Industry to study impact on tourism to Glacier Park Area
GLACIER PARK, Mont.-- The Glacier Park area will benefit from a travel industry study to be released in June 2001 by the National Tour Association (NTA). The primary objective of the study is to determine the economic impact of the packaged travel industry, something that no other industry organization tracks.
NTA has commissioned Dean Runyan Associates and Longwoods International to conduct a massive Packaged Travel Study beginning in 2000. Glacier Park, Inc., is a member of NTA and will use the information to show the importance of tourism to the Glacier Park area.
"This study is critical to our industry because there is currently no similar data on packaged travel out there," said Dale Scott, president of Glacier Park, Inc. "We know in general terms that the travel industry is vital to the North American economy. This study will determine its contribution on national, regional and local levels."
Results of the Packaged Travel Study will help define packaged travel and reveal detailed expenditure data from both the tour operator and the consumer, day versus overnight trips, satisfaction and attitudes pertaining to group and packaged travel by consumers, demographic information, and more. Currently, NTA defines a package as two or more components of a trip (such as airline tickets and accommodations, rental car, attraction tickets, etc.) purchased at a single cost from a travel professional (tour operator or travel agent).
The annual study will track the industry year-to-year and will provide the economic impact of group tours and individual tours on a national level. The study will provide national numbers for the United States and Canada separately, as well as the United States and Canada combined. A full report covering 2000 will be available in June 2001.
The study methodology includes an initial survey of 200,000 consumers in the United States and 21,000 consumers in Canada annually to determine who has purchased a tour or package. In addition to the number of travelers who purchased a tour/package, the study will also identify the type of tour/package they purchased. Dean Runyan will also survey 600 tour operators in the United States and Canada.
The estimated cost of completing this study is $200,000 per year. Current partners include the National Tour Association, Canadian Tourism Commission, American Bus Association, Travel South USA and Group Tour Magazines.
NTA is an organization of nearly 4,000 North American tourism professionals focused on the development, promotion and increased use of tour operator-packaged travel. Glacier Park, Inc., a Viad Corp company (NYSE:VVI), owns and operates the historic hotels in and around Glacier National Park in northwest Montana. The company's Web site is at www.glacierparkinc.com.