Upper Mississippi River System Visitors Spending Profiles

From 1989/1990 Survey
INTRODUCTION
The Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) Visitor Spending Profile Survey was done in 1990. Durable goods and visitor spending profile information were gathered in personal interviews on site. For each item of durable goods brought for use at the site, the type, cost, year and place of purchase were determined. Goods bought used were identified and whether from a dealer or not. Trip expenses for the entire trip were reported in mailback spending diaries, returned at the end of the trip. Trip spending results were weighted using the on-site survey segment distributions to adjust for differential response rates of different subgroups.

The purpose here is to provide the details of trip spending frofiles for further research. The following tables describe the trip expenses according to 1) residences, 2) lodging types and 3) activities. Details of research population and methods are discused after the list of tables.

LIST OF TABLES
There are nine tables for these spending profiles, namely:

Table 1A: Trip Spending by Boating Segments (boater vs. non-boater, $ per party-day)

Table 1B: Trip Spending by Boating Segments (boater vs. non-boater, $ per party-trip)

Table 2A: Trip Spending by Fishing Segments (angler vs. non-angler, $ per party-day)

Table 2B: Trip Spending by Fishing Segments (angler vs. non-angler, $ per party-trip)

Table 3A: Trip Spending by Activity Segments (active vs. passive activity, $ per party-day)

Table 3B: Trip Spending by Activity Segments (active vs. passive activity, $ per party-trip)

Table 4A: Trip Spending by Fishing Segments (boat-fishing vs. other angler, $ per party-day)

Table 4B: Trip Spending by Fishing Segments (boat-fishing vs. other angler, $ per party-trip)

Appendix: Participation in Recreation Activity

STUDY POPULATION AND METHODS
The study population was parties visiting designated recreation sites along the Upper Mississippi River System between November 15, 1989 and December 15, 1990. The UMRS system covers the Mississippi River from St. Paul to St. Louis, along with the Illinois River up to but not including Cook and DuPage counties. A stratified random sample was taken of visitors at sites along the river. 1,697 parties were contacted on site, 1,316 responded to the on-site survey. Of these, 1,088 agreed to participate in mailback portion of the study and 683 parties returned useable questionnaires (63% response rate of those mailed). Durable goods spending is based on 1,316 parties, trip spending on 683 parties.

UNIT OF ANALYSIS = party visit, includes all spending by the party during their trip.

SPATIAL EXTENT: Trip spending was measured within 30 miles of the site where the party was interviewed and for the entire trip. "Local" spending on durables is defined to include durables purchased within a UMRS corridor region consisting of all counties bordering the river.

AREA DESCRIPTION. A wide range of types of facilities, areas and population subgroups are represented. Study sites range from urban to rural and include campgrounds, boat launch facilities, state, county and local parks, visitor centers, day use areas, picnic areas, and river overlooks.

DATE OF STUDY. 1990

REFERENCES.
Propst, D.B., Stynes, D.J., and Jiao, H. 1992. Development of visitor spending profiles for the Upper Mississippi River System. Report submitted to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS.

U.S. Army Engineers. (in press). Economic impacts of recreation on the UMRS: Recreation use and activities report. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, Planning Division.

Last Updated: July 1996
Analyst/Contact: Wen-Huei Chang

E-Mail Address: changwe4@pilot.msu.edu