Expanding agritourism in Butte County, California

Abstract

This case study examines the strategies and impacts of collaboration among diverse Butte County stakeholders to support agritourism development and increase agritourism participation by out-of-area visitors to the sparsely populated rural county. The three local initiatives implemented were: the Sierra Oro Farm Trails’ Passport Weekend; the Tourism Business Improvement District’s Explore Butte County marketing program; and the county government’s agritourism-friendly programs. Overall, the hospitality industry’s collaboration with an agritourism association and other community organizations, in conjunction with supportive county regulations, low permitting fees and helpful county staff, appears to be generating continued growth of farm and ranch agritourism businesses and increased regional tourism in Butte County.