In National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Monroe National Monument Visitor Study Summer 2014 Photo: U.S. Army ON THE COVER Aerial view of Fort Monroe National Monument Photograph courtesy of Fort Monroe National Monument Fort Monroe National Monument Visitor Study Summer 2014 SESRC Technical Report 15-010 Matt Strawn and Yen Le Social and Economic Sciences Research Center Washington State University Wilson-Short Hall #133 Pullman, WA 99164-4014 Fort Monroe National Monument Visitor Study 2014 July 9 to August 23, 2014 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 and other reports by the Social and Economic Sciences Research Center (SESRC) are available from the SESRC website (http://psu.sesrc.wsu.edu/reports/) or by contacting the SESRC office at 1.509.335.1511. Please cite this publication as: Strawn, M. and Y. Le. 2015. Fort Monroe National Monument visitor study: Summer 2014. Social and Economic Sciences Research Center, Washington State University, Pullman, WA. ii Fort Monroe National Monument Visitor Study 2014 July 9 to August 23, 2014 Contents Page Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ v Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... viii About the Authors ................................................................................................................. viii Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Organization of the Report ...................................................................................................... 1 Presentation of the Results ....................................................................................................... 2 Methods........................................................................................................................................... 3 Survey Design and Procedures ................................................................................................ 3 Sample size and sampling plan ........................................................................................... 3 Questionnaire design ........................................................................................................... 3 Survey procedure ................................................................................................................ 4 Data analysis ....................................................................................................................... 4 Limitations .......................................................................................................................... 5 Special conditions ............................................................................................................... 5 Checking non-response bias ............................................................................................... 6 Results ............................................................................................................................................. 7 Group and Visitor Characteristics ........................................................................................... 7 Visitor group size ................................................................................................................ 7 Visitor group type ............................................................................................................... 7 Visitors with organized groups ........................................................................................... 8 United States visitors by state of residence ....................................................................... 10 Visitors from Virginia by county of residence ................................................................. 11 Residents of the area ......................................................................................................... 11 International visitors by country of residence ................................................................... 12 Number of visits to park in lifetime .................................................................................. 13 Visitor age ......................................................................................................................... 14 Language used for speaking and reading .......................................................................... 15 Visitor household income and household size .................................................................. 17 Visitors with physical conditions affecting access/participation ...................................... 18 Trip/Visit Characteristics and Preferences ............................................................................ 19 Information sources used prior to visit ............................................................................. 19 Information sources for future visit .................................................................................. 21 Mapping devices ............................................................................................................... 22 Primary reason for visiting the park .................................................................................. 24 Awareness of the park ....................................................................................................... 24 Transportation ................................................................................................................... 25 Access to the peninsula on this visit ................................................................................. 25 Overnight stays ................................................................................................................. 26 Accommodations used on the Fort Monroe peninsula ..................................................... 27 Accommodations used in the area outside the park .......................................................... 27 Places stayed on night prior to visit .................................................................................. 28 Places stayed on night after visit ....................................................................................... 29 Length of stay ................................................................................................................... 31 iii Fort Monroe National Monument Visitor Study 2014 July 9 to August 23, 2014 Time spent visiting the park .............................................................................................. 32 Times entered the park ...................................................................................................... 33 Places visited in the local area .......................................................................................... 34 Communities in which support services were obtained .................................................... 36 Services obtained in area communities ............................................................................. 37 Activities on this visit ....................................................................................................... 40 Activities on future visits .................................................................................................. 41 Topics learned on this visit ............................................................................................... 42 Level of understanding improved for specific topics this visit ......................................... 43 Ratings of Services, Facilities, Attributes, Resources, and Elements ................................... 45 Visitor services and facilities used .................................................................................... 45 Importance ratings of visitor services and facilities ......................................................... 46 Quality ratings of visitor services and facilities ................................................................ 48 Mean scores of importance and quality ratings of visitor services and facilities ............. 50 Elements affecting visitor experience ............................................................................... 51 Expenditures .......................................................................................................................... 53 Total expenditures inside and outside the park ................................................................. 53 Number of adults covered by expenditures ...................................................................... 54 Number of children covered by expenditures ................................................................... 54 Expenditures on the Fort Monroe NM peninsula ............................................................. 55 Expenditures outside