Rural Tourism
Tourism is becoming increasingly important
to the U.S. economy. A conservative
estimate from the Federal Reserve Board in
Kansas, based on 2000 data, shows that
basic travel and tourism industries accounted
for 3.6 percent of all U.S. employment. Even
more telling, data from the Travel
Industry Association of America indicate
that 1 out of every 18 people in the U.S.
has a job directly resulting from travel
expenditures.
The importance of tourism to local economies
varies across the U.S. Some places have an
enormous investment in the tourist industry,
while others lag far behind. In Nevada, for
example, nearly 28 percent of jobs are related
to this industry, but in Alabama travel and
tourist employment is less than 2 percent.
Nevertheless, the future of tourism is full
of potential for small business owners. With
the increases in security concerns for international
travel and travel to large metro areas, many
rural tourist companies are moving in with
their own offerings. Many of these low-risk
rural areas may be able to rely on tourism
as an important part of their economy. Maine—where
more than 40 percent of small and home-based
businesses are involved in some kind of tourist
enterprise—is a good example of this.
A wide variety of tourist opportunities
exist throughout rural America and continue
to grow as increasing numbers of local entrepreneurs
identify new ways to market previously untapped
local resources and attractions, and bring
tourists into their area.
Moreover, the nature of tourism is especially
well-suited to small-scale rural enterprises.
Many remote areas are ideal locations for
nature-based activities like hunting and
fishing, or ecotourism activities such as
hiking and rafting.
Travelers interested in local cultures and
the heritage of places they visit find an
added benefit in having the town's local
history buff lead a tour through the battlefield,
or in the personal touches of a small bed
and breakfast. Agritourism (farm-based tourism)
invites tourists to experience working ranches,
hay rides, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and
much more.
Through land-grant universities and other
partners, CSREES promotes research, education,
and outreach activities that expand opportunities
for rural tourism. Since 1998, CSREES competitive
and formula grants have supported 65 research
projects, including studies on the importance
of local infrastructure in developing a tourist
industry, attitudes towards tourism among
local populations, and how best to promote
local amenities without over-exploitation.
Since 1994, the
National Extension Tourism Design Team has
identified and promoted extension tourism
programs across the U.S. This team's responsibilities
and achievements include a list of Extension
Tourism Faculty by state and expertise,
as well as the annual National Extension
Tourism Conference. The
Design Team also maintains a National Tourism
Publication database published through Michigan
State University Extension.
Funded by a grant from CSREES, a major outreach
project called “Adding
Value to Agriculture: A Collaborative Approach
Based on Agricultural Tourism” is
promoting partnerships among growers, marketers,
and community representatives to explore
and develop new agritourism markets.
A productive partnership between state specialists,
local extension staff and resource conservation
and development officials has allowed Elliott
County, KY, once one of the poorest areas
in the nation, to become a thriving center
for eco-heritage tourism. Gwenda Adkins,
local county extension agent, notes that “the
knowledge and skills that helped Elliott
County came through tourism internship programs
and continued support from specialists at
the University of Kentucky.”
Through Sea Grant, a partnership between
the nation's universities and the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, recreation
and tourism extension specialists across
the U.S. educate coastal residents, business
owners, and community leaders about coastal
recreation and tourism and work with coastal
communities to expand tourism opportunities.
Information and expertise on marine recreation
and related subjects can be found on the
Oregon State Web site. In addition, the National
Sea Grant Library at the University of
Rhode Island offers a searchable database
of ocean and coastal research and outreach
publications from all over the U.S., many
of them available online.
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