Factors Related to Profitability of Agritourism in the United States: Results from a National Survey of Operators

Chadley R Hollas,Lori Dickes,Lisa Chase,Lindsay Quella,David Conner,Claudia Schmidt,Doolarie Singh-Knights,R David Lamie

doi:10.3390/su132313334

Chadley R Hollas, Lori Dickes + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313334

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Abstract

Agritourism is a growing area of the tourism sector with many positive social and economic benefits for farmers, their communities, and for tourists. While researchers have been studying the phenomenon for several decades, factors that lead to profitable outcomes for agritourism operators are still not well understood, hindering the effectiveness of agritourism development and the systems of support available to farmers. Using a survey of 1834 farms and ranches open to visitors in the United States, the goal of this study is to identify the factors that influence the profitability of agritourism operations. This study shows that several factors have positive associations with increased agritourism profitability, such as the number of years of experience of the operator, farm scale (acreage and total farm revenue), providing on-farm product sales, and offering events and entertainment. Off-farm product sales and being a female operator have a negative association with profitability in agritourism. We discuss the implications of our findings on agritourism operators, suggest their utility for tourism planning and rural community development professionals, and offer suggestions for future research.

Highlights

Demand for farm and food experiences is an important driver of rural tourism, including agritourism, in the United States and globally
The goal of this study is to identify the factors that influence the profitability of agritourism operations on the national scale in the United States
We present our study, offer discussion on what can influence the profitability of agritourism operations, and delve into how both researchers and practitioners can support the viability of healthy communities of agritourism operators

Summary

Introduction

Demand for farm and food experiences is an important driver of rural tourism, including agritourism, in the United States and globally. These enterprises can have an impact on broader communities as visitors’ agritourism experiences reshape their decisions upon returning home [1]. While definitions of agritourism vary across different contexts and locales, consensus remains that on-farm activities focused on agriculture are at its core [2,3,4,5,6]. Agritourism is often experience-focused and place-based; tangible farm products may play a role in the visitors’ encounter [7]. Relating to the French concept of les produits du terroir, which roughly translates to “taste of place”, the broad definition of terroir is an important concept closely related to agritourism, as farms in the US, Europe and destinations around the globe emphasize their unique culture, food traditions, landscape aesthetics, and cultural geography [8,9].

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