World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument Ticketing System Study Spring 2011
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument Ticketing System Study Spring 2011 World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument Ticketing System Study Spring 2011 Yen Le Nancy C. Holmes Steven Hollenhorst Visitor Services Project Park Studies Unit University of Idaho Moscow, ID 83844-1139 October 2011 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. Data in this report were collected and analyzed using methods based on established, peer- reviewed protocols and were analyzed and interpreted within the guidelines of the protocols. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Government. This report is available from the Park Studies Unit, University of Idaho, Moscow (http://www.psu.uidaho.edu/). Please cite this publication as: Le, Y., N.C. Holmes, S. Hollenhorst. 2011. World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument Study of Ticketing System: Spring 2011. NPS 570/111035 National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 570/111035 October 2011 ii Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. vii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................. ix About the Authors .................................................................................................................................... ix I. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1 II. Background ............................................................................................................................................ 2 III. Methodology .......................................................................................................................................... 6 1. Visitor Survey .................................................................................................................................... 6 2. Focus Group ...................................................................................................................................... 7 3. Comparative Case Analysis ............................................................................................................. 8 4. Interactive group meeting with park partners ................................................................................ 9 IV. Results ................................................................................................................................................. 10 1. Findings from the Visitor Survey ................................................................................................... 10 Visitor demographics ......................................................................................................................... 10 2. Findings from the Focus Groups ................................................................................................... 29 Focus group topic I. Obtaining tickets ............................................................................................... 29 Focus group topic II. Relations between NPS and tour companies .................................................. 32 Focus group topic III. Tour scheduling .............................................................................................. 35 Focus group topic IV. Visitors’ needs ................................................................................................ 36 3. Findings from Interactive Group Meeting with Park Partners ..................................................... 38 Park partner topic I. Ticketing system for the USS Arizona Memorial .............................................. 38 Park partner topic II. How park partners and NPS can work together .............................................. 39 4. Findings from Comparative Case Analysis .................................................................................. 40 Strengths and weaknesses of ticketing systems ............................................................................... 42 Cost comparison ............................................................................................................................... 44 V. Assessments ....................................................................................................................................... 45 Improvements since 2000 ................................................................................................................... 45 Remaining issues ................................................................................................................................ 45 VI. Recommendations ............................................................................................................................. 46 Alternative 1. Retain status quo with a block system for organized groups ...................................... 46 Alternative 2. Online reservations using a preexisting system through a vendor such as Recreation.gov or Extreme Tickets ................................................................................................... 47 Alternative 3. Online reservation system custom-made for World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument ....................................................................... 49 Other considerations ......................................................................................................................... 51 VII. Appendices ........................................................................................................................................ 52 Appendix 1. The questionnaire .......................................................................................................... 52 Appendix 2. Focus group transcripts ................................................................................................ 54 References ............................................................................................................................................. 109 iii Tables Table 1. Visitor comments regarding the ticket system 2007-2010 ............................................................. 4 Table 2. Respondent age ............................................................................................................................. 10 Table 3. Organized group type .................................................................................................................... 10 Table 4. Visitors’ personal group type ........................................................................................................ 11 Table 5a. U.S. visitors ................................................................................................................................. 12 Table 5b. International visitors ................................................................................................................... 13 Table 6. Length of wait ............................................................................................................................... 13 Table 7. Opinions about wait time .............................................................................................................. 14 Table 8a. Dwell time ................................................................................................................................... 14 Table 8b. Other sites visited while waiting for the program (dwell time) .................................................. 15 Table 8c. Sites visited at other times during this trip (before or after visiting the USS Arizona Memorial) .................................................................. 15 Table 9. Interest in a combination ticket ..................................................................................................... 16 Table 10a. Perceptions about crowding - 2011 survey ............................................................................... 16 Table 10b. Perceptions about crowding - 2000 survey ............................................................................... 16 Table 10c. Time of day visitors felt crowded - 2000 survey ...................................................................... 16 Table 11. Preference regarding ability to secure a ticket and tour time ...................................................... 17 Table 12. Recommendations from visitor survey 2011 (Open ended) ....................................................... 18 Table 13a. Additional comments from visitor survey 2011 (Open-ended) ...............................................