Pluralities of agritourism: Exploring political values and social judgements

Abstract

Despite increasing research on agritourism, little is known about how farmers' political values may influence their agritourism operation. Given the growing rural-urban divide in the U.S. and increasing political tensions, more research is warranted that explores the perceptions of rural agritourism farmers when hosting tourists, many of which travel from non-rural areas. Subsequently, we used social judgement theory to examine how farmers' political values influence their openness to hosting tourists. We interviewed farmers in Vermont (USA) that have adopted agritourism and those who have not about their political ideologies and social judgements, as well as openness to hosting tourists. Results show farmers’ political values are related to their pro- or anti-agritourism behaviors, but substantially greater nuance exists among rural operators than stereotypes suggest. Findings can be used to increase meaningful connections between farmers and tourists.