The National Extension Tourism (NET) Design Team and Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDCs) carried out a national survey process from 2017 to 2019 to catalog current tourism and recreation programming being conducted by U.S. Extension professionals. The findings are summarized in this report. This work was supported in part by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USDA or those of other funders.
Extension Tourism: Impact and Opportunities of Land- and Sea-Grant Programming Across U.S. Regions
About this report
The report was developed by members of the National Extension Tourism Research Committee, as follows: Northeast • Doug Arbogast (Chair) — West Virginia University Extension Service • Lisa Chase — University of Vermont Extension Southern • Matt Ulmer — Alabama Cooperative Extension System • Bryan Fleuch — Georgia Sea Grant North Central • Xinyi (Lisa) Qian — University of Minnesota Tourism Center Western • Dolan Eversole — University of Hawaii Sea Grant • Miles Phillips — Oregon Sea Grant • Jake Powell — Utah State University Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development • Stephan Goetz — Director • Jason Scott Entsminger — Associate Director • Kristen Devlin — Communications Specialist • Yuxuan Pan — Graduate Research Assistant Elizabeth Rohring, Engagement Lead for NOAA Sea Grant, also contributed to this report. For questions about the content found in this report, contact the appropriate Regional Representative listed at: https://bit.ly/3EN5Qg4 Suggested citation: Arbogast, D., Goetz, S. J., Entsminger, J., Devlin, K., Ulmer, M., Qian, X., Eversole, D., Philips, M., Powell, J., & Rohring, E. (2021). Extension Tourism: Impact and Opportunities of Land- and Sea- Grant Programming Across U.S. Regions. National Extension Tourism and Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development. Cover image credit: Lachlan Cruickshank via Unsplash. This work was supported in part by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USDA or those of other funders.
Contents
Introduction
1
Methodology
3
Northeast Results
5
Spotlight on Northeast Programs
10
Southern Results
13
Spotlight on Southern Programs
15
Western Results
18
Spotlight on Western Programs
23
North Central Results
24
Spotlight on North Central Programs
28
Sea Grant Results
30
Spotlight on Sea Grant Programs
36
Introduction National Extension Tourism (NET) is a national network of professionals from the Extension services of U.S. Land- and Sea-Grant universities who engage in tourism and outdoor recreation research, education, and outreach programs. The NET Design Team provides leadership and guidance for running and maintaining the network’s collaboration. It currently includes 12 regional representatives and receives administrative and leadership support from the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (see opposite page). NET supports the continued development of sustainable tourism programming within Extension services in collaboration with institutions of higher education, federal agencies, and other partners. Through such efforts Extension contributes to the long-term economic development, environmental stewardship, and socio-cultural wellbeing of American communities. For more than 50 years Land-Grant Extension services have conducted programming that supports communities’ tourism and recreation economies, emphasizing outreach efforts that assist local leaders and governing officials in making informed decisions about tourism and recreation as components of overall community development. In 1978 and again in 1993, national Land-Grant Extension system governing bodies issued high-level reports calling for such programming. The NET Design Team originated as a response to fulfill the 1993 report’s action agenda, focused at first on coordinating efforts of those at Land-Grant institutions. Support within these institutions for tourism and recreation efforts has experienced cycles at the state and Federal levels. Today, Land-Grant based programming is supported by Extension and Agricultural Experiment Station funds, USDA NIFA competitive grants, private sector sources, and fee-for-service models. Sea Grant has responded to community needs related to coastal tourism and has, to varying degrees across states, invested in such programming for decades. Sea Grant’s efforts in tourism are embedded in all four of the national
Sea Grant focus areas in a number of states. Many programs are working on coastal tourism issues and impacts to coastal ecosystems, yet there is no unified national strategy to address this important subject. In 2008 several programs began an informal dialog about how to reinvigorate Sea Grant’s interest and role in tourism. The NOAA Sea Grant Coastal Tourism Vision Plan 2018-2028 builds upon its framework and recommendations to continue strengthening the role that Sea Grant plays in promoting sustainable coastal tourism across the network. In March 2020, the NET Design Team, with the support of the Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDCs) and USDA, met to draft their 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. That plan highlights the important role Extension services play in assisting communities across the U.S. to benefit from tourism and outdoor recreation, and identifies several objectives, including: • inventorying and assessing existing Extension and Sea Grant tourism programs • identifying a contact in each state who can provide accurate information on current Extension and Sea Grant tourism programs • developing a national database of land grant and Sea Grant Extension tourism programs organized according to region and topical areas • sharing applied research, special programs, or other tourism development and To that end, the NET Design Team and RRDCs carried out a national survey process from 2017 to 2019 to catalog current tourism and recreation programming being conducted by U.S. Extension professionals. The findings are summarized in this report, which: • documents the distribution, depth, and breadth of tourism and outdoor recreation programming offered by the Land- and Sea Grant Extension services; • demonstrates the regional impacts of this programming; and, • highlights opportunities for expanding this programming nationally. outdoor recreation technical expertise with key stakeholders and audiences.
