Takeaways
- Agritourism represents a growing opportunity for Georgia’s agricultural sector, combining farm operations with tourism experiences to diversify income streams and strengthen rural economies.
- Operators are optimistic about the future, with 75% expecting increased visitation and profitability over the next 5 years.
- Visitors prioritize facility cleanliness, safety, restrooms, and knowledgeable and friendly staff when deciding to participate in agritourism activities.
- For agritourism operators, the primary barriers limiting growth are access to financial capital, regulatory uncertainty, and inadequate infrastructure.
- University of Georgia Cooperative Extension can enhance Georgia’s agritourism sector by supporting operators in financial planning, marketing, technical training, liability protection, and navigating relevant policies.
- The 2026 FIFA World Cup in Atlanta presents a strategic opportunity to showcase Georgia’s agricultural heritage to national and global audiences by collaborating with destination marketing organizations, universities, UGA Extension, and local communities to create memorable visitor experiences that will provide significant growth opportunities for the Georgia agritourism sector.
Agritourism
Agritourism—the integration of agriculture and hospitality, outdoor recreation, entertainment, education, and direct sales—continues to emerge as a significant contributor to the U.S. rural economy. The most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture agricultural census reported that U.S. farms and ranches generated about $1.26 billion in income nationwide from agritourism in 2022, accounting for 5.7% of total nonagricultural product sales revenue. The average agritourism operation earned $44,004 in gross revenue in 2022, representing a 33% increase since 2017. Despite this growth, only 1.5% of American farms engaged in agritourism, suggesting significant untapped potential.
In the state of Georgia, 742 farms (6.56% of Georgia’s farms) reported that they offered agritourism in 2022. Georgia significantly exceeds the national average, indicating stronger adoption but still substantial room for growth. These farms generated $31 million in revenue from agritourism activities, with the average receipt of $41,849 per farm, which is a 9.78% increase from 2017. This average income was slightly lower than the national average, but greater than some of the neighboring states such as North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama.
About 46.4% of agritourism farms in Georgia are in metropolitan counties. These farms accounted for higher revenues than nonmetropolitan counties, a pattern that reflects a national general trend: Producers in rural areas express greater interest in agritourism, but operations in metropolitan regions typically achieve higher revenues because of larger customer bases and higher traffic volume.
Producers’ Perspective on Agritourism
A recent National Agritourism Producer Survey provides a snapshot of how producers view the opportunities, challenges, and future direction of agritourism. The most common agritourism activities offered include on-farm direct sales (62.8%), educational activities (59.4%), events and off-farm direct sales (35.9% and 35.6%, respectively), followed by you-pick activities (31.9%; Schmidt et al., 2025).
Most operations are relatively new to the sector, with 33% having less than 5 years of experience and another 25% with 5 to 10 years of experience. National data also indicates that approximately 57% of agritourism farms are open to visitors 150 days or fewer annually, suggesting that agritourism serves as a supplemental rather than primary income source for most producers.
Profitability varies considerably across operations. According to the national survey, approximately 32.1% of the 1,107 respondents operate their agritourism enterprises at break-even or at a loss, while 56.9% of farms generated profit between $1,000 and $99,999. Only 11% achieved profits exceeding $100,000.
Challenges to Developing Agritourism
Farmers engaged in agritourism face a range of challenges that limit the growth and sustainability of their operations. The most pressing issues relate to limited access to financial capital, uncertainty, regulatory compliance complexity, and inadequate physical infrastructure and destination amenities.
Financial Capital
- About 43% of 1,299 producers rated access to funding as very or extremely challenging.
- This challenge was compounded by limited awareness: 31.6% of 1,210 operators reported that they were unaware of available grants or loans to support their agritourism businesses, and only 13% successfully obtained grants in recent years.
Regulatory Compliance
- More than 60% of 1,444 agritourism operators reported that they were uncertain whether their state has agritourism liability protections.
- More than 50% of 1,412 agritourism operators found navigating civil liability regulations to be moderately to extremely challenging.
- About 48.8% of 1,401 agritourism operators reported that they lack confidence in their overall compliance with agritourism regulations.
Physical Infrastructure and Destination Amenities
- About 31% of 1,302 agritourism operators reported that the built or physical infrastructure of their communities posed challenges to agritourism.
- The most underdeveloped destination amenities were dining and nightlife, according to 54% of 1,278 agritourism operators.
- The second-most underdeveloped destination amenity was retail shopping, reported by 50% of 1,280 agritourism operators.
Agritourism operators identified several areas in which they would like support from their local Extension services to strengthen their operations. The most frequently reported request was for financial assistance, indicated by 75% of 1,185 respondents. This includes access to grants, loans, and financial planning guidance.
The second most frequently selected area was marketing assistance, such as help with developing marketing plans and managing social media promotions, indicated by 66% of respondents. This was followed by technical assistance, including access to knowledge resources, grant-writing support, and diversification strategies. Operators also highlighted a need for assistance with policy and legal questions to help them navigate regulations and compliance requirements.
