“More people visit gardens annually in the United States than visit Disneyland and Disney World combined, and more than visit Las Vegas in any given year”

Dr. Richard W. Benfield, Author, “Garden Tourism”

:

What is Garden Tourism?

Niche market of travelers whose destination includes garden, series of gardens or flower/garden events

• Flower shows/Garden Events• Festivals: Garlic, Peach, Cherry Blossom• Urban/Community Garden Tours• Living Art Gardens-Topiary/Sculpture Gardens• Garden to Table-Restaurants and Events• Farmer’s Markets and Urban Farm Markets

Urban Gardens

Who is coming?• Cultural Tourists• Agri-Tourists• “Foodies”• Avid Professional Gardners• Hobby Gardners• Motor Coach Tours-Seniors

Urban GardensHow do they impact the locality

• Unites Agriculture with Community Development• Economic Growth Development-Quality of life,

healthy food choices, promotes good health• Entrepreneur growth• Tourism Opportunities• Transforms Vacant and Blighted Areas into green

spaces, Living Arts Spaces, and productive gardens• Well Landscaped, green spaces and gardens are

essential for experience and imaging for visitor and contribute to sustainable development.

Urban Gardens/Parks/Green Spaces

• Backdrop/Spaces for Events-arts, music, food

• Sports Tourism-urban complexes in parks

• Living Art-destination• Gardens/Parks with Historic sites,

museums, zoos-destination

Economic Impact Case Study:

Philadelphia Flower Show• 9 day show• 270,000 attendees(12% increase over 2011)• 263 vendors paid an average total of $1,315,000.00

for 12X12 booth spaces• Generated 61 Million Economic Impact for Greater

Philadelphia Region• Supported 628 Full Time Jobs• Generated 8 Million in tax revenues• Generated 22,642 hotel rooms nights

Examples:

• Cherry Blossom Festival• Lewis Ginter Botanical

Garden/Community Kitchen Garden• Lemaire Urban Garden-Jefferson

Richmond• Historic Virginia Garden Week Tour-

April 26- May 3, 2014

Historic Virginia Garden Week Tour

• 2nd Largest “Open Garden” Private Garden Tour in the United States

• 1st Place Garden Walk Buffalo

Dr. Richard W. Benfield, Author, “Garden Tourism”

Cherry Blossom FestivalVisited by more than 700,000

Annually

Community Kitchen GardenLewis Ginter Botanical

Gardens

Lemaire Urban Garden Parking lot of the Jefferson

Richmond,VA

Marketing Garden Tourism

Sources

• Urban Gardening by Dr. Richard Benfield• City Parks Forum Briefing Papers by John L. Crompton,

Distinguished Professor of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences at Texas A&M University

• https://www.planning.org/cityparks/briefingpapers/tourism.htm• Impact of Urban Trees and Landscaping on Tourism and

Sustainable Development  http://sofew.cfr.msstate.edu/papers/Zheng09.pdf

Sandra F. Tanner, TMP

Virginia Tourism Corp

Tourism Development Specialist

434 757-7438

stanner@virginia.org