The demand for agritourism in the United States

Using data from the 2000 National Survey on Recreation and the Environment, this study explores factors affecting visits by the American population to farms and the economic value of the rural landscape for farm visitors. The number of farm recreation trip visits was estimated to have an own-price elasticity of -0.43 and an income elasticity of 0.24. Location of residence, race, and gender were found to be important determinants of the number of farm trips. The calculated consumer surplus is estimated at $174.82/trip, of which $33.50 is due to the rural landscape.