A Case Study in Tourism Development: Na8onal Park Visita8on Pa<erns in the Southwest

Transcription

1 Slide 1 A Case Study in Tourism Development: Na8onal Park Visita8on Pa<erns in the Southwest November 2, 2012 James Orr, Research Coordinator New Mexico Tourism Department

2 Slide 2 Trends in Na+onal Park Visits by State: % 225% 200% 175% 150% Arizona Colorado New Mexico Utah 238% 157% 125% 119% 100% 75% 84% 50% Total Park visits 2011 AZ CO UT NM (in millions) Source: U.S. Na8onal Park Service, h<ps://irma.nps.gov/stats

3 Slide 3 Two Goals of this Study: Why has park visita8on declined in New Mexico? What factors are associated with increased visita8on?

4 Slide 4 Why IS New Mexico Not Doing as Well as our Compe88ve Set?

5 Top 5* Arizona NPS Recrea+onal Visits Slide 5 5,000,000 4,500,000 4,000,000 3,500,000 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 Grand Canyon NP Canyon de Chelly NM Petrified Forest NP Saguaro NP Montezuma Castle NM 1,000, , *Top 5 in 2011 Source: U.S. Na8onal Park Service, h<ps://irma.nps.gov/stats

6 Top 5* Colorado NPS Recrea+onal Visits Slide 6 3,500,000 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 Rocky Mountain NP Mesa Verde NP Colorado NM Great Sand Dunes Black Canyon of the Gunnison 1,000, , *Top 5 in 2011 Source: U.S. Na8onal Park Service, h<ps://irma.nps.gov/stats

7 Top 5* Utah NPS Recrea+onal Visits Slide 7 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 Zion NP 1,500,000 Bryce Canyon NP Arches NP Capitol Reef NP 1,000,000 Cedar Breaks NM 500, *Top 5 in 2011 Source: U.S. Na8onal Park Service, h<ps://irma.nps.gov/stats

8 Top 5* New Mexico NPS Recrea+onal Visits Slide 8 900, , , , , ,000 White Sands NM Carlsbad Caverns NP Bandelier NM Petroglyph NM El Malpais NM 300, ,000 Major fires 100, *Top 5 in 2011 Source: U.S. Na8onal Park Service, h<ps://irma.nps.gov/stats

9 Slide 9 Why is New Mexico the only State with Lower Visits at its Biggest Parks?

10 Routes to Carlsbad Caverns Pre & Post- Interstate: US 180 vs. I- 20 Slide 10 h<p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/u.s._route_180 US 180 was replaced in Texas by Interstates 20 and Interstate 10 h<p:// 1976: Interstate 20 is nearly complete. Large gaps remain in Interstate 10 h<p:// A substan8al amount of work remained to be done on I- 10 in west Texas. Work con8nued in the 1970s and into the 1980s, with comple8on of the final link at Fort Stockton in May 1983

11 Slide 11 Carlsbad Caverns Interstate Effect? (visits 1950 through 2011) 900,000 I- 20 completed 1980, I , , , , , , , ,000 Proximity to nearest Interstate: Miles Minutes Grand Canyon Rocky Mtn Zion Carlsbad Caverns Source: U.S. Na8onal Park Service, h<ps://irma.nps.gov/stats

12 Slide 12 Arizona Interstate Effect? (visits to top three Arizona NPS parks* 1950 through 2011) 5,000,000 4,500,000 4,000,000 3,500,000 Proximity to nearest Interstate: Miles Minutes Canyon de Chelly Grand Canyon Saguaro ,000,000 2,500,000 2,000, , I- 40 completed Canyon de Chelly Grand Canyon Saguaro 1,500,000 1,000, , *Top 3 in 2011 Source: U.S. Na8onal Park Service, h<ps://irma.nps.gov/stats

13 Slide 13 Utah Interstate Effect? (Visits to top three Utah NPS parks* 1950 through 2011) 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 Proximity to nearest Interstate: Miles Minutes Arches NP Zion NP Bryce Canyon NP ,500, , I- 15 completed 1982, I- 70 completed Arches Zion Bryce Canyon 1,000, , *Top 3 in 2011 Source: U.S. Na8onal Park Service, h<ps://irma.nps.gov/stats

14 Slide 14 Plus, a Las Vegas Effect? (visits to Las Vegas 1970 through 2011) 45,000,000 40,000,000 38,928,708 35,000,000 30,000,000 25,000,000 20,000,000 15,000,000 10,000,000 5,000,000 6,787, Source: Las Vegas Conven8on and Visitors Authority

15 Zion & Las Vegas Visitor Growth (1970 through 2011) Slide % 574% 500% Miles Minutes Las Vegas to Zion % 313% 300% Las Vegas Zion NP 200% 100% At Zion, traffic conges8on in the narrow canyon was recognized as a major problem in the 1990s and a public transporta8on system using propane- powered shu<le buses was ins8tuted in the year 2000 * In a 2006 Zion NPS survey, Las Vegas was the #1 place visitors stayed overnight before and ater leaving the park** 0% * h<p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/zion_na8onal_park **Zion Na8onal Park Visitor Study Summer and Fall 2006, University of Idaho Park Studies Unit, Visitor Services Project, Report 183 Sources for chart: Las Vegas Conven8on and Visitors Authority & NPS

