Section 3 - North Dakota
Marketing
Source: Printed with permission
Joanne Burke-Olson, Deputy Tourism Director
Mission of North Dakota Tourism
is to create new wealth for North
Dakotans by utilizing a targeted marketing effort to attract out-of-state
and in-state visitors.
2002 - Recent Update
According to TIA (Travel Industry Association of America) travel and tourism is:
Tourism Trends.....who is traveling and what do they want.
The North Dakota Tourism Department has identified key niche markets to increase visitation to the state. These markets have a high value for economics activity and view North Dakota as a destination. Much of the tourism product for these niche markets is in the rural areas of North Dakota and has a significant economic impact on rural communities.
Hunting and Fishing
Trails
Birding
Western Experience/Theodore Roosevelt National Park
International
Bicentennial Commemoration of Lewis and Clark Trail
Resources
Excerpts from Tourism Potential in North
Dakota
with Emphasis on Southwest ND
This entire report, authored by Kathy Coyle under the supervision of Dr. William C. Nelson, was published September 1998 by the Agricultural Economics Department at North Dakota State University.
Copies may still be available by contacting the Bowman County Economic
Development Office in Bowman, ND. Three counties in southwest ND: Bowman,
Adams, and Slope; hired NDSU to research the possibilities. Tourism is the
fastest growing industry in America, but at the time of this study, North
Dakota spent the least to promote itself and earned the least from this growing
industry.
Previous Surveys and Events
Americans' vacation habits - According to a report on ABC World
News Tonight (1998), an American's vacation is, on average, four
days long. International tourists vacation twice as long in America as American
tourists (Table 16). Similar to foreign visitors, American
tourists list shopping as their favorite past time, and when traveling overseas,
London is the number one destination. In general, Americans are traveling
in record numbers according to the report.
According to a survey of 1500 people nationwide by the Travel Industry Association ("Travelers," 1998, p. F2), 77 percent of all adults do some sort of shopping while on vacation. Three percent said it was the primary reason for their trip. People made 43 million visits to the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN last year, which is more tourists than attracted to Disneyworld, the Grand Canyon, and Graceland combined. Tourists spend about $600 million at the Mall of America annually ("Tourism," 1998, p. Al). In Branson visitors said they were lured to the town to shop more than to attend the stage shows which originally made the small
Missouri town famous. Branson has fewer than 4,000 residents but attracted 5.8 million tourists last year ("Travelers," 1998, p. F2). That total is two million more than in 1990 (Koth, 1991), fueled in great part by charter buses. A number of charters depart from Fargo for Branson throughout the year.
The McCormick Marketing firm found tourists spend four to ten times more than local shoppers. Tourists enjoy shopping, in part, because they are not rushed by work and responsibilities at home. Instead, they can relax and treat themselves and others they care about with gifts and souvenirs. They may even buy a product available near their home, but on vacation, they have the time and energy to shop. A study of 8,000 leisure travelers in Las Vegas found 67 percent listed shopping as a major activity while only 18 percent listed gambling, consequently more shopping malls are opening in Las Vegas ("Travelers," 1998, p - F2). A growing number of retailers are seeking popular vacation spots for the locations of their shops. Shopping mall owners are also increasing their clientele by teaming up with hotel owners and airlines to develop travel packages with discounts to attract more tourists.
"More than half of all personal trips in the US are made within a 300-mile radius of the traveler's home, and more than one-third are made within 150," according to the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium (Koth, 1991). It also found that trips are getting shorter in duration, 40 percent are less than three nights in length. Visiting friends and family is still the number one reason people travel (Koth, 1991). Consequently, a community's own residents can make or break their region's image and additional income from tourism by the remarks they make to their guests.
Top recreational pursuits in North Dakota Parks - The ND Parks and Recreation Department commissions a study every five years called SCORP - State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. Leitch, Hirsch, & Christenson (1995) surveyed the public to learn how many days they spend a year engaged in any of 30 recreational activities as well as 4other." They found the number one activity in the state and in Fargo's region is walking/jogging on pavement. That activity came in second in the tri-county area that includes Adams, Bowman, and Slope. The number one activity in the tri-counties was pleasure driving. Driving just for the fun of it came in second in the overall state survey and in the Fargo region. Biking on pavement was in the top three for all previously mentioned regions, and use of an ATV, motorcycle, or snowmobile was in the top four as was swimming, except for the tri- counties where that sport wasn't even mentioned.
Top children's sports in Canada - In a Canadian survey, swimming was the favorite sports activity of children 6-10 years old, and it came in second to baseball for children 11-14 years old in Canada. The younger group put baseball second along with soccer and hockey third, while the pre-and young-teenagers ranked hockey third, and basketball fourth (Statistics Canada, 1992).
River recreation in North Dakota - A survey to determine the public's use of rivers in North Dakota revealed that the most popular activities along the Red River in eastern North Dakota are sightseeing, walking/jogging, bicycling, fishing, snowmobiling, and picnicking, Dietz and Leitch (1997) found the Missouri was the most visited river in the state; the Red River was second, and the Little Missouri which cuts through Slope County was third.
Camping is the most popular activity along the Little Missouri followed by
sightseeing, fishing, walking/jogging, hunting, and photography. On average,
each person spent about 10 days a year recreating on the Little Missouri
in contrast to about 22 days a year on the Red River. The Little Missouri
is best used in the spring because after May a lack of water can pose problems,
especially for canoeists.
Top Canadian heritage institutions - Nature parks are by far the
favorite of Canadians surveyed, evidenced by a 56,307,000 attendance in 1993-94.
Historic sites took a distant second with 17,020,000 attending, and history
museums were far behind with 8,760,000 in attendance. This low interest in
museums may give credence to the need for participation. People favored the
site where they were physically active as well as intellectually stimulated
by nature. Nearly twice as many people preferred to roam around historic
sites, and in some cases. interact with living history guides compared to
passively looking at objects in museums. Museums are becoming more interactive
as technology and funding allows more creativity, but the stereotype stagnant
display evidently pales in popularity compared to action-adventure forms
of learning.
