Fourth International Conference on Tourism and Leisure Studies

Abstract

Florida’s agricultural products are widely recognized for superior quality, freshness, and taste. International and domestic market demands make Florida agriculture second only to tourism as the largest industry in the state. Though the economic impact of Florida’s agriculture annually exceeds $100 billion, the public primarily associates the state with beaches, cruises, and theme parks. The tendency to lose sight of agriculture’s importance in the shadow of tourism is evident in Palm Beach County (PBC) despite a third of the land being devoted to agricultural production. PBC is Florida’s leading producer of such winter vegetable crops as head lettuce, spring mix lettuce, spinach, celery, radishes, Asian vegetables, bell peppers and even rice. PBC also leads the nation in sugarcane, sweet corn, and sod production. Palm Beach County is known for having many traditional locations and experiences to offer would-be tourists but in recent years, local, domestic, and international tour groups have begun asking UF/IFAS PBC Cooperative Extension Faculty to arrange farm tours for them. With the cooperation of our local farmers, UF/IFAS PBC has increased the agricultural awareness of such groups. Our farm tours provide direct interaction with the local farmers growing many of the vegetables found on east coast supermarket shelves during the winter months. This two-way communication allows the agri-tourist to ask questions and have their wide-ranging food and environmental concerns addressed while the farmers get an opportunity to share their perspectives with potential voters.