AMES, Iowa – Agritourism is a growing contributor to the travel and tourism sectors of the Iowa economy, with 275 farms reporting more than $4.3 million in total agritourism and recreational services income, according to the 2012 USDA Census of Agriculture. May 7 – 13, 2017 is National Travel and Tourism Week and there are a myriad of ways to take part in agribusinesses across the state.
This year’s theme is Faces of Travel and is intended to shine a spotlight on the 15 million Americans working in the travel and tourism industry.
“National Travel and Tourism Week allows us to show appreciation towards our agritourism business owners and employees, while creating some hype around visiting these businesses as they start to see an increase in visitors,” said Kendra Meyer, program specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “Iowa’s agritourism business owners continue to provide one-of-a-kind experiences that promote all aspects of agriculture.”
The industry helps Iowans connect with farmers from across the state.
“With the average American three generations removed from the farm, these businesses provide a vital role in the agriculture industry,” said Meyer. “These businesses provide fun, interactive and unique experiences for all ages to learn about agriculture.”
ISU Extension and Outreach’s Visit Iowa Farms website serves as a statewide directory where agritourism businesses list their destination. At www.visitiowafarms.org Web visitors have the ability to search by adventure type and location to start exploring Iowa’s agritourism.
It’s simple for farms to add their business to the website. Agribusinesses also can use the website as a source for relevant information and resources they can apply to their business.