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National Extension Tourism and the Regional Rural Development Centers: Partnering to Promote Community Vibrancy
The National Extension Tourism Design Team includes an executive committee and regional representatives (as of 2021): • Chair : Lisa Chase, University of Vermont Extension • Vice Chair : Andy Northrop, Michigan State University Extension • Secretary : Stacy Tomas, Oklahoma State University • Past Chair : Cynthia Messer, University of Minnesota Tourism Center • 2021 Conference Chair : Bryan Fluech, Georgia Sea Grant Northeast Regional Representatives: • Doug Arbogast, West Virginia University Extension Service • Penny Whitman, University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension Southern Regional Representatives: • Julianne Dunn, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service • April Turner, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium • Matt Ulmer, Auburn University Extension Western Regional Representatives: • Dolan Eversole, Hawaii Sea Grant • Miles Phillips, Oregon State University Extension Service/Oregon Sea Grant • Jake Powell, Utah State University Extension North Central Regional Representatives: • Natalie Chin, Wisconsin Sea Grant • Diane Van Wyngarden, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach • Xinyi Qian, University of Minnesota
The NIFA Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDCs) were established by the Rural Development Act of 1972 and play a unique role in USDA’s service to rural America. With core funding from USDA NIFA, they link the research and educational outreach capacity of the nation’s public universities with communities, local decision-makers, entrepreneurs, families, and farmers and ranchers to help address a wide range of development issues. They collaborate on national issues that span regions — like tourism, the changing interface between rural, suburban, and urban places, and workforce quality and jobs creation. Each tailors programs to address particular needs in its region. The RRDCs have been longtime partners with the NET Design Team. In 2018 this partnership was strengthened when the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD) offered staffing support to the Design Team as it planned the 2019 NET biennial conference. Since then, this partnership has flourished, with all four RRDCs supporting and participating in the ongoing growth and development of the National Extension Tourism network. In 2021 - 2022, the NERCRD is expanding its support of NET through a partnership with the Extension Foundation funded by USDA NIFA’s New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Program. The project seeks to make critical investments in NET which hold promise to scale up the network’s activities. As of this report NET engages more than 800 individuals.
Tourism Center Federal Liaisons • Brent Elrod, USDA NIFA
• Elizabeth Rohring, NOAA Sea Grant Learn more at: extensiontourism.net
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The Regional Rural Development Centers rrdc.usu.edu
North Central Regional Center for Rural Development Hosted by Purdue University ncrcrd.org Western Rural Development Center Hosted by Utah State University wrdc.usu.edu
Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development Hosted by Penn State University nercrd.psu.edu
Southern Rural Development Center Hosted by Mississippi State University srdc.msstate.edu
Methodology Over the course of 2017 - 2019, the authors (with support from the National Extension Tourism Design Team) designed and conducted a national survey of Extension land-grant and Sea Grant programs to better understand their involvement in state/regional tourism programming and their perceptions of tourism related opportunities and challenges within land-grant and Sea Grant. The survey instrument included multiple choice and open-ended questions designed to measure the states that have faculty involved in tourism related work, interest in having more faculty involved in tourism related work, time allocated to tourism work, topical areas covered and specific programs offered, gaps in tourism program offerings, and challenges Extension administrators face in being able to deliver tourism programming. Data were collected through structured questionnaires administered online using Qualtrics survey software. The sample for the land-grant survey was drawn from the Regional Rural Development Centers Community Resource Development Unit State Program
Leader database and distributed to their contacts in 2019 in all 50 states in addition to the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and Virgin Islands who are part of the Cooperative Extension System. A total of 60 responses were received including 49 states (all but New Mexico) and District of Columbia, Guam and Virgin Islands. Some states had multiple responses. If there are different answers from the same state on the questions “have faculty involved in tourism” and/or “would like to have more faculty involved in tourism”, they were counted separately otherwise the responses were combined. The sample for the Sea Grant survey was drawn from the National Sea Grant contact list and distributed online through Qualtrics in 2018. A total of 26 surveys were completed from Sea Grant Extension. Table 1 shows the number of survey responses according to state, region, and affiliation. Data analysis included descriptive techniques to identify characteristics and demographics of the respondents as well as to establish general trends.