Top entertainment choices in Canada - The Bowman County Fair, the ND State Fair. and the Red River Valley Fair all offer well-known country music entertainers, but if a survey by Statistics Canada is reviewed, those lineups may be questioned. Canadians were asked how often they went to a variety of performing arts shows. The 1998 survey found the greatest share of the population, 16.3% said they attended more pop/rock concerts. Only 4.4% had gone to a country and western musical performance The other favorites included musical comedy in second place followed by (in order of preference) comedy, drama, jazz/blues, stand-up comedy, symphonic music, country music, opera, and choral music.
Canadians' lack of major interest in country music is echoed in a 1996 survey of radio preferences. Thirty-eight percent of those surveyed said they prefer radio stations that play adult-contemporary/gold/oldies/rock while only 14.5% preferred country music radio stations. The least favorite stations played middle-of-the-road, easy listening, and dance music.
The North Dakota State Fair in Minot set a new record in attendance in 1998 as did the Red River Valley Fair in West Fargo. Both relied heavily on country western entertainment. The Bowman County Fair featured the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, also a country act in 1998.
Hunting and fishing in North Dakota - In-state and out-of-state hunters and anglers generated $1.67 billion in total business in the state in 1996. Lewis (1998) found, "Those expenditures accounted for $250 million in retail trade sales, $393 million in personal income and supported more than 21,000 jobs." Since 1982, total direct resident and nonresident expenditures have increased from $157 million to $578 million. Reacting to the large increase over the past 16 years. co-author Dr. Jay Leitch said, "The amount of money injected in rural areas is nothing to sneeze at!"(Lohman, 1998a, p. E8). Leitch concluded that hunters and anglers accounted for 8 percent of the state's economic base and supported 8 percent of the state's employment in 1996. Lewis (1998) also found; Resident open water anglers had the highest average seasonal expenditure at $2,779. Resident archery antelope hunters at $450 had the highest average daily expenditure, while gratisfall wild turkey hunters at $17 had the lowest average daily expenditure and at $50 the lowest seasonal expenditure (Lohman, 1998a, p. E8).
Lewis and Leitch (1998) also found "excluding gratis license holders, resident archery deer hunters had the least spending average per day at $99. Nonresident anglers had the highest seasonal expenditures at $1,122, while archery deer hunters at $150 had the highest daily expenditures of all nonresident hunters and anglers."
North Dakota traffic volume in 1996 -Statistics from the North Dakota Department of Transportation indicate, on average, about 725 vehicles drive US Highway 85 per day between Amidon and south of Bowman to the border with South Dakota. About 170 trucks make that same journey, on average, each day year round. The traffic count is much higher near the population centers. Up to 1250 vehicles and 125 trucks travel the section of US Highways 12 and 85 each day, but many of those vehicles are local residents coming and going a number of times.
It is hard to estimate how many outsiders are actually driving US Highway 12 through Hettinger because, in town, the count is 1,150 cars and 160 trucks a day, on average, annually, but east of Hettinger toward South Dakota, the number falls to 675 vehicles and 120 trucks a day. Marmarth's traffic count is 500 vehicles and 95 trucks a day. Many of those motorists are local people who were counted more than once by the state's mechanized counter.
In contrast to the tri-county traffic volume, 1-94 has 3,000 vehicles and 690 trucks. on average, per day near Dickinson. Theodore Roosevelt National Park attracts about one-third of those motorists (Theodore Roosevelt National Park), with an average of 888 visitors per day annually (so, many more than that on a summer day). Medora's short stretch to 1-94 records average about 700 vehicles and 60 trucks a day. Estimates of how many newcomers are included in that total are difficult. Medora's tourism industry is mainly from June to Labor Day.
Comparisons between southwest and eastern parts of North Dakota contrasts,
not only in population and income level, but also in traffic volume. The
stretch of 1-94 just south of West Acres Shopping Center reported 21,130
vehicles and 1,680 trucks per day, on average, in 1996. The average number
of vehicles decreases substantially just west of West Fargo-with 8,610 reported
per day. I-29 averages 12,400 vehicles and 1900 trucks per day traveling
through Fargo.
Canada's demographics - Other large population potentials for the
tri-counties to draw from are in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The 1997 population
of Saskatchewan was 1,023,500, or 3.38% of Canada's total population. Manitoba
reported 1,145,200 residents, or 3.78% of the Canadian total (Statistics
Canada, 1997). Both provinces report continuing population growth (1993-1997,
Statistics Canada). Population projections for Canada show the 35-49 age
category dominating in the Years 2001 and 2006 and the 40-54 age category
dominating the population base in the Year 2011. Then. it will age a little
by the Year 2016 with the greatest amount of 45-59 year old Canadians predicted.
The average resident of Manitoba and Saskatchewan reported an average yearly income in Canadian dollars of about $22,600 and an average family income of about $50,000 in 1997. The overwhelming majority are not college educated; 86% do not have college degrees. As many singles as married residents live in the two provinces.
Consequently, a business owner or community in the tri-counties can visualize today's average Canadian as 33-46 years old, not highly educated, with an income nearly as high as a Fargo resident, enjoying pop and rock music and comedy, who especially enjoys nature parks, possibly traveling with children who like to swim and play baseball. One can then anticipate demographic trends and anticipate a prime market.
One can only speculate on what the exchange rate will be between the US and Canada in the future, but the exchange rate is a major factor in tourism. The lower the value of the Canadian dollar, the more those potential tourists will have to spend in the US for gasoline, food, lodging, and souvenirs. Tri-county tourism committee members report the number of Canadians visiting the area has decreased visibility since the sharp devaluation of the Canadian dollar. In the US, the Canadian dollar is valued at sell 30% and buy 32% (State Bank of Fargo, 1998. August 5).
Fargo merchants involved in tourism have seen business from Canada "bottom out" according to the FM Convention and Visitors Bureau (Condon, 1998 p. Al). Canadian occupancy in area hotels and motels is about 5% compared to 15% five years ago when traffic hit its peak. The increase was fueled by the fact that North Dakota opened its stores on Sundays in 1991 and a 7 percent sales tax was implemented in Canada.
