Last week I had the opportunity to attend an Agritourism Conference in Hickory. This was the third annual conference for the newly formed Agritourism Network Association.

The purpose of this association is to serve as a statewide proactive advocate for agritourism farmers and as a liaison between state-level organizations, field organizations, nonprofits, and rural landowners to support and facilitate agritourism. The members of this association come from all areas of North Carolina and include representatives from small, family farm businesses like roadside stands to large commercial businesses such as wineries.

There were five others from Robeson County who attended with me, so we were well represented at this conference. Geraldine Herring and Mitzi Powers from Lumberton and Anna Floyd from Fairmont operate fresh markets on their farms, so they wanted to learn more about how to operate their businesses effectively and profitably. Mickey Gregory with the Lumberton Visitors Bureau and I wanted to learn more about how the tourism industry works, what we can do to better support local tourism businesses, and how we can encourage and motivate others to take advantage of the opportunities that are provided by tourists as they pass through our county.

Although all segments of our economy, including tourism, have weakened since last year, I am confident that tourism will regain strength much faster than most other segments of the economy. Consumers have the ability to pick and choose where they spend their recreational dollars much easier than they can pick and choose where they spend most of their other dollars.

As the economy strengthens, many people will be looking for opportunities to relax. They will be looking for opportunities to break out of frustrations created by things that were beyond their control. They will take advantage of being able to control where they go for pleasure experiences, what they do when they get there, and how they will manage their limited dollars when they get there. The most important thing is that they will go.

Many people think that the definition of tourists is a family from a long distance away that is going somewhere that offers exciting events, so they can spend a long time doing a lot of expensive things. Actually, the definition of a tourist is a person who is traveling somewhere for pleasure.

A tourist may be someone who lives right here in North Carolina, maybe in an adjoining county or even in a nearby town. They may simply wish to travel a few miles to enjoy an experience on a farm to remind them of when they were young. They may want their children to experience some of the same things they experienced as a child.

Sometimes people want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a few hours to experience the quiet and serenity of the countryside. They may want to hike a quiet, tree-lined trail; stop along the way for a picnic lunch; and listen to birds. They may want to talk to people who can tell them about the history of an area, or they may want to purchase crafts, pottery, antiques, or farm products.

The agenda of the agritourism conference included a lot of speakers who shared information about how farmers can do these things. It is amazing at how much people will pay to have a farm experience.

Agritourism sites are actually businesses. Virtually all of them have the same goal as the mega stores like Wal-Mart. That is, to make money. Also, like Wal-Mart, they are concerned about liability, marketing, advertising, and clean restrooms.

I have used this column many times in the past to encourage readers to consider how they can take advantage of tourism opportunities in Robeson County. There are several educational resources in the county, such as Cooperative Extension, Robeson Community College, and UNC-Pembroke, that are eager to help people learn what they need to do to plan, develop, and grow a small business. There are many agencies that provide assistance in many ways. Some will help train, serve as consultants, and even help look for grant funds. All the individual needs to do is have a dream and a desire.

During the coming months, I will be networking with others in the county and across the state to develop a more aggressive tourism network in this county. I join others as we try to increase jobs, income, tax base, tax receipts, and the quality of life for our county.

We have already formed the Robeson Tourism Development Association, which meets the first Wednesday of each month. We meet next Wednesday at noon at Biggs Park Mall. Just call (671-3276) and let us know you want to be a part of helping develop tourism in Robeson County, and we will provide your lunch.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 06/09/09