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

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  • Chadley R. Hollas

    (UVM Extension, University of Vermont, Brattleboro, VT 05301, USA)

  • Lisa Chase

    (UVM Extension, University of Vermont, Brattleboro, VT 05301, USA)

  • David Conner

    (Center for Rural Studies, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA)

  • Lori Dickes

    (College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA)

  • R. David Lamie

    (College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA)

  • Claudia Schmidt

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16801, USA)

  • Doolarie Singh-Knights

    (Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA)

  • Lindsay Quella

    (Center for Rural Studies, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Chadley R. Hollas & Lisa Chase & David Conner & Lori Dickes & R. David Lamie & Claudia Schmidt & Doolarie Singh-Knights & Lindsay Quella, 2021. "Factors Related to Profitability of Agritourism in the United States: Results from a National Survey of Operators," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:23:p:13334-:d:693244
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    2. Yuyu Wu & Jia Chen, 2023. "Spatial Distribution Heterogeneity and Influencing Factors of Different Leisure Agriculture Types in the City," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-20, August.
    3. Schmidt, Claudia & Chase, Lisa & Barbieri, Carla & Rilla, Ellie & Knights, Doolarie Singh & Thilmany, Dawn & Tomas, Stacy & Dickes, Lori & Cornelisse, Sarah & Lamie, R. David & Callahan, Rachael & Geo, 2022. "Linking Research and Practice: The Role of Extension on Agritourism Development in the United States," Applied Economics Teaching Resources (AETR), Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 4(3), August.
    4. repec:ags:aaea22:335731 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Kenneth T. Benignos & Kristin Iris G. Estores, 2022. "Viability of an Integrated Farm as an Agritourism Site in Toboso, Negros Occidental inthe New Normal," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 34(1), pages 483-502, August.
    6. Schmidt, Claudia & Tian, Zheng & Goetz, Stephan J. & Chase, Lisa, 2022. "Drivers of Agritourism and Direct Sales Clusters in the United States," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322207, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Ibrahim A. Elshaer & Ahmad M. AboAlkhair & Sameh Fayyad & Alaa M. S. Azazz, 2023. "Post-COVID-19 Family Micro-Business Resources and Agritourism Performance: A Two-Mediated Moderated Quantitative-Based Model with a PLS-SEM Data Analysis Method," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-15, January.

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