Grand Forks Convention and Visitors Bureau plans to advertise the community
more aggressively in Canada. The American dollar is worth about $1.50 in
Canada (Condon. 1998, p. Al).
A drop in Canadian visitors was felt in 1998 in ND parks
("Visits to ND," 1998. p. Al 2). Lewis and Clark State Park which usually
attracts a number of Canadian visitors experienced a 36 percent drop in July,
and Turtle River State Park, west of Grand Forks, reported a 20 percent drop.
In contrast, Lake Metigoshe on the Canadian border posted a 15 percent gain
in visitors, and Lake Sakakawea was up 13 percent in July. Visitation to
ND state parks was up 3 percent in July with a total of 275,730 visitors.
Winnipeg is already advertising the Pan American Games which take place next summer. Billboards and newspaper advertisements have been visible in Fargo in recent months. Consequently, the devalued Canadian dollar not only cuts the number of Canadians visiting our state, but may also cut the number of North Dakotans opting to stay within their own boundaries.
Canadians represented 42 percent of all foreign visitors to the U.S. in 1989, followed by Mexican visitors representing 20 percent (Koth, 1991). Other international visitor totals echoed findings reported by the International Trade Administration seven years later.
International visitors to the US - The International Trade Administration publishes statistics of foreign tourists in the US twice a year. The report, which is available on the ITA web site free of charge, indicates Japanese led the group of visitors to the United States in 1996 (Table 16). They represent 24% of our international visitors, the United Kingdom 14%, and Germany 9%. California is the number one destination followed by Florida, New York, and the Hawaiian Islands. International visitors to North and South Dakota were too few to measure by ITA standards. Minnesota had 266,000 and Montana 48,000 international visitors. The ITA survey does not include visitors from Canada and Mexico. Usually the visitor is traveling with a spouse (35% of them) or a friend or relative (32%). The travel party is made up of only adults (89% of them). They are in the US for leisure and recreation (76%), and 64% of them only visit one state. Most international travelers have been to the US before (68% are repeat visitors), and they average 8 nights in the country (median measurement).
The international visitor spends about $2,000 US dollars enroute to the US
but another $2,000 while here (Table 16). About one
quarter of that total goes toward lodging and one quarter for gifts and
souvenirs. Their favorite pastimes include:
Favorite pastimes of international tourists to the US
| Shopping 93% | Dining in restaurants 82% | Sightseeing in cities 51% |
| Amusement parks 41% | Visiting historic places 36% | Visiting small towns/villages 36% |
| Water sports/sunbathing 36% | Touring the countryside 29% | Touring the countryside 29% |
| Guided tours 26% | Visiting national parks 25% | Culturaneritage sites 24% |
| Art galleries and museums 21% | Nightclubs and dancing 16% | Concerts and plays 15% |
| Casinos and gambling 15% | Golf and tennis 11% | Cruises 9% |
| Attending sports events 8% | Seeing ethnic heritage sites 8% | Visiting American Indian areas 7% |
| Camping and hiking 6% | Ecotourism 4% | Snow skiing 2% |
It is rare to find an international visitor with travelers checks (10%), instead they pay with a credit card 54% of the time or with cash (34%). Usually they are adult male (61%), about 41 years old, whose salary is nearly $77,000 a year (on average in US dollars). One third of the international travelers are professional/technical and nearly that many (27%) are managers/executives.
Consequently, catering to the international traveler is much different than the Canadian or Fargo family that likes low/average cost fun together, outdoors, entertained by music, comedy and sports activities. The foreign visitor is a seasoned traveler, anxious to consume at shops and restaurants and see the bright lights and attractions of the metropolitan areas. What remains to be seen, however, is if rural America packages and promotes itself overseas, will their lists of favorite places change? Will visits to the countryside, villages, Native American communities, and ethnic sties increase?
International travel is America's largest export. In a sense the US is exporting
fun. It ranks ahead of agricultural goods, chemicals and motor vehicles (Koth,
1991).
Public Tourism Survey in Fargo, Summer 1998
A survey of 7,000 people south of 32nd Avenue South in Fargo,
North Dakota, produced an 8.7% return rate. Unlike national (Tourism, 1998)
and international surveys (Table 16), the 808 residents
in and near Fargo who returned the survey, do not place shopping and bird
watching high on their list of things to do while on vacation. Instead, they
said viewing natural scenery is their favorite pastime.
Favorite vacation pastimes:
| Viewing natural scenery 45% | Boating and other water sports 38% |
| Cruising the ocean 32% | Camping 32% |
| Shopping in a unique atmosphere 28% | Family activities such as a water slide, bumper boats, go-carts, and other rides 26% |
| Seeing historic sites 26% | Attending cultural events such as concerts and plays 25.7% |
| Shopping in a mall 23% | Downhill skiing 23% |
The least favorite pastimes may represent activities they haven't done
rather than truly dislike. Many of the activities listed as a response to
dislikes later appeared as activities the respondent would like to try some
time in the future. Parachuting, for instance, received a strong dislike
by 85% of those surveyed, but 15% would like to try it.
Strongly disliked vacation pastime:
| Motorcross/ATVing 59% | Ballooning 59% |
| Motorcycling 55% | Paleontology 51% |
| Hunting 49% | Mountain biking 41% |
| Bird watching 41% | Playing softball 38% |
| Cross country skiing 37% |
After ranking 39 activities, respondents were asked to go back and circle
those activities that they would like to try while on vacation, but just
haven't yet. Those responses showed an interest in adventure sports with
the exception of the most popular interest, going for a cruise on the ocean.
Tourism activities respondents have yet to do, but would like to try:
| Cruise the ocean 33% | Ballooning 26% |
| Ranch stay/cowboy experience 16% | Parachuting 15% |
| Cross country skiing 9% | Canoeing 7% |
| Downhill skiing 6.8% | Horseback riding 6.7% |
| Paleontology/digging for dinosaur bones 6.0% | Hiking 5.2% |
| Snowmobiling 5.0% |
These results may bode well for western North Dakota because they show interest in natural beauty, camping, and unique adventures. According to these results, an ideal trip for a south Fargo resident may be a package vacation that includes lodging and horseback riding on a ranch, a balloon ride over the Badlands and/or National Grasslands, attending a cultural event, boating on Bowman-Haley Lake, and singing around an open campfire at day's end. Certainly there are other possibilities that can be extracted from the survey.
A package should be tailored for a couple, or a family with youngsters if
you want to appeal to the majority of potential tourists from south Fargo.
Of the 808 people who responded to the survey, 13% of the respondents were
single, 43% couples, 30% families with youngsters, and 14% were families
with older children. Filtering can be done to this data in order to determine
the characteristics of the person most interested in parachuting, ballooning,
and other activities. Filtering can help you target your advertising to those
potential tourists who are the most interested.
Similar to national studies, south Fargo respondents say they are taking
shorter vacations. Fourteen percent echo the ABC World News Tonight (1998)
survey, taking 3-4 day vacations.
Length of vacation
| 3-4 days 14% | 5 days 12% |
| 6-7 days 16% | 10 days 12% |
| 14 days 8% | 15-21 days 16% |
| 25-30 days 5% | 34-60 days 3% |
Most say they prefer to pay what they perceive as an average cost for
accommodations and events (71%). Only 26% are looking for bargain prices,
and 3% seek out luxury accommodations. Most people take one or two trips
a year. Twenty-eight percent said one trip; 32% take 2 trips, 18% take 3
trips a year, and 22% listed a variety of other durations.
Two-thirds of the respondents were female, one-third male. Their ages were
evenly divided between three age groups: 20 something, 30 something, and
40 something. Each age group represented about a quarter of the respondents.
The other 25% represented a variety of ages younger and older than the three
dominate age groups.
The favorite vacation spot for those surveyed was the Minnesota takes area.
North Dakota made the top three.
Favorite vacation spot:
| Minnesota lakes area 55% | Minneapolis-St. Paul 38% |
| North Dakota 27% | "Other" 24% |
| Disneyland or Disneyworld 19% | West Coast - US 17% |
| Montana 17% | Colorado 16% |
| South Dakota 14% | Southwest US 13% |
| Mexico 10% | East Coast - US 9% |
| Nevada 7% | Europe 7% |
| Washington, DC 5% |
Of the 636 who indicated they had vacationed in western North Dakota, most were complimentary. Thirty-four percent circled ,excellent" to describe their vacation west of Mandan, ND. Fifty-four percent said it was good; 10% rated it fair and 2% said it was poor. The response was almost even when asked if they would like to receive more vacation information about western ND. Some who said "no," indicated they had already received material from the ND Tourism Department. However, some had no interest.
The last question on the survey was open ended. It asked if the respondent had any suggestions for merchants and community leaders hoping to better serve the traveling public in North Dakota (Appendix 4). The overwhelming response was "advertise!" Those people surveyed appear to be interested in their state, but many do not know what there is to do out west except attend the Medora musical. In fact with a few exceptions, Medora was the only attraction they reacted to. It was as if all of the other towns and activities don't exist! That finding brings us back to their strongest suggestion, market your communities and activities more effectively!
The favorite vacation pastimes of the 808 adults surveyed were:
| Viewing natural scenery 45%** | Boating and other water sports 38%** |
| Reading, relaxing, and other meditating 38%** | Taking an ocean cruise 32% |
| Camping 32%** | Spending time at unique shops 28%* |
| Family activities 26%* | Seeing historic sites 26%* |
| Attending cultural events 26%* | Viewing a sports event 24% |
| Shopping at a mall 23% | Downhill skiing 23% |
**activities commonly available in the tri-county area. *sometimes available.
Activities the same group of respondents indicated they greatly dislike include:
| Paleontology 51%** | Birdwatching 41%* |
| Cross country skiing 37% | Downhill skiing 32% |
| Gambling 31%* | Night clubs/dancing 22%* |
| Native American culture 17% |
Activities the same group said they would like to try while on vacation,
but have not had the opportunity to do so include:
| Cruising the ocean 33% | Ballooning 26% |
| Ranch/cowboy experience 16% | Parachuting 15% |
| Cross country skiing 9% | Canoeing 7%* |
| Horseback riding 7%* | Paleontology 6%* |
| Hiking and mountain biking 5%* |
This illustrates why it is so important to know your market. For instance,
a paleontology dig would not be of major interest to south Fargo residents,
but it may be worth offering elementary and secondary school science teachers,
university researchers, and their paleontology students. At the same time,
many of the most popular pastimes are already available in southwest North
Dakota, but as the respondents indicated, they need to be advertised. Besides
advertising, other enhancements may be considered.
North Dakota Sales for Final Demand* by Region and in the Tourism
Industry in 1996
Area
Tourism
Total
| Region 1 (Northwest -including Williston)
Million $s % of total |
58.4
8.6 |
680.1 100.0 |
| Region 2 (Including Minot) Million $s % of total |
163.5 10.1 |
1,624.5
|
| Region 3 (Including Cavalier/Langdon Million $s % of total |
91.3 10.6 |
859.4 |
| Region 4 (Including Grand Forks) Million $s % of total |
145.3 9.0 |
1,620.4 |
| Region 5 (Including Fargo/W Fargo/Wahpeton Million $s % of total |
194.3 10.1 |
1,921.9 |
| Region 6 (Including Jamestown/V City/Lamoure Million $s % of total |
151.7 11.6 |
1,315.0 |
| Region 7 (Including Bismarck/Mandan Million $s % of total |
179.3 6.5 |
2,770.4 |
| Region 8 (Including Bowman, Hettinger, Medora) Million $s % of total |
77.5 8.1 |
961.2 |
| NORTH DAKOTA Million $s % of total |
1,061.3 9.5 |
11,216.7 |
*Sales for final demand are the activities which lead to a net inflow
of income/wealth from outside the state. Source: Coon and Leistritz. 1997.
