Tourism Business Development Workshop
Agritourism and Astrotourism
Discover innovative strategies to leverage Utah's exceptional dark sky and agritourism opportunities. This workshop provides actionable insights for tourism professionals, business owners, and community leaders to generate sustainable revenue, expand visitor capacity, and enhance destination development through agritourism and astrotourism.
August 11-12, 2025 in Cedar City, Utah
Monday, August 11 - Check-in begins at 1:00 pm, the workshop begins at 1:30 pm.
Tuesday, August 12 - The workshop will end at 2:30 pm.
Southern Utah University - Hunter Alumni Center, 405 W University Blvd, Cedar City, UT 84720
Check back in May for a day-by-day outline of the workshop including sessions, speakers, and activities.
The Tourism Business Development Workshop is offered at no cost to participants thanks to one-time funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), allocated by the Economic Development Administration (EDA).
Key Topics include:
- Agritourism and astrotourism resources
- Marketing essentials
- Business planning resources
- Best practices for customer engagement
- Partner development & collaboration
- Guides on how to navigate regulations and permitting
- How to become bookable globally, B2B (business to business)
Who Should Attend? This Workshop is Ideal For:
- Businesses engaged in agritourism and/or astrotourism
- Businesses interested in agritourism and/or astrotourism
- Anyone interested in developing agritourism and astrotourism experiences
- Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs)
- Community leaders
- National or State parks interested in developing agritourism and/or astrotourism
The Tourism Business Development Workshop is offered at no cost to participants thanks to one-time funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), allocated by the Economic Development Administration (EDA). This funding initiative aims to bolster the tourism recovery post-pandemic and stimulate growth within the industry, allowing for the removal of financial barriers to valuable business development resources such as the workshop.
As registration is capped and operates on a first-come, first-served basis, interested individuals are strongly encouraged to secure their spots promptly. Furthermore, due to potential high demand, attendees are advised to reserve their hotel accommodations immediately upon registering for the workshop to ensure availability. Check back in May for workshop details.
Produced by Utah Office of Tourism
Primary Partner
Partners
Thank you to the Collaboration Committees:
Agritourism
Caroline Hargraves, Director of the Marketing & Economic Development Division | Utah Department of Agriculture and Food
Rebekah Esplin, Extension Assistant Professor | Utah State University Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Adrianna Franco, Marketing Specialist | Department of Agriculture and Food
Sherrie Staheli, Farmer and Owner | Staheli Family Farm
Astrotourism
Lisa Stoner, Coordinator | Utah State University Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism