Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research - Marketing and Economics Reports

Marketing and Economics Reports

All reports on this site are downloadable for no charge. Costs associated with each report pertain to hard copies ordered directly from ITRR and do not apply to downloaded information.

Montana Travel Regions and Counties

TCR 2008-1
Designated Market Areas: Using Zip Codes as a Marketing Tool
(instructions to download and print the file)
Author: Melissa Bruns-Dubois
February 2008, 48 pp., $15.00
This report converts zip codes of nonresident visitors to Montana into 210 Designated Market Areas and provides an investigation of four population segments. The first analysis looks at DMA representation divided by visitors’ primary reason for being in Montana with vacationers as the primary focus. The second section looks at repeat and first time vacationers to Montana while the third subset explores visitors who indicated that at least one reason for their trip to Montana was to either purchase property or visit a second home or condo. Finally, the zip codes of vacationers who spent at least one night in a selected travel region or CVB county were chosen for further analysis.

TCR 2003-2
Designated Marketing Areas: Using Zip Codes as a Marketing Tool
(instructions to download and print the file)
Author: Norma Nickerson
July 2003, 31 pp., $12.00
This report converts zip codes of nonresident visitors to Montana as well as all visitors to each of the six Montana travel regions into the 211 Designated Marketing Areas of the United States. An analysis of successful existing markets and opportunity markets is provided.

RR 2003-10
Attraction Visitors in Custer Country Travel Region
(instructions to download and print the file)
Authors: Norma Nickerson, Bethany Sutton, Jim Wilton
May 2003, 25pp., $10.00
The analysis of visitors to attractions in Custer Country provides reasons for visiting the region, activities engaged in, attractions visited, information sources, and demographic profiles of the travel group. Marketing suggestions are provided based on visitor profiles.

RR 2003-9
Attraction Visitors in Missouri River Country Travel Region
(instructions to download and print the file)
Authors: Norma Nickerson, Bethany Sutton, Jim Wilton
May 2003, 24pp., $10.00
The analysis of visitors to attractions in Missouri River Country provides reasons for visiting the region, activities engaged in, attractions visited, information sources, and demographic profiles of the travel group. Marketing suggestions are provided based on visitor profiles.

RR 2003-8
Attraction Visitors in Gold West Country Travel Region
(instructions to download and print the file)
Authors: Norma Nickerson, Bethany Sutton, Jim Wilton
May 2003, 24pp., $10.00
The analysis of visitors to attractions in Gold West Country provides reasons for visiting the region, activities engaged in, attractions visited, information sources, and demographic profiles of the travel group. Marketing suggestions are provided based on visitor profiles.

RR 2003-7
Attraction Visitors in Russell Country Travel Region
(instructions to download and print the file)
Authors: Norma Nickerson, Bethany Sutton
April 2003, 23pp., $10.00
The analysis of visitors to attractions in Russell Country provides reasons for visiting the region, activities engaged in, attractions visited, information sources, and demographic profiles of the travel group. Marketing suggestions are provided based on visitor profiles.

RR 2003-6
Attraction Visitors in Glacier Country Travel Region
(instructions to download and print the file)
Authors: Norma Nickerson, Bethany Sutton
March 2003, 22pp., $10.00
The analysis of visitors to attractions in Glacier Country provides reasons for visiting the region, activities engaged in, attractions visited, information sources, and demographic profiles of the travel group. Marketing suggestions are provided based on visitor profiles.

RR 2003-5
Attraction Visitors in Yellowstone Country Travel Region
(instructions to download and print the file)
Authors: Norma Nickerson, Bethany Sutton
March 2003, 22pp., $10.00
The analysis of visitors to attractions in Yellowstone Country provides reasons for visiting the region, activities engaged in, attractions visited, information sources, and demographic profiles of the travel group. Marketing suggestions are provided based on visitor profiles.

