LET’S CERTIFY APITOURISM ACROSS EUROPE!
CATEGORISATION OF APITOURISM – 1-3 BEES AND “TOP BEE”
Slovenia is the first and currently the only country to carry out certification of apitourism providers. Certificates of excellence ensure control over the range and quality of services and promote competitiveness. The first evaluation took place in 2011, with the first certificates awarded in 2013.
Certification is a very important element in the development of the beekeeping tourism offer, both in terms of quality and competitiveness. On one hand, apitourism is an opportunity to upgrade existing beekeeping farms, while it also provides young people and anyone who is fascinated by bees with the opportunity to start an independent journey or make some extra money.
The basis for the successful development of apitourism is the cooperation of beekeeping farms, providers of tourism products, tourist associations, local communities and the state, as well as their collaboration in planning, positioning and marketing their offer.
Apitourism in Slovenia is also supported by the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Directorate for Tourism and Internationalisation, WTO, Sector for Tourism and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- SETTING THE CRITERIA – SCORING
Candidates vying to receive the 1-3 Bees or the Top Bee certificate are expected to show self-initiative and innovation.
The certification assesses the specialisation and focus of the activities of different providers, e.g. farms, museums, shops, and whether they meet the criteria to be certified as a good or excellent apitourism provider.
One, two or three bees indicate and rank the extent to which basic conditions were met, the orderliness of the provider’s facilities and surroundings, organic or biodynamic beekeeping, the ability to present activities and products in an attractive fashion, innovative packaging, the ability to create an Api experience, elements of surprise, etc.
This also includes offerings of creative workshops: gingerbread baking, candle making, hive painting, culinary workshops, professional lectures and training, protective clothing for visitors, first aid, animation programme, music, multimedia, photo gallery, massage, chamber where you can smell the aroma of bee products, cosmetics, gift programme, museum, guided tours, honey plant and herb plantations, bee trail, product innovation and other offers.
The criteria for obtaining the Top Bee category represent an upgraded version of apitourism. This category can be acquired exclusively after completing training to acquire additional knowledge, presenting a unique offering and its application in the actual offer and, consequently, obtaining additional points on the evaluation sheet of apitourism certification.
A candidate for Top Bee certification may proceed to the direct assessment for this category as soon as they have been verified and awarded 3 Bees by the committee and have completed
the required training courses for the acquisition of additional skills (listed below), have satisfied the requirements of points 3 and 4, and have practically equipped their apitourism facilities in accordance with the minimum requirements for the accommodation of guests with disabilities (knowledge acquired in the course of the training course, photographic evidence will suffice as proof of this).
- TRAINING FOR THE ACQUISITION OF ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
As mentioned above, additional knowledge is a prerequisite for obtaining the “Top Bee” certificate. Additional knowledge can be acquired during training, which includes several modules.
If the owners of an apitourism facility have not undergone additional training, they can obtain the 3 Bees certificate at most.
Of course, apitourism providers that have not applied for the “Top Bee” category can also participate in the training at their own request.
The training includes the following modules:
Module I: Beekeeper’s presentation to an audience
To accurately portray the experience their apitourism facility provides, the beekeeper needs to have a good knowledge of the rules of behaviour and presentation. The following content will help:
- Knowledge of performance and body language
- Appearance of the beekeeper – following “the suit maketh the man” principle
- Visitor involvement – group dynamics
- Knowledge of the local environment outside the area of their own apitourism (the beekeeper is also a promoter of the place where they live and work)
Module II: Accessible Apitourism
As equal stakeholders in tourism, apitourism facilities are also visited by people with disabilities (physical and sensory disabilities, people with mental health problems, people with intellectual disabilities, etc.).
Content that provides the beekeeper with enough information for a confident appearance in front of people with disabilities:
- Who are people with disabilities
- Skills of the correct approach and giving content to people with disabilities
- How to tailor your apitourism to the well-being of guests with disabilities
Module III: Honey garden
Apitourism must have a honey garden. Because we can always acquire new gardening skills and learn more about suitable plants, the following content is included:
- how to arrange a honey garden for the purpose of a perfect experience for visitors;
- important plants that are essential in the honey garden and their characteristics;
- urban honey garden
Module IV: Art and bees
Apitourism also includes certain forms of art. To upgrade your knowledge, the following content has been added:
- Bees in painting, sculpture, architecture
- Beehive panels as an element of cultural heritage
- Applied arts and apitourism
Module V.: Organic beekeeping and apitherapy
Apitherapy goes hand in hand with organic beekeeping. Bee products containing synthetic acaricides that have been used by a beekeeper to treat varroasis or other bee diseases are in no way suitable for treating humans.
Highlights:
- What are the basic conditions that a beekeeper must meet in order to be able to be an organic beekeeper
- How and which honey to use in wound treatment
- Dangers of improper honey massage
- Who can use bee venom in the treatment of rheumatoid diseases
- How to prevent pollen allergy if we want to help people with various health problems
- Introduce the participants to the meaning of the famous quote by Hippocrates: “Let food be thy medicine and let medicine be thy food”.
Note: The modules are adjusted according to the country or environment.
- KNOWLEDGE OF WORLD LANGUAGES
To receive the “Top Bee” certificate, apitourism presenters must have a satisfactory knowledge of at least one world language (English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, etc.).
A secondary school or grammar school certificate showing that the presenter has completed four years of language education, or a certificate of completion of a language course at a certified language school is sufficient (showing that the presenter demonstrates language proficiency at the level of four years of secondary school education).
If the apitourism presenter does not show a satisfactory level of knowledge of the foreign language, the “Top Bee” category cannot be obtained and the presenter is placed in one of the 1-3 Bees categories.
Native speakers are exempt from this rule (they do not need proof of completed education at the level of a four-year secondary school, etc.).
The presence of a beekeeping guide to provide translation is not sufficient to achieve the “Top Bee” category.
Croatian, Macedonian, Serbian etc. are foreign and not world languages. Knowledge of these languages is not sufficient to qualify as a “Top Bee”, but it is sufficient to qualify as a “1-3 Bee”.
- “TOP BEE” CATEGORY – OBLIGATION OF A UNIQUE OFFERING
To achieve the “Top Bee” category, the apitourism provider must present their own unique (innovative) offering and regularly integrate it into their general offer.
This offer can include souvenir categories, accommodation, offers adapted for people with disabilities and for children, museum collections, bee trails, unique presentations of apitourism to guests, organisation of events, workshops, etc.
The apitourism provider is free to choose what they want to do. The only condition is that this additional product is unique enough.
- COMMITTEE DECIDING ON THE ACQUISITION OF A CATEGORY
The committee of 3-4 evaluators, which verifies the apitourism providers, consists of members from the Apitourism Section of the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association and other experts or external collaborators, as well as an active beekeeping tourist guide, a member of the KPTVS (they must have a broad knowledge of apitourism).
The Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association will start certifying beekeeping tourism globally in autumn 2024. The Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association has already sent an initiative to Apimondia to authorise Slovenia to do the same.
For any questions regarding the costs of training and certification send an e-mail to barbara.dimc@czs.si or call 0038617296102.