16 Slide 16 The Grand Canyon & Las Vegas Findings from a 2005 study*: Las Vegas is the #1 community visited in conjunc8on with Grand Canyon Na8onal Park for travelers on I- 40 and US 89 (p. 5) Almost as many Grand Canyon visitors flew into Las Vegas as Phoenix (37.5% vs. 44.3%) (p. 3) Las Vegas is a major feeder market for the Grand Canyon (p. 4) *Grand Canyon Na8onal Park & Northern Arizona Tourism Study, Final Report 565, May 2005, Arizona Department of Transporta8on

17 Slide 17 Conclusions New Mexico park visita8on has suffered because its largest parks declined. Although the smaller parks have grown, their visita8on numbers are too small to change that trajectory. Rerou8ng traffic to the Interstates from US 180 and US 70 hurt Carlsbad Caverns in par8cular, and White Sands to a smaller degree (WS is closer to major routes). Bandalier? The combined effect of Interstate development and spill over from Las Vegas led to major boosts in visits to Zion and the Grand Canyon. (Grand Canyon NP now makes up 51% of all visits to Arizona s 19 NPS proper8es (it was 40% in 1979) Overall, Interstates have greatly improved access to most Utah parks and visita8on has grown. The impact on Colorado appears to be mostly neutral.

18 Slide 18 So if your des8na8on is not near an Interstate or big tourist a<rac8on, are you doomed? NO!

19 The Case of Big Bend: Slide 19 Proximity to nearest Interstate*: Miles Minutes Guadalupe NP Big Bend NP Carlsbad Caverns NP *Guadalupe - from Van Horn, Tx I- 10 Big Bend - from Ft. Stockton, Tx I- 10 to US 385 Park Route 12 junc8on Carlsbad Caverns from Pecos, Tx I- 10

20 Carlsbad Caverns and West Texas Park Visits: Slide , , , , , , , , ,000 0 Guadalupe NP Big Bend NP Carlsbad Caverns NP Source: U.S. Na8onal Park Service, h<ps://irma.nps.gov/stats

21 What s Happening at Big Bend? Slide 21

22 Slide 22 Brewster County Sites:

23 Slide 23 How Big Bend Became a Des8na8on Promo%onal Synergies: the Big Bend region is promoted at the County level (visitbigbend.com), by the State (Texas State parks), at the Federal level (Big Bend Na8onal Park), and by Non- profits such as the Friends of Big Bend Na8onal Park (bigbendfriends.org) & the Chili Apprecia8on Socie8es ( Product Development: Events have been created and promoted by non- profits (such as the Big Bend Ultra Run bigbend50.com (10k to 50k runs), the Terlingua Interna8onal Chili Championships, and the Marathon to Marathon run). These types of events draw rela8vely affluent visitors. More businesses and homes have been built as the area develops. Product Development II: Big Bend Ranch State Park just west of Big Bend Park was established in 1988, the 300,000 acre promotes all sorts of outdoor recrea8on and has become another a<rac8on for the area.

24 Takeaways Slide 24 A nearby visitor magnet does wonders. (Las Vegas as a major feeder to Zion and the Grand Canyon). Are there poten8al visitor magnets on the horizon for New Mexico? Product development is at least as important as promo%on. Adver8sing is not sufficient if product isn t there. Think regionally, not locally, partner with other en%%es to create a des%na%on for visitors. As broad a range of things to see and do as possible. Local, grass roots organiza%ons can be key to successful tourism development. Non- profit Friends of type groups can be key players in developing product and promo8ng a<rac8ons (Friends of Big Bend NP, Friends of the Bosque). Create your own unique events such as compe%%ve spor%ng events to adract both publicity and high- end visitors. (Big Bend Ultra Run and Marathon to Marathon. Hawaii is a mecca for extreme sports Ultraman, Iron man, etc.)

25 Slide 25 Appendix Na8onal Parks included in this analysis: Interstate Comple+on Dates: NM: I I AZ: I CO: I I (Glenwood Canyon) TX: I I ? (nearly complete in Arizona Grand Canyon NP Canyon de Chelly NM Petrified Forest NP Saguaro NP Montezuma Castle NM Wupatki NM Organ Pipe Cactus NM Sunset Crater Volcano NM Coronado NMEM Walnut Canyon NM Tuzigoot NM Hubbell Trading Post NHS Navajo NM Casa Grande Ruins NM Pipe Spring NM Tonto NM Chiricahua NM Tumacacori NHP Fort Bowie NHS Colorado Rocky Mountain NP Mesa Verde NP Colorado NM Great Sand Dunes Black Canyon of the Gunnison Dinosaur NM Florissant Fossil Beds NM Bent's Old Fort NHS Hovenweep NM Sand Creek Massacre NHS UT: 1976) I (4 lanes) I reasonably intact probably late 1970 s New Mexico White Sands NM Carlsbad Caverns NP Bandelier NM Petroglyph NM El Malpais NM El Morro NM Capulin Volcano NM Pecos NHP Aztec Ruins NM Chaco Culture NHP Salinas Pueblo Missions NM Gila Cliff Dwellings NM Fort Union NM Utah Zion NP Bryce Canyon NP Arches NP Capitol Reef NP Cedar Breaks NM Canyonlands NP Timpanogos Cave NM Rainbow Bridge NM Natural Bridges NM Dinosaur NM Golden Spike NHS Hovenweep NM