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Table 1: Survey responses by state, according to Extension region
Northeast Region
Southern Region
Western Region
Northcentral Region
State LG SG State
LG SG State
LG SG State LG SG
CT
1 1 1 1
1 1
AL
3 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1
1
AK
1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
1
IL
1
DE
AR
AZ
IN 1
2
DC
FL
2 1
CA
IA
1 1 1
ME
1 1
GA
CO
KS
MD 1
KY
HI
1
MI
MA
1
LA
1
ID
MN 1
1
NH 1
2 1
MS
MT
MO 2
NJ
1
NC
1
NV
NE
2
NY
1 1 1 1 1
2
OK
NM
ND 1
PA
SC
1
OR
1
OH 1
RI
1
TN
UT
SD 1
VT
TX
1 1
WA
1
WI
1
WV
VA
WY
USVI
Guam 1
Puerto Rico
1
Total
13
9
19
10
14
4
14
4
LG: Land Grant SG: Sea Grant
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Results Results from this national survey are presented here by region, as defined by the USDA. For each region, we show the number of Extension and Sea Grant staff working on tourism programming, the types of tourismprogramming offered, and qualitative responses describing gaps and challenges in tourism programming by state. For each region, we also “spotlight” a selection of success stories from states that have committed resources for staff development and expansion to address opportunities in tourism and community economic development.
NORTHEAST RESULTS
Eight of the thirteen states in the Northeast currently offer tourism related programming. Agritourism programming is prevalent, with seven of these eight states offering such activities. Examples of agritourism related programming offered in the northeast include West Virginia’s Agritourism initiative, Vermont’s Opening Your Farms to Visitors program, Pennsylvania’s Open Gate Farm Tours, Assessing Farm Safety in New Jersey, Farmers Markets and CSA support in Maine, Maryland, and Connecticut, and a Food for Profit workshop and Annie’s Project in Maryland. New York, New Jersey, and MassachusettsA Extensionare expressed interested in agritourism program expansion. Nature-based tourism programs are especially prominent across the region. Examples reported in the survey were West Virginia’s recreation economies initiative in the Monongahela National Forest; support for trail development in Vermont; wildlife watching, nature and environmental activities, and geocaching through statewide camps and nature centers in New York; and Connecticut’s volunteer trail monitoring and trail finder programs. Extension programming in the region is diversified beyond agritourism and includes support for community and regional planning; programs that address the economic, environmental, and social impacts of tourism; tourism research and evaluation; destination marketing and promotion; and community tourism assessments. Northeast Extension professionals are also leading tourism research including studies on resident attitudes, visitor preferences, and economic impact in West Virginia, agritourism studies in New York, and a dedicated Tourism Research Center in Vermont.
Economic, social, and environmental impact studies are being conducted in West Virginia, Vermont, Maine, and Connecticut. In addition, the First Impressions Program is offered in New Hampshire, Connecticut, and West Virginia. Tourism education programs include West Virginia’s rural tourism case study videos, business retention and expansion program, and educational classes and curriculum for farmers. Community and regional planning programs include West Virginia’s transdisciplinary Rural Tourism Design Team, New York’s Ag and Farmland Protection Plan, Pennsylvania’s Migration Decision Making in a Tourism- Dependent Rural Community, Maine’s Sea Grant collaborative coastal tourism planning, and Connecticut’s education and assistance in tourism planning programming. Three states (Maine, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts) that do not currently offer tourism related programming are interested in having more faculty or staff involved in developing and/or delivering tourism related programs through Extension. Several institutions in the Northeast identified specific programs that they currently are unable to provide but wish they could, including: tourism studios and destination development
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programming; hospitality training; asset mapping and development; tourism strategy assessment and planning; downtown development; opportunities related to COVID and increased outdoor recreation including ecosystem/natural resources impact and management strategy, user data collection, and natural resource development; craft and wine beverage trails; expansion of farm tours and visits; farm business management support; farm stay/ glamping industry; social media and marketing for agritourism; farm to table culinary initiatives, ecotourism, cultural heritage tourism, and a way to connect more fluidly with other tourism entities (ie; chamber, tourism promotion authority). However, significant challenges to program expansion were identified. Lacking capacity (personnel) and certain expertise was the most common challenge identified in the northeast followed by funding and resources to support staff/faculty time. Other challenges identified include lack of supporting infrastructure, recognition from the university that tourism should be a priority, existing tourism related programs not coordinated or marketed as tourism programming, regulations and liability, and state leadership working in areas without coordinated effort. The NERCRD has supported and encouraged multi-state teams to collaborate and share programs across state lines through a small- grants program. In 2015-2016, it funded a collaboration led by West Virginia University Extension Specialists involving the transfer of scholarly innovations of the First Impressions Program through a combination of train- the-trainer educational swaps and pilot
programming among the states of West Virginia, Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire in the Northeast region, and Michigan and Minnesota in the North Central region. The program resulted in webinars and manuals for use in delivering the First Impressions program, multiple regional and national conference presentations, a published manuscript, and program adoption in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Michigan. According to a FIT Successes Report (2021) published by Michigan State University Extension Service, the First Impressions Tourism program has proven to be the catalyst needed to launch and expand small town tourism across Michigan. New Hampshire adopted the program to new technology using smartphone apps and Connecticut created the Community & Innovation District Assessment & Improvement program. New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have a high level of interest in expansion of programming with leadership positions on the NET Design Team. The University of New Hampshire Extension Service recently added two new positions with a focus on tourism development. With support from the NERCRD, Extension faculty/staff in these states are currently collaborating on a NIFA AFRI grant to develop a national model for destination management research and programming in addition to a Hatch integrated rural tourism proposal. This demonstrates the potential for multi-state partnerships to “share” expertise among states and potentially overcome some of these challenges through collaboration and program sharing. —Doug Arbogast, West Virginia University
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Would you like to have more faculty or staff involved in developing and/ or delivering tourism related programs through Extension?