Sales for Final Demand by Economic Sector, unpublished data. Department of
Agricultural Economic.
Cass County Population Projections
(Includes Fargo-West Fargo)
Based on 1/3 1980-1990 Migration Rates
Age-Gender Distribution
| 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | ||||
| Age | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female |
| 0-4 | 4106 | 3865 | 3789 | 3566 | 3554 | 3346 |
| 5-9 | 3701 | 3482 | 4069 | 3828 | 3755 | 3532 |
| 10-14 | 3820 | 3691 | 3694 | 3479 | 4061 | 3824 |
| 15-19 | 4976* | 4503* | 4980 | 4392 | 4844 | 4171 |
| 20-24 | 4702 | 4098 | 5125* | 4578* | 5129 | 4465 |
| 25-29 | 4441 | 3855 | 5089* | 4656* | 5628* | 5269* |
| 30-34 | 7896** | 7556** | 4934 | 4322 | 5669* | 5234* |
| 35-39 | 4999* | 4954* | 7066* | 6820* | 4382 | 3876 |
| 40-44 | 3985 | 4286 | 4743 | 4724 | 6704* | 6504* |
| 45-49 | 4177 | 4245 | 3886 | 4275 | 4625 | 4712 |
| 50-54 | 3468 | 3302 | 4076 | 4206 | 3792 | 4235 |
| 55-59 | 2319 | 2333 | 3354 | 3278 | 3941 | 4176 |
| 60-64 | 1661 | 1931 | 2096 | 2282 | 3032 | 3207 |
| 65-69 | 1379 | 1704 | 1464 | 1853 | 1847 | 2190 |
| 70-74 | 1248 | 1610 | 1192 | 1609 | 1266 | 1749 |
| 75-79 | 951 | 1344 | 976 | 1463 | 932 | 1463 |
| 80-84 | 571 | 1051 | 647 | 1154 | 664 | 1257 |
| 85+ | 343 | 1121 | 388 | 1154 | 439 | 1243 |
| Subtotal | 58,743 | 58,931 | 61,568 | 61,639 | 64,264* | 64,453* |
| Total | 117,674 | 123,207 | 128,717* | |||
*denotes highest categories
Reprinted with permission from the source: North Dakota Census Data Center
1993 Report #21
Table 16. Profile of International Leisure Visitors to the US 1996*
| Destinations | % of total | Visitation(000) | Change from '96 to '97 |
| California | 28 | 6,436 | 7.2% |
| Florida | 28 | 6,073 | 6.4% |
| New York | 20 | 5,274 | 9.8% |
| Hawaiian Islands | 14 | 3,073 | 0.5% |
| Nevada | 9.1 | 2,202 | 6.8% |
| Washington, DC | 5 | *** | *** |
| Texas | 4.3 | 1,040 | 6.8% |
| Arizona | 4.0 | 968 | -2.9% |
| Illinois | 4 | 1,137 | -3.5% |
| Colorado | 2 | 532 | -6.0% |
| Minnesota | 1.1 | 266 | -2.1% |
| Montana | .2 | 48 | 6.8% |
| North Dakota | ** | ** | ** |
| South Dakota | ** | ** | ** |
*Excludes visitors from Canada and Mexico
** State visitations estimates not shown are due to low sample size of overseas
visitors
*** Not listed
| Western Europe | 41 |
| United Kingdon | 14 |
| Germany | 9 |
| France | 4 |
| Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland | 2 |
| Spain, Sweden | 1 |
| South America | 11 |
| Brazil | 4 |
| Venezuela, Argentina | 2 |
| Asia | 34 |
| Japan | 24 |
| South Korea | 3 |
| Taiwan | 2 |
| Hong Kong, P.R. of China | 1 |
| Australia | 2 |
| Middle East | 2 |
| Africa | 1 |
Reprinted with permission from source: Tourism Industries, International
Trade Administration. 5/98
Table 16. Continued.
Profile of International Leisure Visitors to the US 1996
|
|
||
| Traveling Alone | 20% | Median | 8 |
| Spouse | 35% | ||
| Family/Relatives | 32% |
|
|
| Friends | 19% | First Time Visitors | 32% |
| Business Associates | 6% | Repeat Visitors | 68% |
| Tour Group | 5% | ||
|
|
||
| Adults Only | 89% | Mean # of Trips | 4.8 |
| Adults and Children | 11% | Median # of Trips | 2.0 |
| Median Party Size | 2 |
|
|
|
One | 64% | |
| Leisure/Recreation/Holiday | 76% | Two | 18% |
| Business/Professional | 7% | Three or More | 18% |
| Visit Friends/Relatives | 10% | ||
| Convention/Conference | 4% |
|
|
| Study/Teaching | 1% | Median | 2 |
|
|
||
| Taxi | 38% | Shopping | 93% |
| Rented Auto | 39% | Dining in Restaurants | 82% |
| Airline in the United States | 30% | Sightseeing in Cities | 51% |
| Private Auto | 24% | Amusement/Theme Parks | 41% |
| City Subway/Bus | 22% | Visit Historical Places | 36% |
| Bus between Cities | 13% | Water Sports/Sunbathing | 36% |
| Railroad between Cities | 7% | Touring the Countryside | 29% |
| Recreational Vehicle | 3% | Guided Tours | 26% |
|
Visit National Parks | 25% | |
| Per Visitor | $4,080 | Cultural/Heritage Sights | 24% |
|
Art Gallery/Museum | 21% | |
| Per Visitor | $2,048 | Nightclub/Dancing | 16% |
| Per Visitor Per Day | $ 209 | Concert/Play/Musical | 15% |
|
Casinos/Gambling | 15% | |
| Lodging | 25% | Golf/Tennis | 11% |
| Gifts & Souvenirs | 24% | Cruises, 1 or more nights | 9% |
| Food/Beverages | 18% | Attend Sport Event | 8% |
| Transportation | 16% | Ethnic Heritage Sights | 8% |
| Entertainment | 9% | Visit Am. Indian Areas | 7% |
| Other | 9% | Camping/Hiking | 6% |
|
Ecotourism | 4% | |
| Credit Cards | 54% | Snow skiing | 2% |
| Cash | 34% | ||
| Travelers Checks | 10% |
