Abstract
Considerable emphasis is placed on farm tourism as a tool of rural policy, in relieving the low-income problem of many small farms, and helping to ensure their viability. However, its importance is overstated. A critical review of sources and fieldwork in the County of Cumbria, UK, indicates that farm tourism is unlikely to make a significant contribution in easing the lot of either the poorer farmer or the other less privileged members of rural society. Returns are small; appeal for the smaller farmer is limited or absent; it is constrained by rigorous planning regulations; and has many harmful effects. As a result, farm tourism can be discounted as a significant means of tackling the serious problem of low farm incomes.
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