Do you have faculty and/or staff that are involved in developing and/or delivering tourism related programs through Extension?
What percentage of time are each of these faculty/staff able to allocate to tourism related work?
State
University
0-10% 21-30% 31-40% 0-10% 11-20% 71-80%
University of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
Yes
Yes
Vermont
University of Vermont
Yes
Yes
University of Connecticut
Connecticut
Yes
11-20%
Yes
Cornell University Cooperative Extension
New York
Yes
0-10%
Yes
New Jersey
Rutgers
Yes
11-20%
Yes
University of Maryland Extension
Maryland
Yes
21-30%
Yes
11-20% 21-30% 51-60% 61-70%
Pennsylvania
Penn State
Yes
Yes
100% 50% 20% 20%
West Virginia University
West Virginia
Yes
Yes
Massachussetts
UMass Extension
No
Yes
University of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
No
Yes
Maine
University of Maine
No
Yes
Delaware State University
Delaware
No
No
University of the District of Columbia
District of Columbia
No
No
Multiple percentages indicate multiple faculty/staff.
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Programs
Count
States
Agritourism—Local Foods, Farmers Markets, Culinary Tourism, Farm Stays Community and Regional Planning and Development Economic, Environmental, and Social Impacts of Tourism and Recreation
7 CT, MD, NY, NJ, PA, VT, WV,
6 CT, MD, NH, NY, PA, WV,
5 NH, NJ, PA, VT, WV
Marketing and Promotion
5 CT, MD, NY, NJ, PA, 4 NH, NJ, VT, WV, 4 CT, NH, PA, WV,
Tourism Research and Evaluation Community Tourism Assessments
Placemaking
3 CT, NH, PA,
Nature-Based Tourism: Ecotourism, Wildlife watching, and Adventure Tourism Tourism Education, Training, and Certification Programs
3 NH, VT, WV
2 NJ, WV
The Shared Economy
1 NH
Cultural-Heritage Tourism
0
State Are there tourism programs that are needed in your state/region that you are unable to offer but wish you could? NH Yes, we would like to adopt a hybrid of Oregon’s tourism studios and Minnesota’s Destination Development programming. VT Yes! There is much more demand for assistance from communities and businesses than we can handle. CT There are a significant number of communities in CT that rely heavily on tourism, particularly along the shoreline, and could probably benefit from hospitality training, asset mapping and development, tourism strategy assessment and planning, downtown development. There are also some substantial opportunities related to COVID and increased outdoor recreation. This may include ecosystem/natural resources impact and management strategy, user data collection, natural resource development. NY More emphasis on Craft And Wine Beverage Trails An expansion of farm tours and visits Interest in the emerging farm stay/ glamping industry Growth for farm to table culinary initiatives Needs for integrated social media, marketing for agritourism A connection with agritourism and wine industry A way to connect more fluidly with other tourism entities (ie; chamber, tourism promotion authority) NJ Ecotourism may be an opportunity area; however we lack capacity. PA Cultural Heritage Tourism MD glamping MA We do not even have basic farm business management support at UMass Extension, so we would need the resources to offer that sort of programming as a foundation, and then to incorporate tourism components as an add-on. RI I’m sure there must be, but this isn’t an area where Extension is currently active. DC There is tourism in the District of Columbia, but not a priority area for extension at this time. DE not sure
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What challenges do you face in being able to provide services to support tourism in your state? Lacking staff capacity to implement statewide, lack of supporting infrastructure, lack of certain expertise (e.g. marketing and promotion). Funding to support faculty and staff time. Recognition from the university that tourism should be a priority. Lack of additional resources and the state leadership working in areas without coordinated effort. While many of our rural communities could benefit from more tourism programming I have been reluctant to start needs assessment in this area as as have so little capacity to support this work. As the only Community & Economic Development Educator in the state, I am stretched thin and our small Extension system lacks resources to support substantive program development, research support, and maintenance. Existing tourism programs (community food systems, community development, trails development and promotion, Seagrant) are not coordinated or marketed as “tourism” programming. The state of Connecticut as a whole also provides minimal funding for tourism through state agencies so many communities don’t see this as a viable strategy for economic development. There are challenges in thinking through risk management for farms and smaller agriculture industries Marketing Making the economic connection of agri tourism (beyond wine) Not enough research on the impacts of agritourism Lack of capacity (personnel). I was extension specialist in ag policy and focused part of my programming on agritourism before moving into administration. Several county ag agents remain involved; however, it is not the majority of their time/job duties.
