Agritourism and Rural Development

Agritourism continues to be an opportunity to increase income for some farmers and agribusinesses around the nation. Some producer organizations, state and federal government agencies, university Extension programs, state tourism offices, professional consultants, and the media are recognizing agritourism as an industry and devoting resources to address it . One estimate suggests approximately 20 million children under the age of 16 also visited farms during the year, making the total number of visitors to farms approximately 82 million.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that more than 62 million people aged 16 years and older visited farms during a one-year period in 2000 and 2001. This does not count the numerous children and youth under 16 years of age who visited farms during this time period.

The USDA also investigated the reasons people made trips to farms. Responses included:

Ø Enjoy the rural scenery

Ø Learning where food comes from

Ø Visit family or friends.

Ø Watch or participate in farm activities

Ø Purchase agricultural products.

Ø Pick fruit or produce.

Ø Hunt or fish

Ø Spend a night

In Italy, an agritourism law was passed in 1985 to regulate and encourage Italian farm stays. There are three types of agriturismo classifications in Italy: one that provides light meals or self-service snacks; one that offers full-service meals; and one that provides farm holidays that include meals, housing, and other activities. In Italy, agriturismo farmers are also allowed to sell value-added farm products including locally produced wines, olive oils, pasta, prepared meats, cheeses, jellies and jams, honey, baked goods, and crafts.

Estimates place today’s number of agriturismo locations in Italy between 9,000 and 20,000, and their success has led many other European Union countries to enact similar national policies to help increase farm income and create jobs in rural communities.

This course is part of the master's and doctoral programs offered by the CBM International University – Akademos Learning university consortium.