Explore Garden Tourism

Garden tourism is a growing niche within the global tourism industry, attracting visitors who seek inspiration, cultural experiences and connections with nature. Each year, thousands of people travel to explore historic gardens, botanical gardens, parks and other plant-focused destinations that reflect the heritage, design and environment of a region.

Garden tours and events play an important role in sharing these experiences. This program explores how to plan, organise and manage garden tours, activities and visitor experiences, providing valuable knowledge for those interested in tourism, horticulture, event management or garden-related enterprises.

Whether your interest is working in the public sector, developing a private venture or creating unique garden experiences, understanding garden tourism can open opportunities in this expanding field.  

Nature of Garden Tourism

Garden tourism has traditionally appealed to older people, but increasingly younger people are becoming interested in gardens and all they have to offer.

Garden tourism is a blossoming industry across the world. It refers to a specialised type of tourism centred around visiting public gardens and parks of historical or cultural significance. Whilst on the surface this may sound limited there is tremendous variation in the types of gardens which attract visitors:

For example, Wyse-Jackson and Sutherland, in the ‘International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation’ (2000), list the following:

• Classic Multi-Purpose Gardens
• Ornamental Gardens
• Historic Gardens
• Conservation Gardens
• University Gardens
• Botanic Gardens
• Zoological Gardens 
• Agro Botanical and Germplasm Gardens
• Alpine or Mountain Gardens
• Natural or Wild Gardens
• Horticultural Gardens
• Thematic Gardens
• Community Gardens
• Private Gardens
• Festival Gardens
• Resort Gardens
• Cemetery Gardens
• Quiet Health Gardens
• Spiritual Gardens

Garden tourism has evolved to mean more than just people passively visiting gardens and navigating their own way around them. It also includes guided tours, garden events and activities, and all the preparation, planning and organisation that goes into these things.  

Lesson Structure

There are 9 lessons in this course:

1. Scope And Nature Of Garden Tourism
   • Types Of Gardens
   • The Place Of Gardens In Broader Tourism
   • Who Visits Gardens Or Garden Events and Why
   • Problems
2. Garden Destinations
   • Financial Viability
   • Types Of Tourist Attractions - Places
   • Garden Events
   • Add On Income
3. Creating And Managing A Destination
   • What Makes A Viable Garden Tourism Destination?
   • Planning A Destination
   • Locations, Regions, Countries
   • Managing A Destination
4. Garden Events
   • What Type Of Garden Event?
   • When To Conduct The Event?
   • Where To Conduct The Event?
   • Finalising Your Plan
   • Non-Garden But Related Events
5. Creating and Managing Garden Events
   • Phase 1 - Preparation
   • Phase 2 - Detailed Planning and Development
   • Phase 3 - Evaluation
   • Initiating A Garden Event
   • Set Up And Pack Up/Knockdown
   • Event Issues
   • Managing Visitor Access
   • Expo Stands
6. Garden Activities
   • Creating The Concept - What Garden Activities Could Be Delivered?
   • Planning Your Garden Activities - The Organisation
   • Delivering Garden Activities
7. Garden Tours
   • Why Create Garden Tours?
   • Part-Day and Day Tours
   • Creating Tour Packages
   • Insurance
   • What Comes Next?
   • Self-Guided Tours
8. Conducting Garden Tours
   • What Are You Featuring?
   • The Logistics Behind The Tour
   • Delivering The Tour
   • At The End Of The Tour
9. Marketing Garden Tourism
   • Getting Started
   • Marketing And Communication Approaches
   • Virtual Tours
   • Intermediaries
   • The Marketing Cycle

Who Should Study Garden Tourism?     

This course is ideal for anyone interested in developing knowledge and skills in garden tourism, whether you are looking to create your own opportunities, expand an existing role or work within the tourism, horticulture or visitor experience industries.

It provides a valuable foundation for people involved in, or aspiring to work in, areas such as:

• Garden tourism and tour operations
• Horticulture and garden management
• Parks and recreation
• Travel and leisure
• Botanical gardens and garden conservation
• Garden history and heritage
• Event planning and visitor experiences
• Town planning and urban design
• Public sector, tourism and commercial enterprises

Whether you are self-employed, seeking career development or simply passionate about gardens and tourism, this course provides a pathway to understanding this growing field.