State
NH
VT
WV
CT
NY
NJ
MD Regulations and liability MA
Funding, and public/stakeholder concerns about competing uses of agricultural land and what sorts of “farm” and “farmer” are worthy of public support.
ME DC
Lack of funding, and the need to prioritize hiring.
Limited financial resources
Staffing and financial resources. We are thinly staffed and under resourced, so there would have to be new funds to add a new program. This is not a programmatic area that we have explored, likely due in part to our geographic location, academic programs, and other extension program foci.
RI
DE
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Spotlight on Northeast Programs: West Virginia The West Virginia University (WVU) Extension Service Community Resources and Economic Development Unit is dedicated to providing educational programs and technical assistance
to support the development of a sustainable tourism economy in West Virginia. These programs focus on a participatory approach to community-based tourism development and are offered with the support of a transdisciplinary team of WVU faculty and students. Partnerships with faculty and staff in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Resources, Landscape Architecture, Natural Resources Analysis Center, Graphic Design, Public Administration, Business and Economics and other Colleges and Departments at WVU provide a depth of knowledge and expertise and the ability to develop and deliver a wide range of programs to rural destinations including Tourism First Impressions, Destination Management Planning, Participatory Research, Economic Impact Analysis, Interpretive Guide Training, and Recreation Economy Development.
to strengthen the capacity of citizens and organizations throughout the state of West Virginia by utilizing the latest research-based knowledge, strategies, and technology to help people understand community change and identify opportunities to improve their social and economic well-being. Their efforts of finding practical and timely solutions are enhanced by working closely with local communities, organizations, and partnering agencies. Community Design Specialists have expertise in Community Planning & Development, Community Design & Landscape Architecture, Leadership, Economics, and Rural Tourism Development. WVU Extension Rural Tourism provides research, planning, and training programs
WVU Extension Specialist Doug Arbogast (standing at right) works with community stakeholders at a participatory tourism development meeting. Image courtesy of WVU Extension.
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Spotlight on Northeast Programs: New Hampshire The University of New Hampshire Extension provides a range of research, community engagement, and training programs aimed at building a vibrant tourism and outdoor recreation economy in New Hampshire. The following community engagement programs and offerings are offered to assist communities and regions in the state with tourism, outdoor recreation, and destination development:
• Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation Workforce and Skills Development training to prepare existing and future workers in a variety of tourism, hospitality, and recreation-related fields. In addition to UNH Extension’s community engagement programs, they partner with UNH’s Department of Recreation Management and Policy and various state agencies and organizations, including the Division of Travel and Tourism and the Granite Outdoor Alliance, to offer targeted trainings to community constituents, tourism enterprises, and organizations, on topics including: • Monthly Rock Talks (various topics focused on outdoor recreation) • Assessing your Tourism Assets • 10-Point Spring Tune-up for Tourism and Hospitality Businesses • Strategies for Attracting Visitors, and • Agritourism Visitor Safety For more information, visit extension.unh.edu/ economic-dev/nature-economy or contact Shannon Rogers: Shannon.Rogers@unh.edu.
• Destination Development Planning support to communities, including scenario planning, feasibility studies, and risk assessments; for established and emerging destinations • Downtowns and Trails Program , which provides direct planning support and technical assistance to communities to help them explore actions that will enable them to better leverage natural assets for economic vibrancy and better link natural amenities with the downtown corridor. • Agritourism Development and Education to guide communities and agricultural enterprises in the best practices to develop and enhance farm and agriculture-based tourism. • Recreation Economy Assessment to help communities and the state understand the various ways that natural assets contribute directly and indirectly to the local, state, and regional economy.
UNH Extension staff have produced a number of guides to help New Hampshire communities understand how their natural assets can be leveraged to meet economic development goals. Source: extension. unh.edu/economic- development/tourism- outdoor-recreation
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Spotlight on Northeast Programs: Vermont University of Vermont Extension has a long history of providing applied research and outreach to benefit communities, organizations,
with educational institutions, governmental agencies, local communities, non-profit organizations, and private sector businesses throughout Vermont and also around the US and abroad. A collaboration among UVM Extension, the UVM Center for Rural Studies, and the UVM Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, the Vermont Tourism Research Center runs several tourism and recreation programs focused on the intersection of community development, food systems, environmental conservation, and stewardship of working lands. Programming of the Vermont Tourism Research Center and UVM Extension shifts to address current and emergent issues including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and workforce development. The Center and UVM Extension are renowned internationally for their leadership in agritourism research and outreach, with plans to host the International Workshop on Agritourism August 30 – September 1, 2022.
businesses, and governmental agencies in Vermont. Beginning in 1983, UVM Extension faculty organized the first statewide tourism conference, the Vermont Travel Industry Conference. The purpose of that half-day session was to provide members of the tourism industry with information and research data available through the University. Almost 40 years later, the conference continues as a multi-day event that rotates throughout the state and is run by an independent non-profit with Extension representation on the Board of Directors, along with other public and private sectors leaders in Vermont’s tourism industry. In 1992, the Vermont Tourism Research Center began as a partnership between the University of Vermont and the state government’s Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing. Today, the Center collaborates
University of Vermont Extension workshop held at Sandiwood Farm, VT. Courtesy of Lisa Chase, UVM.
