AGRI-TOURISM JUST WORKS
Agri-tourism Pays! Recent research on consumer and travel trends show agri-tourism as the strongest growth segment in the tourism industry today, averaging 30% increases every year since 1987. (1) Why? Many factors converge to enhance the desirability of farm or ranch experiences. A study conducted by Cornell University revealed that Americans are getting less free time, and therefore are taking shorter vacations - like long weekends and overnight trips - and staying closer to home. The researchers also found a growing preference for active recreation that includes doing and experiencing, rather than spectating. (2) Both of those trends favor agri-tourism, which tends to be just outside of town and very "hands-on" and participatory in nature.
Families are a huge driving force in the rise of agri-tourism, and 26% of American households contain children under the age of 18. In those houses, Mom makes 80% of the decisions regarding how to spend the family's time and money, and she consults the desires of her children to an unprecedented degree. (3)
 Moms want convenience and wholesome environments, they want their kids to have a learning experience, and they want a chance to spend time with and communicate values to their children. Their kids want fun, but the research shows that spending time with their families is important to today's kids as well. (4) Agri-tourism satisfies everyone's needs - it's educational, wholesome, entertaining and perfectly adapted to families of all ages.
Another factor is the growing desire to "escape" - escape stress, escape traffic, escape smog and escape the daily hustle and bustle. The perception of rural areas as being peaceful and simpler, contribute to agri-tourism's popularity with the "escaping" crowd.
Finally, as the vast demographic block called the "baby boomers" begin to move into their sixties, nostalgia and cultural interests are also boosting agri-tourism. The largest, wealthiest and most educated Americans ever are entering the prime tourism years. (5) For many in this age group, some experience with rural life is a fond childhood memory that they wish to relive or share with their grandchildren. This educated group is also highly motivated toward cultural experiences, which include harvest festivals - 75% of US travelers attended some kind of cultural event in the pasted year, spending 3.7 billion dollars on cultural events as opposed to 2.8 billion on sporting events. (6)
If your farm is seeking new and creative ways to increase your profits, it's clear that investing in agri-tourism is a sound strategy for your future. And nothing addresses this desire for family time, education, hands-on experience and fun like adding a Pizza Farm to your operation!
Literature Cited
1.World Tourism Organization, www.worldtourism.org, 2002
2.Dept. of Rural Sociology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 2003
3.Domestic Travel Market Report, Travel Industry Association, 2004
4.Moms and Kids - Marketing to the New Super-Consumer
5.Louis Harris, Inc. Tourism Survey, Lord, Inc. 1990
6.National Endowment for the Arts, Lord, Inc. 1990
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