In addition to visitors to Lake Biwa, not only mountain climbers and skiiers come to Shiga from Keihanshin and Chukyo areas but also quite a lot of people are attracted to 'Satoyama' (farming landscape near the hills and mountains in Japan), rural sites and Harie District from the viewpoints of agritourism and ecotourism.
琵琶湖以外の自然環境では、京阪神や中京圏から登山客やスキーレジャー客を集めているほか、近年では里山や田園、針江区などがアグリツーリズム・エコツーリズムの観点で見直されつつある。