Spotlight on the North Central region, conference updates, and details on September’s NET webinar!
Author: NET Editorial Team
Join us in Meredith, New Hampshire, October 7-10, 2025, for the 2025 NETtra Conference — a first-time collaboration between the Northeast Chapter of the Travel and Tourism Research Association (NETTRA) and the National Extension Tourism (NET) Network, hosted by the University of New Hampshire Extension. Read on for updates from the Conference Planning Committee about a new presentation opportunity, a dinner cruise, mobile worksohps, and getting to the conference!
Dear National Extension Tourism NETwork, It is with great appreciation and gratitude that I am writing this note – my last note as the 2023-2025Read More
Tourism brings incredible benefits to communities, but without visitor education, it can also bring strain. That’s why Indiana Dunes Tourism partnered with Purdue University to pilot Travel with Care, a research-informed initiative designed to help destinations educate travelers about responsible and respectful behavior.
The University of Minnesota Tourism Center is excited to share with you a series of case studies about on-farm experiences. The case studies were created in response to Minnesota farmers’ and producers’ interest in creating on-farm experiences for their customers.
In this regional spotlight article, NET Design Team member Gwynn Stewart shares her tourism-related takeaways from the 2025 Community Development Society Conference, which was hosted in Geneva, NY.
Spotlight on the Western region, conference & webinar updates, a new data report on agritourism, and more!
Outdoor recreation is a rapidly expanding sector that intersects with rural life, economic development, and natural resource stewardship. Recognizing Extension’s opportunity to support this industry, the Outdoor Recreation Knowledge Exchange webinar series was developed as a model for multidisciplinary collaboration. The five-part series was organized by Hailey Sorg (University of Wyoming Extension/Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institute) and Guinevere Nelson (Colorado State University Extension).
The “Triple Bottom Line” framework—economic prosperity, social equity, and environmental stewardship—offers a compelling way to assess the impact of tourism practices and policies. One of the most effective yet underutilized strategies for advancing these goals is the professionalization of guiding services. Professionally guided experiences not only enrich the visitor journey but also serve as a foundation for building resilient, well-managed, and economically viable tourism destinations. Equipping guides with the tools to lead responsibly is essential—and now more accessible than ever through the nationally available Guide & Outfitter Recognized Professional (GORP) training program.
Submitted by Miles Phillips, Oregon Sea Grant/Oregon State University Extension for the May 2025 NET Newsletter Western Region Spotlight. In the tourism industry, first impressionsRead More