Marketing Urban Garden Tourism Sandra F. Tanner, TMP Virginia Tourism Corp Tourism Development Specialist 434 757-7438 stanner@virginia.org

2. “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”
:

3. 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

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

5. Urban Gardens
How 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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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”

11. Cherry Blossom Festival
Visited by more than 700,000
Annually

12. Community Kitchen Garden
Lewis Ginter Botanical
Gardens

13. Lemaire Urban Garden
Parking lot of the Jefferson
Richmond,VA

14. Marketing Garden
Tourism

18. 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

19. Sandra F. Tanner, TMP
Virginia Tourism Corp
Tourism Development Specialist
434 757-7438
stanner@virginia.org