|
|
| Debit Cards | 2% | Male Adults | 61% |
| Average Age | 41 years | ||
|
Female Adults | 39% | |
| Professional/Technical | 30% | Average Age | 36 years |
| Manager/Executive | 27% | ||
| Clerical/Sales | 15% |
|
|
| Student | 7% | Average | $76,900 |
| Homemaker | 6% | Median | $63,000 |
| Retired | 6% | ||
| Craftsman/Factory | 4% | ||
| Government/Military | 3% | ||
Reprinted with permission from source: Tourism Industries, International
Trade Administration.5/98
Projected State Tourism Budgets, 1997-98
| 1993 Ranking & State* | Projected Tourism Budget '97-'98 | Change Over Previous Year | |
| 28 | Alabama | 9,177,112 | 32.0% |
| 46 | Alaska | 6,606,655 | -21.0% |
| 10 | Arizona | 8,295,000 | 11.0% |
| 33 | Arkansas | 10,543,950 | 4.0% |
| 1 | California | 12,300,000 | 68.0% |
| 30 | Connecticut | 5,505,585 | 7.0% |
| 2 | Florida | 23,031,990 | 20.0% |
| 9 | Georgia | 7,557,000 | 15.0% |
| 18 | Hawaii | 27,779,570 | -23.0% |
| 41 | Idaho | 4,283,050 | 3.0% |
| 5 | Illinois | 35,336,700 | 8.0% |
| 26 | Indiana | 4,850,000 | 26.0% |
| 32 | Iowa | 4,356,822 | 24.0% |
| 37 | Kansas | 4,254,010 | 13.0% |
| 29 | Kentucky | 6,375,100 | 2.0% |
| 22 | Louisiana | 15,167,390 | 2.0% |
| 40 | Maine | 4,223,000 | 55.0% |
| 21 | Maryland | 8,670,366 | 1.0% |
| 14 | Massachusetts | 17,405,000 | 3.0% |
| 13 | Michigan | 14,794,300 | 34.0% |
| 24 | Minnesota | 9,132,677 | -3.0% |
| 38 | Mississippi | 10,506,300 | -4.0% |
| 16 | Missouri | 13,267,150 | 14.0% |
| 42 | Montana | 6,447,151 | 2.0% |
| 39 | Nebraska | 2,732,100 | 24.0% |
| 6 | Nevada | 9,116,897 | -2.0% |
| 43 | New Hampshire | 3,433,219 | 38.0% |
| 7 | New Jersey | 5,282,000 | -3.0% |
| 36 | New Mexico | 4,769,400 | -9.0% |
| 4 | New York | 18,197,300 | 2.0% |
| 12 | North Carolina | 10,368,480 | 15.0% |
| 50 | NORTH DAKOTA | 2,108,484 | 3.0% |
| 11 | Ohio | 6,500,000 | 2.0% |
| 35 | Oklahoma | 8,835,854 | 23.0% |
| 27 | Oregon | 2,904,425 | 8.0% |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 19,450,000 | 5.0% |
| 51 | Rhode Island | 2,622,530 | 24.0% |
| 23 | South Carolina | 14,617,000 | 1.0% |
| 49 | South Dakota | 4,212,000 | 7.0% |
| 15 | Tennessee | 12,395,700 | -5.0% |
| 3 | Texas | 25,128,660 | 15.0% |
| 34 | Utah | 4,586,750 | 6.0% |
| 47 | Vermont | 5,074,470 | 51.0% |
| 10 | Virginia | 18,322,320 | 5.0% |
| 20 | Washington | 3,181,690 | 4.0% |
| 44 | West Virginia | 8,011,392 | 8.0% |
| 25 | Wisconsin | 11,680,00 | -1.0% |
| 45 | Wyoming | 4,311,552 | 18.0% |
| Total | 78,717,147 | 6.5% |
Reprinted with permission from source: *US Travel Data Center, Washington,
DC Impact of Travel on State
Economics 1993. Travel Industry Association of America, Washington DC State
Tourism Budgets.
Comments made by respondents on the Public Tourism Survey
Question #10: Any suggestions for merchants and community leaders hoping
to better serve the traveling public in North Dakota?
2. No.
8. Clean rest areas, motels and restaurants.
9. Improve accommodations in Medora.
13. Need better method of getting events into the public's hands both on
the local and tourist level.
16. (Medora) better eating facilities such as Embers, Randy's, Denny's, a
sit down non-fast food restaurant.
20. The people in Fargo, I live in this community, drive like maniacs!! Better
law enforcement. 25. Emphasize the awesomeness of the Badlands. Highway rest
areas need improvement especially in numbers.
27. No.
29. No.
36. Increase the Interstate speed limit to match South Dakota (75 mph).
3 7. Think they are doing a great job!
43. Keep up the friendly attitudes!
50. Whatever you do, do it well. If you can't do it well, don't do it at
all. Basic facilities in good shape are better than fancy facilities in poor
shape. Keep things clean. Use the technology if you can to handle it. Emphasize
the low crime rate, then keep it low, then emphasize it again. Keep prices
reasonable. Have gasoline available evenings and weekends.
65. More rest areas.
66. More lodging in Medora.
67. No.
73. 1 think ND does a good job. The main reason we have chosen to vacation
in far away places is that we don't have children yet. When we start our
family, we will spend more time vacationing near home. Of course in the winter
months, it's nice to go away to somewhere warm. 86. Nope. Everything is fine
just the way it is.
87. Air that video with Schafer in it more. It's really good.
91. The end to construction! Fix it during the night or when I'm not on the
road. Put up some trees. When traveling the freeway Wall Drug signs are
tacky!
