Understanding local versus tourist visitors to recreation areas

Abstract

Local visitors to recreation areas, many of whom provide voluntary support to area managers, and tourist visitors from outside the surrounding regions, whose expenditures stimulate the regions' economies, are among the most important clientele groups of such areas. The purpose of this article is to synthesize and expand past research on these groups, drawing upon results from a mail survey of visitors to a state park rail-trail used mostly for mountain biking. Sharp differences between local and tourist visitors emerged that corroborated many of the results of past studies. Compared to tourist visitors, local visitors tended to be younger, to have lower incomes, to visit the trail more frequently, and to place greater importance on visiting the trail for solitude, quietude, and the enhancement of health and fitness. Tourist visitors were more likely than their counterparts to have been mountain biking aficionados. Implications related to the formation of strategic alliances, the design and management of facilities, and the pricing of entrance fees are discussed.

Keywords:

• parks
• recreation areas
• clientele groups
• local versus tourist visitors
• proximate versus distant visitors
• rail-trails
• mountain biking
• Black Hills
• South Dakota

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research was funded by the US Small Business Administration and Black Hills Community Economic Development/MTC.