Apitourism: A Sweet Travel Trend

When you’re ready to travel again, consider visiting an apitourism destination for your next vacation or a sweet weekend getaway. With bee-centric experiences and honey-inspired cuisines available, it’s no wonder why the travel industry is abuzz about it. Apitourism is a travel concept that combines bees and beekeeping with memorable journeys for the whole family to enjoy.

As the apitourism industry grows, it continues to look for fun and innovative ways to make travel sustainable, fun and educational. Luckily, you don’t have to look far, as there are plenty of domestic opportunities to experience the beauty of bees here in the U.S.

The Honey House at Astor Apiaries is NYC’s only honey and bee shop. Besides honey and gifts, The Honey House offers classes and workshops covering beekeeping, honey, sustainable living, crafting, kids programming, and more. For those looking to get closer to the bees, Hive Tours of several of their apiaries around the city are also offered.

In California, visitors can explore a day in the life of an apiarist with an interactive beekeeping and honey tasting experience at the Ojai Valley Inn, where a resident beekeeper will demonstrate the honey-making process and show you the inside of a working hive. Guests can taste honey from Southern California. The hotel also features a sustainability program.

At Carmel Valley Ranch, kids and adults can participate in a hands-on ‘A Bee’s Life’ experience while wearing a real beekeeper’s suit and touring the lush gardens. The ranch also features spa and wellness offerings, weddings, events, and fine dining.

If you live in the Midwest, book your stay at the Honeybee Inn, located in Horicon, Wisconsin, where the rooms are honey themed. In Illinois, visit Chicago’s Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery to taste their famous honey wine. The winery raises its own bees and produces its own honey, and guests can tour the facility, taste the wine, and take classes. Travelers can enjoy a warm honey drizzle massage at the Godfrey Hotel Chicago’s Spa Boutique, taste honey-and-flower liqueur at KOVAL Distillery, or try their hands at beeswax candle-making at Chicago Honey Co-Op.

If you’re looking for a purely educational experience, take a road trip to Northwest Pennsylvania’s Erie Beekeeping, where they take great pride in apitourism offerings. These small-scale beekeepers want to share their passion (and honey!) with friends, family and valued customers. Their bee yards are the main attraction, featuring presentations, hive inspections and honey extraction experiences for visitors.

Near or far, apitourism has something for everyone – it can be fun, relaxing, educational and delicious for the whole family. Where would your ideal bee-cation be?  

*Links to third party websites should not be considered an endorsement by the National Honey Board.