101. There just isn't much to see in ND but what is here is nice and clean.
102. Advertise.
120. Fair prices, clean facilities.
122. Make sure all employees are well informed about their local area.
125. None.
127. No.
134. Accurate maps and directions.
137. More advertising in local daily newspapers, "Going Places" magazine
mailed free to all addresses at least every 3-6 months.
141. ND needs to pay better wages to its employees, wages from $6-$8 an hour
doesn't cut it! 142. None.
147. Discounts for state residents.
148. Provide more historic awareness.
153. Don't focus so much on the historical sites. Although they're interesting
and one selling point, there are others, biking, hiking, concerts, plays,
etc.
163. No.
166. Get gambling in Medora!
172. Billboards telling which exit the mall's are on and also billboards
for grocery stores, camping. We travel in a motor home and even if we're
not staying in a particular city, we stop at malls and grocery stores as
we travel through.
173. Re-open rest areas, modernize and clean-up.
180. Must do more advertising.
181. We have a great state. Roads, shopping, entertainment are all assets
to our state!
182. Don't over commercialize things. There is great beauty and charisma
in the natural land ND has to offer.
186. Just to let the public know what's available in that area (highlight
the areas of interest)!
188. Communities could publicize their early history, bonanza farming, etc.
190. Not all of us are interested in seeing bison, riding horses, etc. Camping
and hiking are most fun, downhill skiing, etc.
192. More advertising. Ability to have easy accessibility to maps and
campgrounds. Phone numbers to call.
194. 1 don't know yet as we've just purchased a 5" wheel for travel in our
area and have young children! Next year we plan to visit state parks and
Mount Rushmore, all in our area!
195. Put specials in Sunday papers of scenic stuff and hotel specials.
199. Better maps, more advertising.
202. Safe rest stops.
212. Be open Sunday morning. Keep open late in summer, especially holiday
weekends. Advertise ethnic foods and historical products at retail
locations.
218. Advertise events and amenities in newspapers.
220. More and better rest areas, better round signs, more roadside
attractions.
229. Need more "child appropriate" entertainment, i.e., water parks, indoor
playgrounds, zoo with children's section (Baltimore has an excellent one),
outdoor historical sites, etc.
233. Keep prices in line. More camping areas with "very clean facilities"
for those of us that aren't self contained!
241. Develop reasons to stop and market those reasons.
247. Lower gas prices west of Fargo!
250. We like to vacation in ND but usually do it in long weekends or at beginning
or end of longer vacations. The rate at the Badlands Motel was quite
high
254. Make it more fun for younger kids.
258. None.
259. At travel centers a copy of The Forum, home newspapers that truly show
a personal touch and the newspapers from each tourist center which projects
the love of the area.
262. When a person doesn't walk good and when they do go out you are in a
chair, not much to do outdoors. Wish there were more things to do.
263. At age 82 and alone its good to be home.
266. Montana speed limits going from East to West (1-94). Make North
Dakota/Montana "The great American Auto bon." It would attract people from
around the entire country
269. Advertise your services better.
270. Advertise/emphasize.
272. Keep rest stops open and clean, highways are already good. Have related
info available.
274. No, they are doing a pretty good job.
277. My income doesn't include traveling.
288. 1 did my traveling before retiring. Now it's short trips to visit relatives.
290. Advertise more.
292. Small coffee houses and walking trails. Also swimming areas (public)
297. In March I went to Billings, Montana for two weeks, stopped in Medora,
ND and couldn't find a cup of coffee! Nothing open at 11 am!
310. Wayside info more.
317. Places for lodging and also where an RV can stay..
321. None so far. Our vacations normally consist of visiting relatives and
spending time with them and not necessarily doing the "extra" activities.
323. Businesses should be open more hours of day such as open late, open
on Sunday, open after 6 pm Sunday.
324. More fall activities.
329. Channel 4 Bruce Asbury's Trip on a Tank full has done a lot to promote
local tourism among people I know. Something similar makes people aware of
local attractions.
330. Stop pretending every town is a tourist mecca. Stop pretending every
town needs a "Fargo Dome." North Dakota is the way California was when I
was a kid growing up there. I fled California because of what tourism did
to that state. Don't turn the Dakotas into a disaster like California and
Oregon and Washington have become! I love the open country in North Dakota.
Save her beauty from the tourist virus!
333. Do you have enough nice rest stops?
334. None.
339. No.
341. More places to relax at near the places we visit.
345. Get another airline.
353. Nothing at this time.
354. Drop the speed limit during the daytime.
357.Lottery, better rest areas, more than just shopping on eastern part of
state (zoo is great, amusement park, etc.)
401. North Dakota needs a large water slide park.
404. Make fun attractions!!
410. Free lodging. We paid $50 a nite.
414. Doing a great job!
415. None.
419. Have more bus tours.
427. No real suggestions.
431. No.
434. Get out to city people not to eye you like you don't belong there!
436. Advertise your services. I don't know what's out there.
438. No.
439. Be unique.
448. Get rid of tourist trap offenders. Be North Dakotans. Not like
New York cons.
451. We farm and have young children. Not much chance to go on "vacation."
452. Open shops earlier.
453. Need more attractions and better accommodations.
464. More funds for zoo animals. It is an exciting day, always a new adventure
watching animals.
474. Market the Badlands, Teddy Roosevelt National Park.
475. Camping information.
477. Get message out as to what's interesting/fun. I don't see much from
ND.
482. There are no luxury hotels in Minot. Travel from Fargo to Minot was
poor! Bad highways, no good places to stop.
483. Discount packages with travel destination places.
486. Discounts on activities.
508. Cass County tours should be prior to school starting
512. Clean restroom and maintained in parks. restaurants, and vacation spots,
friendly hosts, ticket people, guides, hotel check-in, parking facilities,
information on what to see.
514. Keep up advertising regards to western ND in eastern ND. Too many in
the FM area think this is all there is and nothing else is important! Boo.
516. We drove by signs that said we were driving by the unpainted or painted
canyon and Medora. I wish I knew more about these places. I would like to
see and learn more about ND. Also the Peace Gardens.