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Marketing Research

RR 2006-4
Visitor Profile of Snowcoach Passengers in West Yellowstone, Montana
(instructions to download and print the file)
Authors: Norma Nickerson, Robert Dvorak, James Wilton
August 2006, 23pp., $10.00
This report profiles the West Yellowstone snowcoach passenger into Yellowstone National Park during the winters of 2005 and 2006. Passengers who spent a night in West Yellowstone generally live within a one-day drive of West Yellowstone while passengers not spending a night in the area are skiing at Big Sky with a one day snowcoach trip. Suggested marketing ideas are provided.

TCR 98-6
Expenditure Profiles and Marketing Responsiveness of Nonresident Visitor Groups to Montana
(instructions to download and print the file 'expends.pdf', 620 KB)
Authors: Kim McMahon and Kristin Aldred Cheek
September 1998, 71 pp., $18.00
Provides expenditure characteristics of nonresident visitors in Montana during the summer, winter, and shoulder seasons. Examines total expenditures by groups as well as distribution of expenditures by sector of spending. Travel groups are characterized by season of visit, primary reason for trip to Montana, area of travel groups residence, and primary recreation attraction to Montana. Also explores the issue of marketing responsiveness and provides a discussion on which groups are most likely to respond to promotional marketing and why.

RR 59
Winter Nonresident Travelers to Montana: Profiles and Characteristics
(instructions to download and print)
Authors: Kim McMahon, Kristin Aldred Cheek, Rita Black
August 1998, 80 pp., $19.00
Provides characteristics of winter travel groups to Montana during winter 1997-98 in terms of purposes of trip, attractions to the state, activity participation, expenditures, information sources, and other valuable information. The last section of the report contains winter travel marketing suggestions for the state.

RR39
Characteristics of Inquirers to Travel Montana Advertisements
Authors: Brian Maiorano and Nancy Lee Menning
January 1995, 48 pp., $15.00
Examines characteristics of inquirers to Travel Montana's spring/summer 1994 media campaign. Inquirers from various media were compared with respect to visitation rates, advertising costs associated with visits, group expenditures, length of stay in Montana, competitor destinations visited, and, for a subset of inquirers, the activities participated in and the benefits sought during their visit to Montana.

RR34
Winter Marketing Initiative: Missoula Convention and Visitors Bureau
Phase One: Focus Group Results
Authors: Justin Harris and Nancy Lee Menning
May 1994, 15 pp., $9.00
Presents concerns and preferences of Missoula businesses for winter markets as well as their perceptions of the Missoula Convention and Visitors Bureau and Chamber of Commerce.

RR31
Montana's Image as a Tourism Destination
Authors: Michael D. Reilly, Norman L. Millikin, and Kevin M. Lintner
August 1993, 59 pp., $15.00
Compares images of Montana held by residents of the midwestern and western United States and three Canadian provinces. Changes in images between 1984 and 1992 are portrayed. Examines Montana's competitive position as compared with other Rocky Mountain destinations.

RR28
Exploring the Potential for Tourism to the Pacific Northwest Region from California: An Executive Summary
Author: Angus Reid Group, Inc., Calgary, Alberta
June 1993, 22 pp., $10.00
Provides information useful to target the California travel market including: demographic profiles, desired travel experiences, the current competitive situation for the Pacific Northwest, and ideas for effectively reaching the California market.

RR25
Ski Destination Selection and Images of Montana:
A Study of Inquirers to the 1991-92 Ski Advertising Campaign
Authors: Nancy Lee Menning and James F. Richards
August 1992, 32 pp., $12.00
Evaluates the magazine advertising component of Travel Montana's
1991-92 ski campaign. Conversion rates, skier demographics, ski trip characteristics, information use patterns, and images of Montana are presented.

