Jacqui Taylor, Agritourism Africa Founder and CEO, said that agri-camping and pet-friendly farm stays ranked among budget-beating Agritourism options.
She said South Africans tightened their purse strings in the face of the economic crisis.
"Our team has noticed a distinct trend towards budget-beating options among South Africans seeking to include rural areas in their holiday plans. This stands to benefit rural tourism, as some of the most affordable holidays are found in outlying areas. Beyond one-third of some farmers' incomes are comprised of Agritourism accommodation and/or activities.
“Combined with the fact that jaded, city-stressed and smogged-out city slickers can hardly wait for what may well be their sole annual 'digital detox' escape from all electronic devices, rural tourism increasingly becomes more popular,”she said.
She said more tourism businesses created "out of the box" experiences. She said they came up with ingenious luxurious tented camps/glamorous camping or 'glamping' experiences, as well as DIY camping offerings.
Taylor also found that many South Africans wanted pet-friendly accommodation instead of leaving their furry friend at kennels.
"Africa is one of the fastest growing tourism destinations, with significant opportunities in particularly Agritourism. The availability of Agritourism data is scarce and an opportunity exists in this regard for cross-country collaborations,” she added.