Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development

 

 

Archive for Tourism and Outdoor Recreation

Four people standing in front of a conference sponsorship table, featuring the National Extension Tourism Network and the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development.

Dispatch from the 2025 NETtra Conference: “Connecting Through Tourism” in Meredith, NH

November 10, 2025

In early October, tourism researchers, educators, and practitioners  from across the country gathered in Meredith, New Hampshire, for the 2025 NETtra conference — a first-time collaboration between the National Extension Tourism Network (NET) and the Northeast Travel and Tourism Research Association (NETTRA). As a longtime partner of NET, NERCRD was proud to sponsor this event, which was hosted by the University of New Hampshire Extension in Meredith, NH. NERCRD’s Stephen Alessi attended, along with Kristen Devlin, who shared this recap. 

Economic and Quality of Life Indicators for Monongahela National Forest

WVSecondaryDataReport.updated10-24-2025Download

Authors: Luyi Han, Stephan J. Goetz, Daniel Eades, and Doug Arbogast

Publication: NERCRD publication   Date Published: October 24, 2025

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Economic and Quality of Life Indicators for Allegheny National Forest Counties in Pennsylvania

This report analyzes sustainable tourism indicators in Pennsylvania’s five-county
Allegheny National Forest region (Cameron, Elk, Warren, McKean, and Forest Counties) as part
of a USDA-funded multi-state project examining rural gateway community resilience.

PAForestCountiesReport.updated10.24.2025Download

Authors: Han, Luyi; Goetz, Stephan J.; Eades, Daniel; Arbogast, Doug

Publication: Published by NERCRD   Date Published: August 1, 2025

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Fostering Sustainable Growth in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest

The Allegheny National Forest region offers significant potential for sustainable tourism growth by balancing environmental protection and economic development. Researchers from West Virginia University and Penn State and their local collaborators drew on the perspectives of ANF visitors and residents in a survey conducted in 2024. This article shares key findings from the survey.

Authors: Claudia Schmidt, Douglas Arbogast, Jinyang Deng, and Stephan J. Goetz

Publication: Penn State Extension   Date Published: June 25, 2025

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Insights on Agritourism Among Producers in Western U.S. States: Evidence from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey

This report presents findings from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey. A total of 136 survey participants identified themselves as being in a Western region states by reporting the postal (ZIP) code of their farm. (To access the national-level findings, visit this page.) This survey is part of a larger project aimed at defining and enhancing the agritourism support system in the United States.

2024-Western Insights-National-Agritourism-Producer-Survey.6-4-2025Download

Authors: Jason Entsminger, Claudia Schmidt, Sarah Cornelisse, and Jackie Schweichler

Publication: NERCRD Research Brief   Date Published: June 3, 2025

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Insights on Agritourism Among Maine Producers: Evidence from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey

This report presents Maine-specific findings from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey, conducted in part to address the type of knowledge gaps just identified. The online survey was open from March through August 2024, and 2,139 agritourism operators across the United States responded. A total of 94 survey participants identified themselves as being in Maine by reporting the postal (ZIP) code of their farm.

Authors: Jason Entsminger (University of Maine); Claudia Schmidt (Penn State and NERCRD); Sarah Cornelisse and Jackie Schweichler (Penn State)

Publication: Published by NERCRD   Date Published: May 2, 2025

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Insights on Agritourism Among US Producers: Evidence from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey 

This report presents findings from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey. This survey is part of a larger project aimed at defining and enhancing the agritourism support system in the United States. The primary objective of conducting this survey was to identify areas where targeted interventions and programs can support agritourism development across the country.

2024-National-Agritourism-Producer-Survey.updated6-4-2025Download

Authors: Claudia Schmidt (Penn State and NERCRD), Jason Entsminger (University of Maine), Sarah Cornelisse and Jackie Schweichler (Penn State)

Publication: Published by NERCRD   Date Published: April 21, 2025

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New report examines Land-Grant University capacity to support outdoor recreation economies

October 15, 2024

A new report sheds light on the readiness of Land-Grant Universities (LGUs) to support the development of outdoor recreation economies around U.S. national forests, and identifies the places best positioned to allocate resources for recreation economy programming. It draws on an assessment conducted earlier this year by West Virginia University Rural Tourism Specialist Doug Arbogast in partnership with the National Extension Outdoor Recreation Working Group and the Regional Rural Development Centers.

Multistate Regional Research Project (NE1)

The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development conducts original research with its partners and connects faculty and Extension educators in the region with one another and to national collaborators and resources, thereby creating synergies and reducing duplication of effort. The four goals of this multi-state Hatch project are approved by the NERCRD’s Board of Directors’ […]

The Rural Tourism Institute (ARC funded)

Leveraging Land-Grant Universities to Support Sustainable Rural Tourism Development in Appalachia This project is funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and led by Doug Arbogast, Rural Tourism Development Extension Specialist at West Virginia University. The project team includes collaborators from North Carolina State Extension Tourism, the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, the […]
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