New Publication from National Extension Tourism Network Highlights Opportunities for Extension in Outdoor Recreation Economies

April 25, 2024

Outdoor Recreation is a growing sector of the U.S. economy, and building the recreation economy in the U.S. has been identified as one of the USDA’s top priorities . Recreation economies are intertwined with multiple community domains, and therefore pose an opportunity for the Cooperative Extension System, which is uniquely positioned to assist communities with […]

Inaugural Maryland Agritourism Conference reflects increasing interest in agritourism

December 15, 2023

The first Maryland Agritourism Conference drew strong attendance from across the state and beyond, and included producers, non-profits, Extension professionals, students, and government officials including Maryland’s Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks, who delivered a keynote.

National Extension Agritourism Working Group Meeting

January 10, 2024 at 2pm ET: Join the Agritourism Working Group of the National Extension Tourism Network (NET) for a facilitated discussion about sharing resources and building partnerships. This virtual gathering is an important step for developing a national network of agritourism service providers and a central location for housing the latest research and best resources.

2023 NET Conference upholds tradition of seeding new connections and collaborations

December 11, 2023

More than 80 members of the National Extension Tourism network (NET) gathered in Milwaukee, WI, in September for four days of networking, learning, and experiencing greater Milwaukee. NERCRD staff provide support to the conference planning team, and participated in several presentations and workshops.

National Extension Tourism Network

NERCRD and the National Extension Tourism Network (NET) have a longstanding partnership, with NERCRD providing substantial staff support to the network since 2018. This page provides a brief historical outline of the ways in which NERCRD and NET have partnered over the years. More information about NET is available on the NET website: https://extensiontourism.net. 2018-2019: […]

National Extension Outdoor Recreation Working Group

NERCRD is supporting a new initiative emerging from its collaboration with the National Extension Tourism Network, in response to the recently announced USDA Interagency Memorandum of Understanding on Supporting the Nation’s Outdoor Recreation Economy (MOU). The MOU states that building the U.S. recreation economy is one of the USDA’s top priorities and calls on the […]

Tourism, Resiliency, and Indicators for Post-Pandemic Planning (TRIP) – USDA NIFA funded

This project is led by Doug Arbogast, West Virginia University Extension, with Extension and research collaborators including National Extension Tourism Design Team (NETDT), Penn State, University of Vermont, University of New Hampshire, and the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development. Project team members bring a unique combination of research and analytical skills in addition to […]

Multistate Hatch Project on Tourism Resilience and Community Sustainability

Adaptation and Recovery of Rural Businesses and Destinations This multi-state Hatch research project will examine resilience and recovery through the lens of rural tourism in the Northeast region. Planned objectives include conducting collaborative assessments of rural tourism at the multi-state level; investigating the resilience, adaptability, and recoverability of different components of the rural tourism system; […]

Creating an Effective Support System For Small And Medium-Sized Farm Operators To Succeed In Agritourism

Agritourism activity has the potential not only to keep small- and medium-sized farms in business but also to provide important local economic development spillover effects. While agritourism is not profitable or even appropriate in all communities, various stakeholders report that key barriers currently prevent farmers who would like to provide agritourism services from doing so. […]