12/13/2013 INSTITUTE FOR TOURISM AND ANALYSIS OF TOURING CYCLISTS: RECREATION IMPACTS, NEEDS, AND OPPORTUNITIES RESEARCH, FOR MONTANA UNIV. OF MT i College of Forestry and Conservation Phone (406) 243-5686 32 Campus Dr. #1234 Fax (406) 243-4845 The University of Montana www.itrr.umt.edu Missoula, MT 59812 Analysis of Touring Cyclists: Impacts, Needs and Opportunities for Montana Prepared by Norma Polovitz Nickerson, Ph.D. Jake Jorgenson Meredith Berry Jane Kwenye Daniel Kozel Jessica Schutz Institute for Tourism & Recreation Research College of Forestry and Conservation The University of Montana Missoula, MT 59812 www.itrr.umt.edu Research Report 2013-17 December 2013 This report was funded by the Lodging Facility Use Tax In cooperation with Adventure Cycling Association. Copyright© 2013 Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research. All rights reserved. ii Executive Summary The purpose of this study was to understand the niche market of touring cyclists and to examine the potential for cycle tourism in the state of Montana. Adventure Cycling Association, a non-profit bicycling organization, supplied the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research with 3200 emails of visiting cyclists and purchasers of maps from 2011 to 2013. This resulted in a web survey of 3,145 emails to which 718 (23% response rate) respondents completed the survey. Key results are presented below: General Cycle Touring • Touring cyclists have a median age of 53 years old. 56% of cyclists have a median household income of $75,000-150,000, with 10% earning over $200,000. The top 5 residencies of respondents were Washington, California, Oregon, Montana, and Colorado. 18 countries were represented including the Netherlands, Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Columbia. • 86% of touring cyclists indicated they bring a form of wireless technology with them during their trip. The most common uses for their wireless technology is for weather reports, directions/maps, lodging availability, sharing trip experiences online, and finding hours of operations. • 92% of respondents indicated they were planning a multi-day cycle trip in the next three years with only 1% stating they were not planning a trip. • Cyclists engaged in other related activities during the past three years such as: day road rides (87%), taking bikes on vacation (85%), independent bike touring (82%), casual riding in town (80%), and road racing (76%). 46% of cyclists were spectators at a cycling-related event. Cyclists in Montana • Cyclists touring in Montana spend on average $75.75/person/day and stay 8 nights or more in the state on average. • Other activities participated in during their Montana multi-day cycling trip included visiting historical sites (40%), visiting Lewis & Clark sites (38%), wildlife watching (37%), day hiking (33%), and experiencing local breweries (29%). • Mean scores on a scale of 1-6 show that cyclists were most satisfied with: Hospitality of local people (5.10), historical sites (4.79), local breweries (4.77), signage on highways (4.49), signage in towns (4.44), and availability of camping areas (4.43). • Mean scores on a scale of 1-6 show that cyclists were least satisfied with: cell phone coverage (3.75), width of shoulders (3.93), availability of cycling stores/equipment (4.15), availability of bike repair service (4.16), and quantity of debris on shoulders/road (4.17). • The most memorable aspects of the Montana cycling experience were the scenic vistas, hospitality of locals, and the challenging aspects of the mountain passes/descents. • While cycling in Montana, respondents commented on the need for better road conditions (shoulder width and a reduction of rumble strips) and more bicycle friendly campgrounds. Results indicate a strong potential for cycle tourism in the state of Montana. Cyclists are generally satisfied, but improvements are needed to encourage more riders. Touring cyclists fit directly in line with Montana’s geotourism marketing brand pillars. iii Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................... iii List of Tables and Figures .......................................................................................................................... v Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1 Background ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Methods ........................................................................................................................................................ 2 Survey Design ........................................................................................................................................ 2 Analysis ................................................................................................................................................. 3 Section 1: Demographics and Needs of Touring Cyclists .............................................................................. 3 Demographic and Characteristics of Touring Cyclists ............................................................................... 3 Comments Related to Cycling Needs, Challenges, Expectations, and Requirements for a Successful Trip .................................................................................................................................................................. 9 ROAD CONDITIONS ............................................................................................................................. 11 FOOD & LODGING ............................................................................................................................... 13 SCENERY, HISTORIC SITES, AND ATTRACTIONS .................................................................................. 15 AMENITIES .......................................................................................................................................... 15 OTHER THEMES ................................................................................................................................... 16 SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................... 16 Section 2: Touring Cyclists in Montana ...................................................................................................... 17 Expenditures for Touring Cyclists ........................................................................................................... 28 Expenditure Summary ........................................................................................................................ 33 Memorable experiences while cycling in Montana ................................................................................ 33 Scenery ................................................................................................................................................ 34 Climbs/Descents/Mountain Passes .................................................................................................... 35 Glacier NP/Going-to-the-Sun Road ..................................................................................................... 35 Friendly Local People/Hospitality ....................................................................................................... 36 Weather (both positive and negative) ................................................................................................ 37 Challenging experiences ..................................................................................................................... 38 Undesirable Experiences ..................................................................................................................... 38 Other Themes ..................................................................................................................................... 39 Summary of Cyclists’ most memorable experiences .......................................................................... 40 Summary and Discussion ............................................................................................................................ 40 General Touring Cyclists.......................................................................................................................... 40 Touring Cyclists in Montana .................................................................................................................... 41 Recommendations and Future Research .................................................................................................... 43 References .................................................................................................................................................. 45 Appendix A – Questionnaire ....................................................................................................................... 46 Appendix B – Unedited Open Ended Responses – What makes a successful trip? .................................... 54 Appendix C – Unedited Open Ended Responses – Most Memorable MT experience ................................ 93 iv List of Tables and Figures Table 1: Demographics of touring cyclists ...................................................................................................