Equestrian tourism is a relatively recent addition to the portfolio of tourism categories for many countries. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism as “the activities that people engage in during their travels and stays in places other than their usual environment for a consecutive period of time of less than one year, for leisure, business or other purposes.” Equestrian tourism is defined as “Equestrian tourism means travelling with horses”
The origin of equestrian tourism begins in France, the most developed of the countries in this sector. It is estimated that in France there are 150,000 licenses for this activity and 250,000 to 300,000 riders. It was regulated in 1965 and the National Committee of Equestrian Tourism has a special page with a search engine that allows you to locate any type of service.
We leave here an spanish audio about equestrian tourism
Equestrian tourism is focused on the horse but the facilities and services around this cannot be neglected. The human element is also critical because trained people are required to deal with horses. This type of tourism is a subcategory of rural tourism and it is important that rural tourism begins to adapt to this new trend.
Table of Contents.
Types of equestrian tourism activities
Equestrian tourism encompasses a large number of activities but can be fundamentally classified into two:
Horseback riding: this activity is carried out with a horse while the tourist guides the horse along defined routes. These routes allow you to admire nature and landscapes. The rider can even sleep in different parts of the route and rest. Equestrian therapeutic tourism can also be included in this category.
Horse tourism: This is linked to any equestrian activity. For example, attending horse races, visiting a stud farm or attending a jumping competition. The tourist is not directly linked, but enjoys admiring the activity they attend and the horses.
Equestrian tourism in some countries
Equestrian tourism has become a very attractive and profitable activity for many countries. This has led to a worldwide growth of the countries participating in this interesting sector. However, there are countries that have demonstrated a tradition and development in the equestrian tourism sector. Below we will introduce you to some of the most important countries today where you can enjoy equestrian tourism.
France:
As we mentioned before, it is one of the countries with the greatest development of equestrian tourism. It has been regulated since 1967 by the National Committee for Equestrian Tourism. It has a volume of 150,000 licenses in the sector and more than 250,000 riders and horsewomen dedicated to this activity.
The national committee is responsible for promoting the sector. To this end, I develop a page that makes an inventory of the equestrian tourism services provided in the country in one place.
Spain:
Since 2014, the Royal Spanish Equestrian Federation (RFHE) has been carrying out a plan to internationalize Spanish equestrian tourism. To this end, it has an online booking center and a specialized tour operator, which manages the new demand from the markets of Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and the emerging countries of South America. Through the brand ‘Equestrian Tourism Spain’, grouping together tourist services, it aims to continue growing in attractions.
Ecuador:
In 20016 the World Equestrian Tourism Organization declared Guayas as “World Equestrian Tourism Destination 2016”. This appointment was made during the IV Montuvia Integration Parade of Guayas, which was attended by the Vice President of Ecuador, Jorge David Glas. The vice president at the time celebrated the positioning of the province in the world. He also celebrated the recent appointment of Samborondón as Ecuador’s Equestrian Capital.
Horsemen from all over Ecuador participated in this parade, who contributed 5,447 horses from Manabí, Chimborazo, Guayas, El Oro and Los Ríos, for the parade that was coordinated by the Prefecture of Guayas, the Association of Cattle Ranchers of the Coast and Galapagos, and the Montuvia Guayasense Integration Committee.
This event gives an idea of Ecuador’s projection in the sector.
Colombia:
Since 2015, strategies have been implemented to consolidate this notoriety. Some companies that have been working in this sector, diversifying the business and are ready to export their tourism to the world.
ProColombia has supported the internationalization process. He even organized the “Colombia Nature Travel Mart”, a business roundtable for the adventure and nature tourism segments that included equestrian tourism.
There are companies that offer equestrian tourism plans (8 days, 7 nights with 6 days of horseback riding) ranging from US$1,750 to US$2,100 per person.
Equestrian tourism as a source of development for countries
As we can see, equestrian tourism represents a great opportunity for the development of an economic sector such as tourism for a lot of countries. Additionally, it also represents an opportunity to promote sustainable tourism practices and the ethical treatment of horses.
Undoubtedly, horses are an important source of curiosity and opportunities in the modern world, one of man’s best friends. The latter is one of Gustavo Mirabal Castro‘s goals.
Information sources
Fuentes:
https://canal.uned.es/video/5a6f1433b1111fd7548b547b
https://www.agronegocios.co/ganaderia/listos-para-exportar-turismo-ecuestre-2621589