Positive Outlook of Agritourism
Despite the challenges, the national survey found that agritourism producers felt optimistic about the future of the segment. Overall, 75.1% of operators felt the number of visitors to their operation would increase moderately or significantly over the next 5 years, 72.3% felt that way about their operation’s profitability, and 68.4% expected to diversify their agritourism activities offered to visitors. This optimism suggests continued investment and development in the sector.
Visitors’ Perspectives on Agritourism
In 2024, the Hospitality and Food Industry Management program at the University of Georgia conducted a national consumer survey to understand visitors’ perspectives on agritourism. Of the 1,872 completed responses, 1,664 participants reported participating in agritourism activities in the past 2 years. Examples include you-pick farms, corn mazes, farm stays, and wineries.
When consumers were asked to assess which attributes of agritourism they valued, facility cleanliness was identified as one of the most important, followed by safety and on-site restrooms. In addition, employee friendliness and knowledge were recognized as important attributes. Figure 1 presents the results of the top 10 most important attributes.
These findings indicate that visitors expect professional, comfortable, and secure environments when visiting farms. Agritourism operators, therefore, need to invest in maintaining clean facilities, ensuring visible safety measures, and providing convenient amenities that enhance visitor comfort. Equally important is staff training: Employees should be welcoming, informed about farm products and activities, and able to share engaging stories that connect guests to the farm experience.
Key Barriers to Participation
The survey results indicate that visitors experience constraints that prevent them from participating in agritourism. The types of barriers were grouped into three categories:
- Structural barriers: lack of time, information, access, or financial resources
- Interpersonal barriers: lack of a companion, limited interest from friends or family
- Intrapersonal barriers: individual psychological conditions and lack of interest
Importantly, some of the structural barriers aligned with agritourism operators’ perceptions of their own operational challenges. The alignment between visitor barriers and operator challenges in infrastructure, information access, and amenities provides high-impact opportunities to improve both agritourism operations and visits. Figure 2 presents some of the top barriers to visiting agritourism farms.
In short, the survey highlights that successful agritourism operations combine high-quality facilities, personal engagement, and authentic local experiences. Meeting these expectations not only enhances visitor satisfaction and repeat attendance but also drives greater economic returns for farm businesses and rural communities.
Outlook for Georgia’s Agritourism Sector
Despite current challenges in regulatory compliance, financial access, and infrastructure, as operators have identified, Georgia’s agritourism industry shows potential for growth. Agritourism operators are optimistic, with 75% expecting increased visitation and improved profitability over the next 5 years. This optimism is also supported by Georgia-specific survey data (n =375) in which the majority of Georgia consumers plan to revisit agritourism farms. These consumers are willing to pay a premium for locally produced food, particularly when agritourism experiences strengthen their positive attitudes toward agriculture and local food.
Georgia possesses competitive advantages for agritourism development. The state’s rich agricultural heritage and diverse agricultural base—producing everything from peaches, berries, and livestock to value-added products such as jams and pickles—appeal to a range of visitor interests. Many agritourism operations are located in or adjacent to metropolitan areas, positioning them well to attract and serve urban populations. Importantly, collaborative opportunities among farms in rural and urban areas and destination marketing organizations are valuable for attracting visitors who seek authentic culinary, cultural, health, and local experiences that align perfectly with agritourism’s core offerings.
To increase visitation and profitability, farmers should also emphasize benefits that align with consumer motivations, such as fresh and healthy products, supporting local farmers, and sustainability. By communicating these values through storytelling, signage, and marketing materials, farms can strengthen emotional connections with visitors. Moreover, improving infrastructure and visitor experience design—for example, clear road signage, diverse on-farm activities, and scenic or educational elements—can extend visitor stays and spending.
Opportunities Presented by the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup in Atlanta presents an extraordinary opportunity for Georgia’s agriculture and tourism sectors to showcase the state’s rich food culture on a global stage. Drawing lessons from events like the 2024 Paris Olympics, where local foods and regional identity played a central role in visitor experiences, Georgia growers and producers can position themselves as key suppliers for World Cup food vendors while promoting the authenticity and uniqueness of their products.
By collaborating with tourism authorities, land-grant universities, and local organizations, Georgia farms can elevate their visibility among international audiences, offering visitors a true taste of Georgia through its fresh, locally sourced ingredients and distinctive farm-based experiences.
This moment offers a chance not only to boost sales but also to establish Georgia’s reputation as a premier destination for authentic southern food and agritourism.
References
Hospitality and Food Industry Management Program. (2024). Agritourism and rural experience national survey. University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Schmidt, C., Entsminger, J. S., Cornelisse, S., & Schweichler, J. (2025). Insights on agritourism among U.S. producers: Evidence from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey [Data brief 2025-1]. Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development. https://nercrd.psu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2024-National-Agritourism-Producer-Survey.updated6-4-2025.pdf
