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Flint Hills Agri-Tourism
A special area of opportunity in rural entrepreneurship development identified in the Flint Hills of Kansas, of which we are a part, is that of Agri-Tourism. Based upon the anchor of the Flint Hills Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve , in nearby Chase County, to the west of Emporia, the opportunities to grow agri-tourism businesses and related support organizations is great, at this time.
The Flint Hills Tourism Coalition, a 22 county effort of tourism professionals in the Kansas Flint Hills, was formed in mid-2005 as the focal effort to promote tourism to the Kansas Flint Hills. Dr. Smith, ESU CBED, has been an active participate and partner in these efforts. He chairs the Website Task Force and is an active member of the Heritage Task Force of the Coalition. In May 2007, Dr Smith became Chair of the Flint Hills Tourism Coalition. Since August of 2007, Dr. Smith has served as President of the Flint Hills Tourism Coalition, Inc. These activities are being chronicles in the CBED website Project and Newsletter areas and the BAE Newsletters and Projects.
The CBED also is a partner with the Flint Hills RC&D in agri-tourism asset development, specifically. Dr. Smith has been a member of the planning committee of the Agri-Tourism Initiative of the RC&D which has conducted workshops and help create new agri-tourism businesses in the Flint Hills region.
Based on a design developed in the ESU School of Business "Entreprenuership through AgriTourism" MBA class, the Flint Hills Tourism Coalition now has a comprehensive website at kansasflinthills.travel.
Earlier Background Efforts: