tours owner Sheridan Beaumont and Tilma Group managing director Linda Tillman for a live problem-solving session.

The session will examine real businesses and offer practical responses to the challenges raised by delegates.

Other contributors include Destination North Coast managing director Michael Thurston, Tropical Fruit World general manager Aymon Gow and Destination NSW visitor experience manager Adriana Biuk.

Young entrepreneur Scott Millar will examine the expectations of Generation Z and Generation Alpha visitors.

Branding sessions will explore how operators can explain their experiences, identify the right customers and turn visitor interest into bookings.

Building Value Rather Than Volume

A major theme will be creating greater value from each visitor instead of depending entirely on increased visitor numbers.

Sheridan Beaumont will present a session titled The $100 Visitor, focusing on premium experiences and layered offerings that encourage greater visitor spending.

This approach could include tastings, workshops, guided tours, accommodation, events, retail products or educational activities.

However, the summit will also examine practical barriers to diversification.

A panel will consider planning requirements, taxation, council approvals, insurance and regulation. It will explore what regional businesses need to navigate before opening their properties to visitors.

Delegates will also consider investment requirements, customer engagement, pricing and long-term commercial viability.

The first day will conclude with participants using the Playbook to develop a practical 30-day action plan.

Summit Moves Into The Field

The second day will move beyond the conference setting and into tourism businesses across The Tweed.

Delegates can choose from three familiarisation tours showcasing different approaches to agritourism and regional visitor experiences.

One tour will visit Mate and Matt’s, Earth Brewery and Farm and Co.

Another will combine Tweed Eco Cruises, Tropical Fruit World and Raven Place Farm.

A third will visit Bloomhill Estate, Origin House and Potager.

The tours will provide behind-the-scenes access to operating businesses and show how investment, storytelling, food production, accommodation and visitor experiences can create commercial returns.

Participants can also visit the Murwillumbah Farmers Market and activities connected with Savour The Tweed.

The summit’s inaugural agri-aqua tourism stream will explore opportunities where agriculture, aquaculture, waterways and visitor experiences intersect.

Supporting Regional Business Resilience

The event is designed for farmers, growers, food producers, aquaculture operators, landowners, tourism businesses and regional entrepreneurs.

It may also benefit established agritourism operators seeking to improve their visitor offering, extend their market reach or develop partnerships.

Day one will be held at the M-Arts Precinct and Regent Cinema in Murwillumbah.

Day two will begin from the Mantra and Peppers resorts at Salt in Kingscliff before delegates depart on their selected tours.

The Agri and Agri-Aqua Tourism Summit will run on Tuesday, October 20, and Wednesday, October 21, 2026.

Registrations and program information are available at agritourismsummit.org.