Agritourism

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An agritourism business is a farm enterprise operated for the enjoyment and education of the public that may also generate additional farm income by promoting farm products and experiences. Typically these are rural enterprises that incorporate both a working farm environment and a commercial tourism component . In the general sense, agritourism is the practice of attracting visitors to an area or areas used primarily for agricultural purposes (Virgina Cooperative Extension). However, agritourism can include anything that connects consumers with the heritage, natural resource or culinary experiences unique to the agricultural industry, or a particular region of the countrys rural areas  Agritourism is a lot more like eco-tourism or heritage tourism in that it is small-scale, low-impact, and, in many cases, education-focused (Virgina Cooperative Extension). In many cases agritourism is more about providing alternative income to assure viability of the working farm, but a collaborative effort on a regional scale can create a unique rural destination that is attractive to tourists.

The history of agri-tourism dates back to the late 1800’s when people began leaving the city to come to farms to visit relatives for short stays to escape the city life. After the invention of the automobile in the 1920’s it became easier for people to travel to therural areas. In the 1930’s and 1940’s, the Great Depression and World War II gave rise to the first significant interest in rural recreation. In the 1960’s and 1970’s horseback riding and farm petting zoos became popular. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, farm vacations, overnight stays at bed and breakfasts, and commercial farm tours became popular. Today, the demand continues to grow for agri-tourism.