Honey agrotourism in Tatarstan
Honey land – this is how Tatarstan is sometimes called, occupying a leading position in Russia in the development of beekeeping. Today, the region is not only one of the leading honey producers in the country, but also develops a culture of tourist visits to apiaries with master classes, honey tasting, visits to bee museums and apitherapy. The hero of our publication is a representative of the Tatarstan dynasty of beekeepers, who combined traditions and innovations in his business, proved that honey can not only be produced, but also made this process fascinating for tourists, and an entire tourist infrastructure can be built around the apiaries. Dmitry Evdokimenko, a two-time graduate of the educational project of the Russian Agricultural Bank “Farmer’s School” in the areas of “Agrotourism” and “Cooperation”, beekeeper, told about his path.
"The history of our family business began in 1990 with the purchase of a plot of land in the honey-rich village of Lukovskoye in the Zelenodolsk district of Tatarstan. Over time, a small house was built on the plot, a garden was planted, and a vegetable garden was organized. And an apiary was also established," says Dmitry Evdokimenko.
According to him, everything at the apiary was created by his father's hands: he made the hives and frames for them himself, and mastered the intricacies of handling bees. Moreover, the family had experience - the farmer's relatives had been engaged in beekeeping for more than 50 years. In the following years, the apiary grew and developed, the range of beekeeping products expanded, and a customer base was built up. "It is very important that potential buyers know their beekeepers personally, have the opportunity to see the production process. Therefore, we came to the conclusion that we decided to make this process as open and exciting as possible for everyone," the farmer shares his experience.
A new milestone in the beekeeping business has become agritourism, the basics of which Dmitry Evdokimenko studied as part of the educational project of the Russian Agricultural Bank "Farmer's School". "Against the backdrop of dynamically developing domestic tourism in our country, agritourism is confidently gaining momentum. The aggregator Svoe Za gorod of the Rosselkhozbank ecosystem solves a huge number of farmers' issues, because small farms do not have separate promotion specialists, there is no experience in booking and selling tours. Svoe Za gorod is a modern digital solution for promoting agritourism services, helping tourists make the best choice for any taste of rest, and farmers relieve themselves of many routine office worries," the beekeeper noted.
"The "Farmer's School" project is a powerful driver that teaches how to build a profitable farm business. It is relevant and in demand both for beginners in the agricultural sector and for more experienced specialists, allowing them to systematize existing knowledge, as well as acquire modern, highly specialized skills for the development of agricultural facilities,” emphasized Dmitry Evdokimenko.
Another stimulating factor for the development of this area, according to the farmer, is that agritourism is included in the national project “Tourism and Hospitality Industry.” Within its framework, farmers will receive grants of up to 10 million rubles to create infrastructure for tourists. With this money, farms will be able to improve the territory, purchase the necessary equipment and create conditions for visiting tourists.
“Agritourism is designed to help entrepreneurs expand their business and receive additional income through an alternative channel for selling their products,” says Dmitry Evdokimenko. He is confident that thanks to this type of state support, new tourist facilities will appear in the republic, which, in turn, will contribute to increasing the attractiveness of rural areas and their sustainable development.