Trends and Economic Impacts

RR 2007-4
Missoula Marathon: Participant Study
(instructions to download and print)
Author: Christine Oschell, Norma Nickerson, Melissa Dubois
August 2007, 89pp., $20.00
The purpose of this study was to provide the organizers of the first Missoula Marathon with an understanding of their race participants and the total money spent in Missoula.

RR 2007-3
The Changing Structure of Montana's Economy: What is Tourism's Place?
(instructions to download and print)
Author: Kara Grau
July 2007, 41pp., $14.00
This report looks at how the economy of Montana and the entire Mountain West has been changing since the 1970s. Extractive natural resource industries are no longer as important to the economy as they may once have been. Other industries, services in particular, have become relatively more important in terms of employment and earnings in the state. Nonresident travel accounts for 7.5% of total employment (over 45,900 jobs) in Montana. While some may view nonresident travel as insignificant or completely unrelated to what happens in the rest of Montana’s economy, nonresident travel contributes jobs to every industrial sector, directly or indirectly. For example, 12.5% of jobs in service industries are attributable to nonresident travel in Montana. Likewise for 11.6% of wholesale trade, 10.3% of retail trade, 8.4% of transportation and warehousing, and 4.5% of real estate and rental and leasing.

RR 2002-11
An Economic Impact Assessment of the American Bowling Congress Tournament in Billings, 2002
(instructions to download and print the file 'Tourism Wages.pdf', 33 KB)
Author: Thale Dillon
October 2002, 27pp., $12.00
Findings discussed in this report include geographic residences of participants, group size and average length of stay, type of accommodations used, mode of transportation used in travel to Billings, parts of Montana visited outside Billings and participants' spending patterns. It also provides an account of the ABC Tournament's economic impact on Yellowstone County and an assessment of the impact on areas beyond the host city.

TR 2000-1
Employment and Wages: The Travel Industry in Montana
(instructions to download and print the file 'Tourism Wages.pdf', 33 KB)
Author: Thale Dillon
July 2000, 8 pp., $9.00
This reports provides up-to-date information in order to explain some of the concerns regarding issues of employment and wages in Montana's travel industry as well as to serve as an update for ITRR's Research Note 22, Jobs & Wages: The Tourism Industry Dilemma, published in 1995.

RR 75
Regional Nonresident Spending in Montana
(instructions to download and print the file 'regspend.pdf', 200 KB)
Author: Kim McMahon
March 2000, 58 pp., $16.00
Analysis of 1998 nonresident travel spending in Montana for the counties of Cascade, Custer, Flathead, Gallatin, Lewis and Clark, Missoula, Richland, Silver Bow and Yellowstone. Also includes analysis of spending in Great Falls, Miles City, Kalispell, Bozeman, Helena, Missoula, Sidney, Butte, and Billings. Data includes total spending, distribution of spending by sector, length of stay in Montana, per capita spending, and summer trip characteristics of visitor age, travel group type, accommodations used, and visitor origin for each geographical location.

RR 67
Rock 'n Roll Daze 1999: Visitor Characteristics and Expenditure Study
(full impact report or view and print the impact summary)
Authors: Michael A. Hamley and Norma P. Nickerson
September 1999, 45 pp., $15.00
Provides expenditure characteristics, economic impacts, and visitor characteristics of attendees to the 1999 Rock 'n Roll Daze event in Missoula, Montana. Areas of examination include demographics, satisfaction levels, reasons for attending, and expenditures by attendees to Rock 'n Roll Daze 1999, a music and cultural festival celebrating the 1950s and 1960s.

RR 65
Missoula Case Study: Direct Impact of Visitor Spending on a Local Economy
(instructions to download and print the full report or view and print the report summary)
Authors: Al Ellard, Kristin Aldred Cheek, and Norma P. Nickerson
April 1999, 20 pp., $10.00
A case study of direct spending impacts on a local economy using secondary sources of information, including Travel and Tourism Satellit Accounts.

