Marijke Dunselman, founder of Agritourism New Zealand, is an experienced professional in the (agri)tourism business and marketing consultjng. Having worked with hundreds of farmers and tourism businesses as a consultant and trained thousands of businesses for over 27 years, she has a profound understanding of the (agri)tourism sector.
In 2019, Marijke took her passion for the field a step further by establishing Agritourism New Zealand. The organization seeks to uplift farming communities by promoting agritourism opportunities, fostering income diversification, and enhancing resilience. This is achieved through the development of training programs, speaking engagements, networking, advocacy and research, and marketing.
In early 2024, after several years of development, she set up the Agritourism Academy & Community, a first of its kind. It is an interactive online community helping farmers and landowners start and grow successful agritourism businesses.
Marijke’s professional background includes working for international corporations and roles in marketing consultancy and research, secondary education, and as Manager of Tourism Southland, a regional tourism organization.
She holds several tertiary qualifications, including a Bachelor’s in Business (International Marketing), Diploma in Secondary Teaching (French and Economics), and Master’s in Entrepreneurship. Growing up in the Netherlands, France, and the USA, Marijke speaks four languages fluently and brings an international perspective to her work. Her love for New Zealand prompted her to emigrate in 1994, and she continues to cherish the unique lifestyle the country offers.
Global Agritourism Network
She currently serves as the Chair of the Education Committee of the Global Agritourism Network.
International and NZ conferences
Marijke is an experienced conference speaker. In recent years, some conferences she has spoken at include:
Awards
In December 2023, Marijke was named NZ Tourism Ticker Person of the Year for her work in growing and elevating the agritourism sector in New Zealand. In May 2025, the Agritourism Academy won the World Agritourism Award for the best use of technology in agritourism.
Regional Agritourism Networks
In 2025, Agritourism NZ was awarded an Agribusiness Innovation Grant by AGMARDT to assess the feasibility of setting up a pilot group in Otago/Southland in collaboration with Thriving Southland. This pilot group was successfully launched in October 2025, and groups in other regions around New Zealand are currently being set up.