Tourism Potential in North Dakota
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Agricultural Economics Miscellaneous Report No. 183 September 1998 Contracting Unit: Jobs Committee Bowman/Slope/Adams Counties Carol Dilse, Chair, Scranton, N.D. Kevin Bucholz, Tourism Committee Chair, Bowman, N.D. Tourism Potential in North Dakota With emphasis on Southwest ND September 1998 Kathy Coyle, M.S. William C. Nelson, PhD. Institute of Natural Resources & Economic Development (INRED) North Dakota State University Morrill Hall P.O. Box 5636 Fargo, North Dakota, 58105-5636 Phone: 701-231-7441 Fax: 701-231-7400 Email: [email protected] Acknowledgments The author would like to extend appreciation to Dr. Bill Nelson, the supervisor of this project, for giving her the opportunity to spend quality time accessing North Dakota’s potential. Thanks to the office staff in the Department of Agricultural Economics for their consistent support over the past eight months. Appreciation is also extended to staff members: Dr. Larry Leistritz, Dean Bangsund, Dr. David Saxowsky, and Ed Janzen for their suggestions on how to fine-tune this document. Proof reader Bonnie Cooper, photo specialist Darren Rogness, and graphic designer Dave Haasser also contributed. Also appreciated are statistics analyst Carrie Jacobson and Krysta Olson and Jessica Budeau for their data entry work. A special thank you goes to Cass County Electric Cooperative which allowed the mailing of the Public Tourism Survey in a monthly electric bill envelope. That assistance saved this project thousands of dollars in postage. Thanks, too, to the residents of south Fargo who took the time to express their opinions about tourism. And finally, to the long list of individuals interviewed for this report. Your thoughtful and frank insights should help North Dakota move forward! The authors assume responsibility for any errors of omission, logic, or otherwise. We would be happy to provide a single copy of this publication free of charge. You can address your inquiry to: Carol Jensen, Department of Agricultural Economics, North Dakota State University, PO Box 5636, Fargo ND 58105-5636, (Ph. 701-231-7441, Fax 701- 231-7400), http://agecon.lib.umn.edu/ndsu.html NOTICE: The analyses and views reported in this paper are those of the author. They are not necessarily endorsed by the Department of Agricultural Economics or by North Dakota State University. North Dakota State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or sexual orientation. Information on other titles in this series may be obtained from: Department of Agricultural Economics, North Dakota State University, P.O. Box 5636, Fargo, ND 58105. Telephone: 701-231-7441, Fax: 701-231-7400, or e-mail: [email protected]. Copyright © 1998 by Kathy Coyle and William C. Nelson. All rights reserved. Readers may make verbatim copies of this document for non-commercial purposes by any means, provided that this copyright notice appears on all such copies. Table of Contents Page List of Tables ................................................................... iv List of maps and photographs ........................................................ v Abstract ........................................................................ vi Highlights ...................................................................... vii Introduction ...................................................................... 1 Southwest North Dakota — Its History and Other Assets .................................... 2 From Dinosaurs ............................................................ 2 The Region ................................................................ 6 Amidon ............................................................. 6 Bowman ............................................................ 6 The Bowman-Haley Dam and Lake ........................................ 8 Marmarth ........................................................... 9 Rhame ............................................................ 12 Fort Dilts Historic Site ................................................ 12 Scranton ........................................................... 12 Hettinger .......................................................... 13 Dickinson .......................................................... 14 Medora ............................................................ 17 Accumulative assets ........................................................ 18 Hospitality Providers Survey ........................................................ 19 Public Tourism Survey Results and Discussion .......................................... 20 Previous Surveys and Events Americans’ vacation habits ................................................... 23 Top recreational pursuits in ND parks ........................................... 23 Top children’s sports in Canada ................................................ 24 River recreation in North Dakota ............................................... 24 Top Canadian heritage institutions .............................................. 24 Top entertainment choices in Canada ............................................ 24 Fargo radio market leaders ................................................... 25 Red River Valley Fair ....................................................... 25 Hunting and fishing in North Dakota ............................................ 26 North Dakota traffic volume in 1996 ............................................ 27 Page What is Southwest North Dakota’s Potential Market? Tourism income in North Dakota ............................................... 27 Southwest North Dakota’s tourism statistics ...................................... 28 Demographics North Dakota’s demographics ........................................... 29 Canada’s demographics ............................................... 29 International visitors to the US .......................................... 30 . Established Tourism Marketing North Dakota tourism promotion ............................................... 32 South Dakota tourism promotion ............................................... 33 Minnesota tourism promotion ................................................. 33 Midwestern states’ tourism promotion ........................................... 33 California tourism promotion .................................................. 34 Opportunities for Tourism Enhancement ............................................... 35 Viewing natural scenery and historic sites ........................................ 37 Cowboy/ ranch experience .................................................... 37 Water sports and other outdoor activities ......................................... 38 Adventure sports vacation .................................................... 39 Family entertainment ........................................................ 40 Shopping ................................................................. 42 Other possibilities Hunting ........................................................... 43 Paleontology ........................................................ 45 Mountain biking and hiking ............................................. 47 ATVing ........................................................... 49 Collective enhancements Main Street project ................................................... 49 Living history projects ................................................ 50 Cyber Stop ......................................................... 50 Cooperative marketing ................................................ 52 Workshops ......................................................... 53 Summary ....................................................................... 53 Tables ......................................................................... 57 References ...................................................................... 77 Resource People and Organizations ................................................... 81 Page ii Appendix Page 1. North Dakota Department of Transportation traffic counts, 1997 ..................... 86 2. Hospitality survey and cover letter ............................................ 88 3. Public tourism survey .................................................... 91 4. Comments made by respondents on the Public Tourism Survey ...................... 93 Page iii List of Tables Table Page 1 Public Tourism Survey, Summer 1998, ND ....................................... 57 2 Outdoor participation in recreational activities,1995 ................................. 60 3 Canadian Recreational Preferences ............................................. 61 4 Activities on Select North Dakota Rivers in Rank of Popularity, 1996 ................... 62 5 North Dakota Sales for Final Demand by Region and in the Tourism Industry in 1996 ............................................................ 63 6 Bowman Tourist Information Center Visitors, May 26-August 31, 1997 ................. 64 7 North Dakota Population and Migration 1980-1996 by Select Counties and Statewide Average ................................................... 65 8 Cass County Population Projections ............................................ 66 9 North Dakota Population Projections ............................................ 67 10 Adams County Population Projections ........................................