TCR 98-5
Economic Impacts of Going-to-the-Sun Road Reconstruction: Montana and "Glacier Area" Impacts
(instructions to download and print the full impact report or view and print the impact summary)
Authors: Norma P. Nickerson, Ph.D. and Ross E. Nickerson
June 1998, 16 pp., $9.00
Estimates the potential economic impact of various reconstruction alternatives of the Going-to-the-Sun road in Glacier National Park. This study provides the information needed to make an informed decision about the alternative choices. Analysis of secondary data on Glacier National Park, vehicle movement in the park, and other travel statistics.

TCR 98-4
Preliminary Study of Resident-Nonresident Proportions in Montana Accommodations: Methodological Attempts (instructions to download and print the file 'accom.pdf', 75 KB)
Authors: Kim McMahon and Norma Nickerson, June 1998, 12 pp., $9.00
Describes methodological attempts to establish portions of statewide Accommodation Facility Use Taxes paid by residents and nonresidents.

TCR 98-2
Nonresident Travel in Montana: Putting the Numbers into Context
(instructions to download and print the full report or view and print the impact summary)
Authors: Kristin Aldred Cheek and Rita J. Black June 1998, 25 pp., $10.00
Provides estimates of nonresident travel's income, employment, and tax impacts to the state of Montana. Data are presented for 1991 through 1996. Includes discussion of nonresident travel's role in Montana's economy, and as it relates to other industries.

TCR97-1
Economic Impact of Convention and Meetings to Montana: Methodological Attempts (instructions to download and print the file 'TCT971.pdf', 28 KB)
Authors: Rita J. Black and Paul L. Grant.
May 1997, 8 pp., $9.00
Outlines the attempt to replicate a study in Montana orginally conducted nationally. The study was not completed because of an inability to obtain cooperation from the conference associations and hotel properties. This report explains the methodology and the difficulties encountered during the study attempt.

OUTLOOK96
The 1996 Outlook for Travel and Tourism in Montana (instructions to download and print the file 'otlook96.pdf', 38 KB)
Authors: Norma Polovitz Nickerson and Neal A. Christensen
January 1996, 8 pp., $9.00
Summarizes Montana's 1995 performance and offers projections for 1996 in travel, tourism, and recreation. Produced for the annual Economic Outlook Seminar series sponsored by The University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research. [Outlook reports for 1991 through 1994, authored by Stephen F. McCool, and 1995 authored by Nancy Lee Menning are also available from ITRR.]

RN22
Jobs & Wages: The Tourism Industry Dilemma (instructions to download and print the file 'wages.pdf', 36 KB)
Authors: Neal A. Christensen and Norma Polovitz Nickerson
December 1995, 11 pp., $9.00
Designed to provide background information for the debate about the merits of tourism-related employment. This report utilizes a combination of primary and secondary data along with IMPLAN analysis to describe the structure of tourism jobs throughout the Montana economy and to make some comparisons with other industries.

RN21
Nonresident Travel to Montana: 1991-1994
Authors: Neal A. Christensen, Nancy Lee Menning, and Neil Moisey
January 1995, 8 pp., $9.00
Presents estimates of the economic impacts of nonresident travel on Montana's economy from 1991 to 1994. The number of travelers, average daily group expenditures, and total direct expenditures are displayed. Payroll income and jobs supported by tourism are also estimated.

WAGES93
Montana Travel Industry Wage Study
Authors: James T. Sylvester, Susan Selig Wallwork, and Paul E. Polzin
June 1993, 10 pp., $9.00
Estimates Montana travel industry wages and incomes derived from a survey of businesses throughout the state.

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Ordering Instructions

To order publications, send a request by e-mail to itrr@forestry.umt.edu, or by regular mail to the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research, 32 Campus Drive #1234, Missoula, MT 59812-1234. Include the publication number(s) that are listed in bold at the beginning of each description and enclose payment for the documents as listed. You can also call us with your request. Our telephone number is (406) 243-5686.

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