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SOUTHERN RESULTS
Participating southern region institutions place a strong programmatic focus in agritourism (AL, AR, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA). State participation in other tourism related topics is less consistent. Six states conduct programming related to tourism education, training, and certification programs (AL, LA, FL, NC, GA, TX). Five states explore community and regional planning/development (AL, AR, FL, KY, NC). Five states conduct work related to place making (AL, AR, FL, KY, TX). Four states explore projects related to nature-based tourism (AR, MS, NC, TN). Three states research the economic, environmental, and social impacts of tourism and recreation (GA, MS, NC). Three states provide programming and assistance related to tourism marketing and promotion (AL, AR, NC). Three states conduct community tourism assessments (FL, KY, NC). Three states explore cultural heritage tourism (AR, FL, NC). Lastly, two states conduct tourism research and evaluation (NC, SC). Going forward, Extension faculty report an interest to expand tourism programmatic and service offerings to include first impressions programs, rural tourism development (including agritourism), branding, visitor profiles, and return on investment (ROI) studies. Extension faculty and staff across the southern region have expressed significant interest in developing and offering tourism related programming and services within their states. Those states comprising the southern region are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Of the 18 institutions among southern region states responding, 12 have faculty allocating some percentage of time to tourism related activity. More specifically, only three faculty have 51% or more of their time attributed to a tourism related focus; whereas, the remaining thirteen allocate between 10-30% of their time to tourism. Southern region states whose Extension organizations employ faculty providing tourism
expertise are found within all but Oklahoma. Further, five of the six institutions not currently offering tourism programming and related services are 1890 institutions. Growing tourism capacity among southern region institutions is of significant interest to the majority of responding institutions as all but Kentucky and Mississippi expressed a desire to have additional faculty or staff members developing and delivering tourism related programming through Extension. Cultivating and sustaining tourism related programming and expertise in the southern region can be accomplished by developing and implementing thoughtful plans of action capable of leveraging the collective strengths and expertise among faculty and Extension services in the southern region and beyond. Through the SRDC and NET, southern Extension tourism faculty could assemble a working group of those Extension professionals actively engaged in tourism related programming and service offerings. Bringing together Extension faculty across the region would facilitate opportunities to establish communities of practice, facilitate the sharing of curricular resources and tools, and promote multistate collaboration as extramural funds are secured and various types of scholastic products are produced to the benefit of Extension programs in the southern region and beyond. In addition, collaborative efforts in the southern region could be easily connected to other regions or national efforts through NET.
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Southern region faculty identified key challenges and obstacles preventing current and future engagement in tourism related Extension program and service offerings. Key limitations included: lack of staff, limited faculty expertise, lack of awareness of existing
Extension resources from the public, and lack of internal and regional Extension tourism programmatic leadership. Matt Ulmer - Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Would you like to have more faculty or staff involved in developing and/ or delivering tourism related programs through Extension?
Do you have faculty/staff that are involved in developing and/ or delivering tourism related programs through Extension?
What percentage of time are
each of these faculty/staff able to allocate to tourism related work?
State
University
Texas
Texas A & M University
yes yes
0-10% 21-30% 0-10% 11-20% 11-20% 11-20% 21-30% 0-10% 21-30% 91-100%
yes yes
Louisiana
LSU AgCenter
University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension
Arkansas
yes
yes
Auburn University Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Alabama
yes
yes
Tennessee
University of Tennessee
yes
yes
North Carolina State University
North Carolina
yes
yes
South Carolina Clemson University
yes
0-10%
yes
Virginia Tech/Virginia Cooperative Extension University of Georgia Florida A&M University
Virginia
yes
0-10%
yes
Georgia Florida
yes yes yes
21-30% 21-30% 51-60% 21-30% 51-60% 61-70%
yes yes
Mississippi
Mississippi State
no
Kentucky
University of Kentucky
yes
no
Georgia Alabama
Fort Valley State University Alabama A&M University
no no no no no no
yes yes yes yes yes yes
Texas
Prairie View A&M
Oklahoma Oklahoma
Oklahoma State University
Langston University
US Virgin Islands University of the Virgin Islands
Multiple percentages indicate multiple faculty/staff.
