Andereck, Kathleen L.

Arizona State University

FHWA-AZ-12-686-1

Organization Info

Arizona

779923052

Final report.

Arizona. Dept. of Transportation

NTL-PLANNING AND POLICY-PLANNING AND POLICY ; NTL-PLANNING AND POLICY-Public Participation and Outreach ; NTL-REFERENCES AND DIRECTORIES-History ;

The purpose of this study was to: 1) examine the effect of Arizona Highways Magazine (AHM) on tourism, 2) determine trip characteristics of AHM subscribers traveling in Arizona, and 3) calculate a benefit/cost ratio for AHM based on the magazine’s cost and revenues as well as the value-added economic impact. Findings suggest that: -AHM subscribers are demographically similar to other people with an interest in Arizona as a travel destination with the exception of age and related variables: AHM subscribers are older. -A very high percentage of AHM subscribers have taken trips in Arizona over the past five years, with many visiting multiple times. Most out-of-state subscribers stay for one to two weeks when they visit, most often traveling with a spouse or partner. -Subscribers use AHM fairly extensively as a source of travel information. -About 29 percent of out-of-state subscribers who visited in the past five years indicated that AHM influenced them to visit Arizona on their most recent trip. -In addition to its influence on visitors’ decision to select Arizona as a destination, the magazine especially influenced decisions related to specific destinations or attractions and choices regarding travel routes. -Subscribers have spent an average of over $195.2 million on travel annually over the past five years, and $41.5 million of those expenditures can be directly attributed to AHM and its influence on the travel behavior of out-of-state subscribers. This amounts to a benefit/cost ratio 7.8 to 1 at the very least.

PDF

SPR-PL 1 (175)

US Transportation Collection