Developing Effective Marketing Strategies for Agritourism: Targeting Visitor Segments

Abstract

In Colorado, agritourism shows the potential to benefit agricultural producers and rural communities by generating additional income from consumers who are willing to pay for rural and agriculturally related experiences. This study uses a survey of Colorado agritourists to identify five distinct groups of visitors using demographics, attitudes, expenditures, and activity types. The visitor clusters are significantly different when considering types of travel planning and transportation, agritourism participation, and importance of agritourism to the travel party’s visit, among other behaviors. We conclude with a discussion of the marketing and joint planning implications for agritourism providers, the tourism industry, and Colorado communities.