Corresponding author : Hyungsuk Choo, School of HMSLS-SMRT Division,
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43402, USA, E-mail: hchoo@bgsu.edu
Received: July 24, 2012 Accepted: July 25, 2012 Published: July 28, 2012 doi:10.4172/jtrh.1000e106
Agricultural landscape and activities associated with it are rapidly
evolving in the United States and around the globe as farmers are
aggressively applying their resourcefulness and determination to
meet the demands of a changing marketplace. No longer sustained
by the sale of traditional crops and livestock that have provided a flat
net income for the past 30 years, farmers have become entrepreneurs,
generating additional income from second jobs known as “off-farm
activities,” which have been estimated to comprise about 75% of farm
income [1]. Of these activities, diversification into tourism has been
one of the most prevalent due to both the perceived extra benefits of
working from home while being able to take care of children and the
possibility of generating extra income [2]. Thus, for many farmers,
agritourism is the favored way to reduce the need for a second job
away from home. It has been reported that farmers who have turned
to agritourism could be as much as 40 percent more profitable than
those who have not although not all of them have been successful
[3]. In three states that track the economic impact of agritourism, the
annual agritourism revenue ranged from $20 million in Vermont to
$26 million in New York in 2003 [3]. In Hawaii, revenues rose 30%,
to $34 million, from 2000 to 2003.
As such, the primary reason for the recent emergence of tourism
as an important rural economic activity can be found from the supply
side. Farm-based tourism can give farmers an opportunity to generate
additional income [4] and to be an avenue for direct marketing of the
farm products to consumers [5,6]. Tourism can also help counteract
social and economic problems of the farms (loss of income, increased
expenses, globalization, and others (associated with the decline of
traditional agriculture industries [7]. While the financial advantages
with respect to employment and wages are clear, agritourism
development can also enhance the local quality of life. It can serve
as an important source of tax revenues, which may lead to higher
public services and lower local tax rates. Tourism can also support
conservation of local culture and traditions, helping to maintain the
viability of small-scale agriculture [6].
However, the recent popularity of agritourism could not have
occurred without market demand. Discretionary income and demand
for more specialized forms of vacation experiences juxtaposed with
reduced transportation costs have driven the growth of tourism and
recreational activity in a farming environment [8]. Agritourism also meets the needs of urban tourists who seek traditional hospitality,
nature and cultural experiences, peace and tranquility, thematic
holidays, authenticity, healthfulness, and so on [9]. These drivers,
in combination with better access to rural destinations, have made
agritourism popular for a growing number of farmers, the farming
community, and the tourism industry.
Overall, rural tourism, where agritourism is a subset [10,11],
experienced an annual growth rate of 6% in North America as well
as Europe from 2002 to 2004 [12]. According to one nationwide
study, 62 million Americans visited farms one or more times in
2000, which corresponds to almost 30% of the population [13]. In
sum, agritourism has been commonly guided and motivated by a
vision of a thriving, viable agriculture that has a diversity of smallscale
farms that remain profitable, enhance the environment, enrich
the indigenous culture, and improve the quality of life for farmers,
tourists, and consumers. With the recent popularity of agritourism in
practice, a body of literature has recently been growing to support the
professional practice and the academic study of agritourism.
Yet, agritourism research still needs a framework for systematically
studying and creating knowledge. This research framework can
be useful for both practitioners and academicians shaping their
overall understanding and approach to agritourism. This editorial
suggests the three broad research dimensions generally adopted in
tourism (Gunn, 1994): the demand side, supply side, and impacts
and the implications. Research on the demand side agritourism
can encompass the volume and characteristics of agritourists; their
perceptions, motivations, preferences, decision-making processes,
and behavior; and the factors affecting these. For the supply side of
agritourism research, the topic can include the role and importance
of infrastructure, service, and organizations (e.g., transport,
attractions, accommodation, intermediaries, coordinators, etc.) that
facilitate agritourist activities. Finally, agritourism research needs
to be conducted to examine the environmental, socio-cultural, and
economic impacts of agritourism and the management, planning,
and policy implications. According to scholars, there are considerable
opportunities for growth of the demand for agritourism and an
increasing number of farmers are also diversifying into tourism
businesses [14,15]. However, agritourism studies and related research
are still in the early stage of development and there is great scope for
theoretical advances. The research framework for agritourism having
the three dimensions suggested above will hopefully be appropriate
and necessary for creating knowledge and developing theory in
agritourism.
Barry JJ, Hellerstain D (2004) Chapter 9: Farm Recreation. In: Outdoor Recreation for 21st Century America A Report to the Nation: The National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (pp. 149-167). State College, PA, Venture Publishing, Inc.
Barry JJ, Hellerstain D (2004) Chapter 9: Farm Recreation. In: Outdoor Recreation for 21st Century America A Report to the Nation: The National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (pp. 149-167). State College, PA, Venture Publishing, Inc.
