Local Food Trend Keeps Farms at Center of Tourism Strategies
Skift Take
At a time when climate change is already affecting destinations and scientific research is under attack in many parts of the world, millions of travelers -- lured by their love of local foods -- help make agritourism a factor that tourism boards can't ignore.
Locally produced foods and unique home-grown restaurants are increasingly one of the main hooks to entice travelers to visit one destination over another, and many tourism bodies are factoring in the trend.
Virginia recently collaborated on a study of its statewide agritourism industry and found that the economic impact from tourists visiting farms was about $1.2 billion in 2015.
"The number of agritourism venues in Virginia in past 20 years has grown astronomically," said Esra Calvert, director of research for the Virgina Tourism Corporation, the destination marketing organization for the State of Virginia. "Around 2005, there were about 500 venues across the state and today there are more than 1,400 venues that we could track. That was eye-opening to us and how the products and consumers are changing and that was a good surprise."
Agritourism can be defined as any agriculturally-based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch, and it is one of the fastest-growing forms of global tourism with an economic impact of more than $1 billion in many U.S. states and countries.
Researchers at Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business conducted the study and worked with the Virginia Tourism because they had observed the growth in tourists seeking agriculture-related activities in the state.
"One thing that jumped out at me is just how diverse the agritourism industry in Virginia is," said Vince Magnini, a professor in Pamplin's department of hospitality and tourism management and the lead researcher for the study. "Agritourism in a lot of Virginia has a lot of successful offerings besides fresh veget
