Shuttles in Wonderland: Assessing the Perceived Impact to Residents’ Quality of Life Based on the Proposed Implementation of a Voluntary Shuttle System in West Yellowstone, MT

As visitation to the national parks across the United States continues to increase, more and more park service units are exploring the possibility of implementing alternative forms of transportation to help mitigate some of the negative side effects associated with vehicle-related congestion issues. Although research efforts have examined the role of alternative transportation systems (ATS) in helping to improve the visitor experience in the national parks, fewer research efforts have focused on the impacts of these transportation systems on the affiliated gateway community, particularly with respect to the perceived impacts an ATS may have on quality of life in gateway communities. Using West Yellowstone as a case study, this research aimed to address the gap in understanding residents’ current perceptions of the community’s quality of life (QOL), but more precisely, understanding how a hypothetically proposed form of tourism development (a voluntary shuttle system) could impact perceptions of QOL. Results show that characteristics of West Yellowstone’s community that contribute to a high QOL are environmental factors like clean air, clean water, and opportunities for outdoor recreation. Conversely, residents expressed concerns over the lack of affordable housing within their community. When assessing the perceived impact a shuttle system would have on their QOL, residents felt that it would enhance several characteristics of their community that were already contributing to a high QOL while exacerbating fewer, yet highly important issues that were detracting from it. Overall, residents displayed tepid support for the concept of a shuttle system that would originate within their community. Rather, residents wished to focus on issues that were currently detracting from their QOL, such as the lack of affordable housing in their community. It is recommended that the idea of a shuttle system that originates within the town of West Yellowstone be pursued with caution until more pressing social and economic issues are handled first, if a shuttle system is to be pursued at all

Garden City Brewfest 2018 - Survey Kit

This study was conducted for the Downtown Missoula Partnership to provide insight into the characteristics of attendees of the 2018 Garden City Brewfest. Paper surveys on site were completed by 393 attendees of the event. Results show that residents of Montana made up 87% of the respondents and of those Montana residents, 84% were from Missoula County. Out-of-county respondents spent an average of 2.69 nights away from home. Of those nights, an average of 3.17 were in Missoula. Hotel/motel/bed & breakfast purchases received the highest total dollars spent during the event. Respondents to the survey reported total spending of $49,106.00 in Missoula County. Results provide event organizers and the Downtown Missoula Partnership with useful data for future event planning, making improvements to the event, event marketing/promotion, and understanding the visitor spending associated with the event

Downtown ToNight 2018 - Survey Kit

This study was conducted for the Downtown Missoula Partnership to provide insight into the characteristics of attendees of Downtown ToNight 2018. Paper surveys on site were completed by 577attendees of the event. Results show that residents of Montana made up 82% of the respondents and of those Montana residents, 93% were from Missoula County. Out-of-county respondents spent an average of 5.62 nights away from home. Of those nights, an average of 5.31 were in Missoula. Hotel/motel/bed & breakfast purchases received the highest total dollars spent during the event. Respondents to the survey reported total spending of $112,985 in Missoula County. Results provide event organizers and the Downtown Missoula Partnership with useful data for future event planning, making improvements to the event, event marketing/promotion, and understanding the visitor spending associated with the event

Montana Resident Travel Trend: 4th of July, 2021

A summary of Montana residents\u27 travel plans for 4th of July, 202

Blackfoot Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild 2018

This study was conducted by Blackfoot Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild and for the Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development to provide insight into the characteristics of attendees to the 2018 event. Paper surveys on site were completed by 397 attendees. Results show that 71% of respondents were residents of Montana and of those Montana residents, 96% were from outside of Lincoln. Out-of-town respondents spent an average of 3.05 nights away from home. Of those nights, an average of 2.08 of those nights were in the town of Lincoln. Restaurant and Bar purchases received the highest total dollars spent among any category during their time in Lincoln. Respondents to the survey reported a total spending of $36,633 in the Lincoln area. Results provide site organizers, the Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development, and the Lincoln community with useful data for future planning, making improvements to the site, event marketing/promotion, and understanding the visitor spending associated with the event

Montana Residents\u27 Perceptions of Visitors\u27 Behaviors: The Summer of 2020 Compared to Years Past

This report is a summary of Montana residents’ perceptions concerning visitors’ behavior prior to and during the summer of the 2020 pandemic. Data were collected from October 1st to November 7th of 2020. As a result of the pandemic, the number of people participating in outdoor recreation in certain parts of the country has increased significantly, with surrounding national parks like Yellowstone and Glacier experiencing record visitation counts throughout the summer and fall. The pandemic has dramatically changed travel and tourism patterns in the state, with visitors flocking to Montana to enjoy the wide expanse of recreational opportunities. Anecdotal evidence from tourism partners suggested that visitors to the state were different this year, and residents appeared less enthusiastic about them being in Montana. This study was conducted to determine if residents’ perceptions about visitors’ behaviors have changed when comparing the summer of 2020 to years past

Out to Lunch 2018 - Survey Kit

This study was conducted for the Downtown Missoula Partnership to provide insight into the characteristics of attendees of Out to Lunch 2018. Paper surveys on site were completed by 516 attendees of the event. Results show that residents of Montana made up 82% of the respondents and of those Montana residents, 92% were from Missoula County. Out-of-county respondents spent an average of 6.13 nights away from home. Of those nights, an average of 6.18 were in Missoula. Hotel/motel/bed & breakfast purchases received the highest total dollars spent during the event. Respondents to the survey reported total spending of $70,965 in Missoula County. Results provide event organizers and the Downtown Missoula Partnership with useful data for future event planning, making improvements to the event, event marketing/promotion, and understanding the visitor spending associated with the event

Montana Resident Travel Trend: Memorial Day Weekend, 2021

A summary of residents\u27 travel plans for Memorial Day Weekend, 202

The Montana Expression 2021: Resident Employment, Relocation, and Outdoor Recreation during COVID-19

This report is a summary of Montana residents and their self-reported use of public lands and waterways during 2020 compared to previous years. Data were collected from January 1st to March 31st of 2021. As a result of the pandemic, the number of people participating in outdoor recreation in certain parts of the country increased significantly – Montana being one of those places. Public lands and waterways, like state and federally managed parks, reported record visitation numbers for some months of 2020. In addition, anecdotal reports from public land managers and tourism partners also suggests that the level of use on public lands and waterways for 2020 was higher than in previous years. This study was conducted to determine if residents’ perceptions about their personal public land and waterway use has changed when comparing their self-reported use in 2020 to 2019

Montana Dragon Boat Festival 2018

This study was conducted for the Kalispell Conventions and Visitor Bureau, to provide insight into the characteristics of attendees of the 2018 Montana Dragon Boat Festival. Paper surveys on site and a post-event web survey were completed by 397 attendees and/or participants of the event. Results show that 60% of respondents were residents of Montana and of those Montana residents, 49% were from Flathead County. Out-of-county respondents spent an average of 3.90 nights away from home. Of those nights, an average of 2.87 of those nights were in the city of Kalispell and 2.76 nights in other Flathead Valley locations (outside of Kalispell). Hotel/motel/bed & breakfast/rental property purchases received the highest total dollars spent during the event of any spending category. Respondents to the survey reported a total spending of $165,943 in the Flathead County area. Results provide event organizers and the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Bureau with useful data for future event planning, making improvements to the event, event marketing/promotion, and understanding the visitor spending associated with the event