Northern Arizona University

VISITOR SURVEYS

Visitor surveys are essential tools to help communities understand who their visitors are and how to improve the visitor experience or attract additional visitors. Visitor surveys collect information from a sample of visitors, and are typically conducted over a 12-month period to account for seasonal variations in visitation patterns. Standard survey categories include: visitor origins, travel patterns, party characteristics, demographics, satisfaction, and expenditure patterns. The findings provide baseline data to assist with planning and product development, target marketing, ad placements, and visitor segmentation. A short intercept survey is often followed up by a longer mailback survey to collect all the data needed for analysis. AHRRC surveys are conducted using Teleform® scanning software to provide rapid data capture and analysis. For an example, see the 2005 Grand Canyon Visitor Survey.

CONTACT
INFORMATION

Cheryl Cothran, Ph.D.
Phone: 928-523-2132
Fax: 928-523-5233
PO Box 6024
Flagstaff, AZ  86011-6024
Cheryl.Cothran@nau.edu

Thomas Combrink, M.S.
Phone: 928-523-2132
Fax: 928-523-5233
PO Box 6024
Flagstaff, AZ  86011-6024
Thomas.Combrink@nau.edu

Tourism Research
Phone: 928-523-6205
Fax: 928-523-5233
PO Box 6024
Flagstaff, AZ  86011-6024
Tourism.Research@nau.edu