Economy seems to be helping agri-tourism, as vacationers stay closer to home

This is National Tourism Week, but the tourism industry is struggling in many areas as people scrap vacations in the face of financial uncertainty. Farmers are facing similar challenges, as both demand and prices for crops decline, but agricultural tourism has emerged as an unlikely success story in this tough economic climate, Chris Bickers reports for Southeast Farm Press.

“I think the main reason for the boom is the economy,” Blake Brown, an extension agricultural economist at North Carolina State University, told Bickers. People are finding that visiting farms provides a relatively cheap excursion close to home.

“I am seeing a big increase in local consumption of agritourism,” Ron Taylor, a farmer, vineyard owner and food processor in Dublin, N.C., told Bickers. “Usually, the consumer is taking this step in lieu of going on extended vacations that would cost more.” Taylor is one of the relatively few agri-tourism operators who offer overnight lodging, at cabins in his vineyard. (Farm Press photo)

Taylor admits that opening his place to the public wasn't easy. “That’s hard for us to do,” he told Bickers. “We have always been leary of people coming onto our farms, and a little reluctant. But now a different mindset is needed. We have to adapt if we want our operations to continue to be sustainable.” (Read more)