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Spotlight on Southern Programs
Alabama Beginning Farmer: Alabama Extension’s digital curriculum designed to help new and emerging farmers establish their business now features a four part chapter discussing agritourism ventures. The Beginning Farmer Program “provides science-based information and consultation to beginning farmers, develops new educational resources, and sustains a statewide network of producers to strengthen the local food movement that is inclusive of low-resource farmers and military veterans” (Alabama Extension). Florida Florida Friendly Fishing Guide Certification: - Established by UF/IFAS, Florida Sea Grant and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Friendly Fishing Guide Certification “recognizes fishing guides who are committed to preserving the future of Florida’s fisheries through sustainable boating and fishing techniques. Florida Friendly Fishing Guides provide a richer fishing experience for their clients through their angling expertise and environmental stewardship. This online certification course covers science-based techniques that ensure minimal environmental footprint of fishing” (Florida Sea Grant).
Credit: Yanny Mishchuk
Georgia Coastal Awareness & Responsible Ecotourism Certification (CARE): Created in 2021 as a partnership between Georgia Sea Grant and Manomet, Inc., the Coastal Awareness & Responsible Ecotourism Certification program “provides ecotour companies with the tools to implement best practices when it comes to water-based tourism. Engaging ecotourism companies through a certification course will build support for conservation and stewardship of important habitats and wildlife on the coast” (Marine Extension & Georgia Sea Grant). Mississippi Gulf Coast Outpost Program: Lead by the Mississippi State University Extension Service and Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, the Gulf Coast Outpost program “is part of the Nature-Based Tourism Plan for Coastal Mississippi and recognizes businesses whose owners and operators are knowledgeable about the coast’s natural environment and work to foster environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation of its resources” (Mississippi State Extension & Mississippi/Alabama Sea Grant).
Credit: Mick Haupt
15 Extension Tourism: Impact and Opportunities of Land- and Sea-Grant Programming
extensiontourism.net
Programs
Count States
Agritourism—Local Foods, Farmers Markets, Culinary Tourism, Farm Stays Tourism Education, Training, and Certification Programs Community and Regional Planning and Development
9
AL, AR, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA,
6 5 5
AL, LA, FL, NC, GA, TX,
AL, AR, FL, KY, NC, AL, AR, FL, KY, TX,
Placemaking
Nature-Based Tourism: Ecotourism, Wildlife watching, and Adventure Tourism Economic, Environmental, and Social Impacts of Tourism and Recreation
4
AR, MS, NC, TN,
3
GA, MS, NC,
Marketing and Promotion
3 3 3 2 0
AL, AR, NC, FL, KY, NC, AR, FL, NC,
Community Tourism Assessments
Cultural-Heritage Tourism
Tourism Research and Evaluation
NC, SC
The Shared Economy
Are there tourism programs that are needed in your state/region that you are unable to offer but wish you could? AL Alabama would benefit from additional tourism assessment materials and conducting first impressions programs. Would like to engage in more of this type of work in the future. NC I’m sure there are plenty but while still carving out my role it is hard for me to decipher what specifically this is. I’ll likely be able to pinpoint quite a few in 6 months though. MS Coastal VA We need state level specialist support for agritourism, perhaps as part of a rural community development specialist focus. TX Commercial development GA Not at this time. Our state’s Georgia Department of Economic Development has a very active and robust tourism division. Link: https://www.georgia.org/industries/georgia-tourism GA Community tourism development, tourism destination planning, tourism destination branding, visitor profile studies, ROI studies examining the impact of Accommodation Taxes on tourism development. OK We have people working on tourism programs, but we lack a central theme and focus. AR Not sure how to answer this because we are fairly surface level in what we do related to tourism. Virgin Islands Yes
State
16 Extension Tourism: Impact and Opportunities of Land- and Sea-Grant Programming
extensiontourism.net
State
What challenges do you face in being able to provide services to support tourism in your state? Time and staff resources. Lack of staff with proper expertise to develop and deliver such programs. Time challenges and lack of support from the state level. One person right now is dedicated to doing this work and he is stretched thin. The County Extension Coordinators pick up the slack and do what we can at our county level.
AL
FL
Human Capital and Technical Expertise
Not a challenge per se but the Virginia Department of Tourism provides leadership to most of the topics you listed in this area. Without faculty or staff dedicated to tourism, most of our efforts are limited to communities/ regions in which we are working, providing fairly general assistance, and linking people to other resources. The main challenge we have right now is that folks don’t know who we are and when they find out they don’t know why we are. Hoping to help solidify some programs and partnerships to appease that but ask me again in a year :).
VA
AR
NC
MS OK
Funding
Lack of program leadership. Figuring out the right methods to use to encourage it. FTEs, partners, financial resources. Salary for a faculty extension specialist Labor to conduct data collection and data analyses, and a communication channel that informs tourism stakeholders of our applied research efforts I would not say that there is a challenge in providing support, because the Georgia Department of Economic Development has a fully staffed team dedicated to this effort in our state.
