A group of agriculture and business students and faculty from the University of Guam got to immerse themselves in Taiwan’s bustling agritourism industry during a study-abroad trip in January.

The trip marks the university’s third study-abroad experience to Taiwan since 2022, with this one focusing on agricultural ventures that incorporate tourism and environmental sustainability.

“We got to see, first-hand, a truly broad variety of businesses featuring agricultural products — all of which have developed very innovative and eco-conscious ways of generating revenue,” said Rachael T. Leon Guerrero, dean of the College of Natural & Applied Sciences. “I think it was a very influential trip for our students to see just how extensive careers in agriculture can be and how agricultural operations in Guam could incorporate a tourism element for added revenue.”

Agritourism invites visitors to engage directly with a farm’s activities, such as picking fruits, enjoying farm-to-table dining experiences, or making a product, while also developing a deeper connection to the land and locally grown food. Nearly 500 agritourism businesses are licensed in Taiwan as of 2020.

“Agritourism is a vital industry in Taiwan,” said Chi-Ming (Allen) Hsieh, one of the participating administrators from National Chung Hsing University, who serves as vice dean of the Office of Research & Development and a professor in the International Bachelor Program of Agribusiness.

The government in Taiwan embarked on a rural revitalization strategy in 2018 to address the challenges of an aging population migrating away from rural areas, according to a 2023 research paper of Hsieh’s.

He said research has shown that agritourism can increase farm incomes and the likelihood of younger family members carrying on farming as a profession.

The week-long study-abroad trip took UOG’s students and faculty through northern, central, and southern Taiwan touring nearly 20 different agritourism businesses as well as the agricultural labs and facilities of two of UOG’s sister schools: National Pingtung University of Science & Technology and the National Chung Hsing University.

The itinerary included:

Orchid gardens that also offered dining attractions and wedding services;
An organic mushroom farm where visitors can make their own mushroom pizza and skin care products;
An ecological leisure farm where visitors can customize and factory-seal their own pineapple cakes;
A cacao “smart farm” that manages the humidity and temperature by mobile apps;
Tea growing operations that allow customers to sample teas, create their own tea blends, or enjoy a tea-infused spa experience;
A fully transparent pork processing facility where visitors can sample different cuts of pork to assess quality and flavor.

“Each visit reinforced how innovation and tradition coexist in Taiwan’s agricultural sector,” said UOG business administration major Keana D. Mesubed.

The students who attended were all enrolled this semester in “Agribusiness Management,” an upper-level course taught by Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics Kuan-Ju Chen.

For their final course project, the students will use their study abroad experience to develop a comprehensive marketing plan for an agritourism business in Guam.

This project challenges students to apply marketing principles, research strategies, and creative solutions to promote sustainable agritourism development locally.