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Studies & Degrees in Agrotourism

Agrotourism (also written agritourism) is tourism on working farms and in the farming countryside around them. Guests stay on a farm or estate, eat what it produces and often take part in farm activities or learn about them. It is one branch of rural tourism, which UN Tourism describes as a type of tourism in which the visitor's experience is related to products generally linked to nature-based activities, agriculture, rural lifestyle and culture, angling and sightseeing. According to UN Tourism, it takes place in areas with low population density and a landscape dominated by agriculture and forestry.

The legal meaning of the word depends on the country and, in Spain, on the region, because tourism is regulated by the autonomous communities. The tourism law of the Balearic Islands, for example, counts "agroturismos" among its rural tourism accommodation and defines them as tourist accommodation in older buildings on rural land, on an estate that is an agricultural, livestock or forestry holding. Rural tourism is a measurable sector: according to Spain's national statistics office (INE), rural tourism accommodation in Spain recorded 2,474,486 overnight stays in August 2026, 2.72% more than a year earlier, with 42.95% of bed places occupied.

What students learn

Agrotourism combines two fields. From tourism come accommodation management, reception and bookings, marketing, languages and the design of visitor activities. From agriculture and rural development come knowledge of farm production, local food, landscape and the rules that apply to businesses on rural land. In the sources consulted for this page, agrotourism appears as content inside tourism and hospitality programmes rather than as a separate degree, so it is worth asking each school which subjects, projects or placements deal with rural and farm tourism.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degree. In Spain an official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits. The Grado en Turismo of the Universidad de Murcia lasts four years, has 240 ECTS credits, is taught in Spanish and can be followed on campus or online. Its curriculum covers tourism management, marketing, hotel management, destination planning, sustainability, economics and digital transformation.
  • Master's degree. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. Tourism master's programmes usually specialise in hotel management, destination planning or sustainable tourism.
  • Vocational training (FP). The higher-level qualification Técnico Superior en Gestión de Alojamientos Turísticos takes 2,000 hours and includes modules on tourism marketing and accommodation management. The Spanish education ministry's TodoFP portal lists manager of accommodation in rural houses among the jobs it leads to. The same professional family includes the Técnico Superior en Guía, Información y Asistencias Turísticas and a specialisation course in mycological (mushroom) tourism for holders of a higher-level qualification.
  • Short courses. Training centres also offer short courses for people who want to open a farm stay. Ask the provider what recognition the certificate has.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists three active schools for agrotourism, all of them in Spain. The Open Faculty in Murcia states that it is the official seat of the Faculty of Tourism of the Universidad de Murcia; it teaches the Grado en Turismo, which includes sustainable tourism and economic development among its subject areas, and also lists an official master's degree in hotel management. The Universidad Miguel Hernández is a public university based in Elche. The Escuela Internacional de Gerencia (EIG) is a business school in Granada whose course list includes a BA (Hons) in International Hospitality Management.

Tourism degrees in Spain are taught mainly in Spanish, often with a strong foreign-language component. Check the language of instruction and the study mode of each programme before applying.

Careers

Graduates who specialise in agrotourism typically work in one of these areas:

  • Running or managing a farm stay, rural hotel or rural house
  • Designing and selling rural tourism products for travel agencies and tour operators
  • Planning and promoting rural destinations for town councils, tourist offices and local development groups
  • Guiding visitors and organising farm, food and nature activities

The Open Faculty lists the management of hotel and rural establishments, campsites and holiday complexes, and work in tourist offices and local government, among the career paths of its tourism degree. Many agrotourism businesses are small family firms, so self-employment is common and business skills matter as much as knowledge of tourism.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a university degree in agrotourism?

Rarely under that name. Agrotourism is usually studied as part of a tourism degree, a hospitality qualification or a short specialised course. Ask each school which subjects cover rural and farm tourism.

How long does a tourism degree take in Spain?

An official bachelor's degree has 240 ECTS credits. The Grado en Turismo of the Universidad de Murcia, for example, lasts four years.

Can I prepare for agrotourism through vocational training?

Yes. The Técnico Superior en Gestión de Alojamientos Turísticos takes 2,000 hours, and managing accommodation in rural houses is one of the jobs listed for it on TodoFP.

How large is rural tourism in Spain?

According to INE, rural tourism accommodation recorded 2,474,486 overnight stays in August 2026, 2.72% more than in August 2025.