TX
GA
GA
Virgin Islands Financial resources to support staff salaries
17 Extension Tourism: Impact and Opportunities of Land- and Sea-Grant Programming
extensiontourism.net
WESTERN RESULTS
Nine out of the 13 states (~70%) in the Western region have faculty or staff who are involved in developing or delivering tourism programs illustrating the importance and value of tourism to the region. The majority (seven out of nine) of these staff spend less than 20% of their time on tourism-related work. Outdoor recreation programming, community planning and destination management are some of the primary focus areas for these programs. All of the programs surveyed agreed they would like to increase staff involved with working on tourism-related projects. Additional program needs identified in the surveys include: economic and technical assessment, outdoor recreation and access to public lands, workforce development and business management training, economic development and rural integration opportunities. Major tourism focus area of these extension programs include:
evaluation; destination marketing, promotion and management; and identification of community tourism assessments. Tourism research being led by Western Extension professionals includes: studies on resident attitudes of tourism, visitor preferences, and economic impact assessments, and a dedicated tourism research centers and programs in Utah (The Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism) Hawaii (Center for Sustainable Coastal Tourism) and Oregon (Guide, Outfitter, Tour Operator Training for Professional- GORP). Four states in the Western region do not currently offer tourism related programming (California, Montana, Arizona and Alaska). These programs have all indicated they are interested in having more faculty or staff involved in developing and/or delivering tourism related programs through Extension. This suggests an untapped potential for expansion of Extension led tourism programs regions- wide. Western regional institutions identified several programs as needed, but ones they are currently unable to provide but wish they could include developing economic assessments, destination management plans, and overall workforce development. These institutions cited a universal need for additional funding and staffing to increase the technical and research capacity to develop and implement these programs. Another consistent need was identified for programs that focus on integrating tourism and outdoor recreation into the economic development plans and programs of rural counties and communities.
• Community and regional planning and development • Destination management plans and impacts of tourism
• Outdoor recreation programming • Tourism research and evaluation (agrotoursim, nature-based, ecotourism, etc.) Challenges identified in the region include funding and staffing for existing programs and the need for better coordination and interconnectedness of national and regional tourism programs. Programming in the Western region is diversified beyond agritourism and outdoor recreation with a variety of programs on nature-based tourism, tourism education and certification, tourism research including socio-economic evaluation of tourism impacts, Community and regional planning and tourism marketing and placemaking. Activities across the region’s Extension Services include support for community and regional planning; programs that address the economic, environmental, and social impacts of tourism; tourism research and
18 Extension Tourism: Impact and Opportunities of Land- and Sea-Grant Programming
extensiontourism.net
Hawaii, Utah, Oregon and California have a high level of interest in expansion of programming in destination management and outdoor recreation programs. The Western region can look to other institutions across the nation for inspiration regarding growing tourism focused extension services. For example, the University of New Hampshire Extension Service recently added two new positions with a focus on tourism development. Additionally, several Northeast region states are currently collaborating on a NIFA AFRI grant to develop a national model for destination management research and programming in addition to a Hatch integrated rural tourism proposal. This demonstrates the potential for multi-state partnerships to potentially overcome some of these challenges through collaboration and program sharing. The NET 2021 conference presents an opportunity to collaborate and share information on successful examples of destination management.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), in partnership with the counties and local stakeholders, have developed community- based Destination Management Action Plans (DMAPs) that aim to rebuild, redefine and reset the direction of tourism over a three- year period. The focus is on stabilization, recovery, and rebuilding to the desired visitor industry for each island. The actions put forth in the DMAPs are guided by an island- based Steering Committee for each island, and include a collaborative process which encourages participation and vital input from the community, visitor industry and other sectors. The DMAPs identify areas of need as well as actionable solutions for enhancing the residents quality of life and improving the visitor experience across the islands. —Dolan Eversole, Hawaii Sea Grant
Programs
Count States
Community and Regional Planning and Development
7 CO, HI, ID, OR, UT, WA, Guam
Tourism Research and Evaluation
6 CO, HI, OR, UT, WY, Guam,
Economic, Environmental, and Social Impacts of Tourism and Recreation
6 CO, NV, OR, UT, WY, HI
Agritourism—Local Foods, Farmers Markets, Culinary Tourism, Farm Stays
5 CO, ID, OR, WA, Guam
Nature-Based Tourism: Ecotourism, Wildlife watching, and Adventure Tourism
5 CO, OR, UT, WA, WY
Marketing and Promotion
3 CO, OR, UT
Placemaking
2 ID, Guam
Tourism Education, Training, and Certification Programs
2 CO, OR
Cultural-Heritage Tourism
2 ID, Guam
The Shared Economy
2 CO, Guam
Community Tourism Assessments
0
19 Extension Tourism: Impact and Opportunities of Land- and Sea-Grant Programming
extensiontourism.net
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