518. Promote uniqueness and wide open spaces.
524. More advertising, more info/brochures out there, maybe through the mail.
I really don't know what there is to see in ND.
525. I've been to the Medora musical twice. Once my reservations were lost.
Oh well, I shall return. I think more western ND history should be
highlighted.
529. Past advertise what is there. and when it is going on.
533. Promote Eastern ND and not only Western ND.
534. Get the word out, over 50% of the nation thinks this state is a joke,
publicize that our Badlands are prettier than SD's.
542. More motels in Medora (Day's Inn. Comfort Inn, Select Inn). Reasonable
priced places to stay.
544. Keep prices at a minimum, promote family discounts, (we have a family
of 6) offer coupons
and advertise this.
545. More clubs for dancing for people under 21!!
546. Package discounts.
560. As a family in 1995 we traveled the state of ND and greatly enjoyed
it. Actually surprised at the history and things to see and do.
563. Promote eastern ND, Peace Gardens, and Red River Valley events.
565. They are doing a good job, weather and lack of population hurts the
travel industry.
566. We like amusement centers with go-carts, arcade, water slide, rides
(The Wave at Valley Fair!), mini-golf. Things we can do actively, OUTSIDE,
as a family!
567. Need something to do in Medora between time park tours completed and
beginning of musical.
568. Invite some people to hunt, etc. Make a video of it. They need to promote
the state much better. Try to invite some notable celebrities who might do
an ad for the state, etc. A big undertaking should be commenced to promote
rural towns as summer retirement places.
569. Keep up the good work, advertise! Market the positives.
579. Clean up rest areas. Highway signs.
580. We are new to this area and haven't been to the West and have no idea
if anything is out there besides Medora (just for young children it seems)
and buffalo in Jamestown. I'd enjoy information.
581. Events, festivals that are promoted in the Fargo area.
584. No. They do a good job as it is.
587. Find a way to make everyone more aware of events in each community.
587. More rest stops.
610. No rain.
611. None!
612. Fix the highways. Increase the speed limit on Interstates to 75.
613 Better or more traffic signs. White lines on University need work. Needs
to be more eclectic.
617. The best thing I liked in Bismarck was the Street Fair, but I go to
that now in Fargo.
620. Keeping the prices down so a whole family can enjoy things together
without it costing $100 per event.
625. A pamphlet of Bed and Break-fast locations and activities, cost.
627. Remember the elderly and the handicapped.
633. Stop promoting ND as the place to go where people still ride horseback,
covered wagons and live in "little house on the prairie" houses. Those ads
reinforce the stereotype that we are backwards. Still living in the past,
etc. Old fashioned. What else do we have to offer? How about something
contemporary!
635. 1 get a charge out of signs that say "Try our _________."To me it should
be "Enjoy our_________."
637. Highlight the new and exciting golf courses throughout the state.
649. Offer packages at average rates taking into consideration average to
lower income households (married college students for example).
654. Water slide at Medora!
664. Better camping facilities. It's quite a long drive from Fargo to Medora
with little to do in between. After one full day my family is ready to move
on.
673. A great water park for the kids would be of interest.
674. No.
675. Get a different tourist coordinator for ND.
690. 1 feel everything has already been made readily accessible.
691. Better and more access to private hunting land, everything's posted.
699. I like ND the way it is.
701. Info in hotel rooms, re: finding local services, restaurants, attractions.
How to get there.
costs, etc.
712. Most people in Eastern ND don't know anything of Western ND. Minnesota
is advertised here more than ND!
713. Make sure the rest stops are clean. Some type of rating system of camping
sites in the tourism magazine would be nice.
714. Friendlier, hunter specials, better service.
715. Don't have the Interstate ripped up all summer. Hard to travel that
way.
719. No.
724. More advertising.
732. Make some scenic lakes with trees and wildlife.
734. Make available guest registrations with full information so that future
mailings of ND events can be sent out to help people be aware of what's going
on when in ND.
735. The state has so many things to offer. I just wish more would take advantage
of it. Maybe a better -list of things happening in the state sent to each
home would help.
740. Talk to the small shop owners in MN about how they succeed. ND has to
work twice as hard to get tourists.
741. We have six people in our family, coupons or discounts are always nice.
It's costly to travel as a large family.
743. Quit raising gas prices during tourist seasons. I go to places off the
beaten path to avoid price gouging and crowds!
725. Upgrade the Interstates or at least mark the bumps and holes better.
751. Advertise/ marketing spend money.
754. No.
757. Better advertising. Stress clean air and low crime rate, etc.
763. Advertise more so people know what is in ND to see (in other states
too!).
774. More info at the Chamber!! Discount coupons to some place @ Medora.
775. Weekend packages with air fares for seniors (or almost seniors).
776. Buy Internet yellow pages and listings or web sites from me.
777. Definitely, get the stink out of West Fargo !!!
778. 1 have none. I believe our leaders have provided wisely for the traveling
public. I grew up in Bowman County. I just want more time to go there and
be there. The West is a perfect place to spend quiet time.
779. Be open extended hours for the convenience of travelers. It can be very
hard to find a place to use a restroom!!!
782. More information on campgrounds around the state. More recreational
activities, for example, go-carts, bumper boats, etc. In Minnesota they are
all over.
787. None.
790. Family oriented activity/ranch.
796. Rest areas need work, smelly, gross and dilapidated and very few waste
dump stations available.
800. Plan for parking of large RV's.
820. Rest areas are COLD in the winter/fall months.
830. Make a list or more ATV/snowmobile parks.
833. None.
836. Keep up the good work.
847. Coming back into Fargo traveling East I didn't notice any signs indicating
what was on the various exits, i.e., shopping mall, names of restaurants,
Hardees, Perkins, etc.
850. Need to smile and be friendlier.
854. No.
855. No.
854. Advertise, advertise, advertise.
861. Nope.
865. Advertise well!
866. Just give good service and information.
_____________________
NDSU Extension Service
North Dakota State University