Written by Harvest Hosts
Most alpaca farms are just outside of metropolitan areas or in rural areas. You may have a fair amount of local visitors, and alpaca lovers who hear about you through Alpaca Owners Association, but if you’re looking to increase your revenue and reach a new market, appealing to out-of-towners is one great way to make that happen.
The average person isn’t as likely to drive hours to your alpaca farm or make it the main destination of their trip. That’s why focusing on RVers is your best bet. RVers are everywhere, traveling up and down every interstate. They are adventurers by nature and looking for unique experiences in the places they stay. A standard road tripper may be more tactical, planning only to stop for food/bathroom breaks on the way to their final destination.
Since a majority of RVers have some sort of bathroom in their RV, they are more likely to stop to spend time outside, stretch their legs, and see something interesting. Why not an alpaca farm?
Here are some tips to help bring RVers to your alpaca farm:
- Start With Evaluating Your Space
- Consider Your Online Presence
- Work with the Local Tourism Board
- Join Harvest Hosts
1. Start With Evaluating Your Space
Before you work to market your alpaca farm to RVers, make sure your farm has the proper space for an RV to park. Ideally, you want a flat, long, wide, and paved spot. A gravel or grassy area works well, too!
The biggest thing RVers are looking for is a level spot. Parking on a hill is dangerous, and it makes moving the RV quite difficult.
RVs can be up to 45 feet long, longer even if they are towing a vehicle, so make sure you understand what your parking lot can or cannot handle. If you don’t have a paved space, make sure any parking spaces on the grass are dry. If you know anything about RVs, you know that getting stuck in the mud is one of the most inconvenient things that can happen. You don’t want to be known as the place where RVers have to call a tow truck.
With these warnings in mind, continue to the other tips.
2. Consider Your Online Presence
Something that you also should consider is your online presence. The benefit of your Google and Apple listings is that they will help people find your alpaca farm when they search for places to go in the area. It’s essential to keep your website, Google listing, and Apple listing up-to-date with your correct hours, address, and other important information. If people are unsure if you are open, they won’t come.
Also, if you can, add some images and details of your parking situation to your website, Google listing, and Apple listing. This will help assuage concerns from interested RVers that they’ll be able to find a space to park at your alpaca farm.
3. Work With Your State
Image credit: PA Tourism Signing Trust
You can work with your state to get the word out about your Alpaca farm in a few ways. First, you can contact your state highway transportation department to get listed as an attraction on one of the blue signs.
This can cost several hundred dollars, but it may be a worthwhile investment. You’ll catch the attention of RVers and road trippers who aren’t planning their stops ahead of time and use the highway signs to determine where and when they should stop. Learn more about the process of appearing on blue highway exit signs.
A lower-cost option is working with the tourism board. Depending on where your alpaca farm is located, you may also be eligible to be part of a metropolitan area’s tourism board. Getting listed on the tourism board’s website will help out-of-towners hear about you along with locals who are looking for new activities and events. Contact their offices to get listed—it’s usually free!
4. Join Harvest Hosts
The best way to get RVers to your farm is to work with Harvest Hosts to become a Host Location. Harvest Hosts is a membership platform where RVers get unlimited overnight stays at 5000+ unique locations, including wineries, breweries, and farms.
Becoming a Host Location is a cost-free opportunity for Hosts to share their offerings with their self-contained RV members by simply opening up at least one parking space for an overnight stay. Each year, Harvest Hosts Members spend millions of dollars at Host locations. Although they are parking “for free,” it is recommended each member spend at least $30 to thank their Host properly. There are 200+ alpaca farms on the platform, earning revenue from tens to hundreds of Harvest Hosts visitors a year.
Interested in becoming a Host Location?
Get RVers to Your Alpaca Farm
RVers are great guests to have at your alpaca farm. If you are checking your parking space, updating your online listings, working with your state tourism board and state highway department, and join Harvest Hosts, then you are sure to bring in more RVers and more revenue!
Harvest Hosts
www.harvesthosts.com