Researchers will learn what visitors enjoy when they travel in Otter Tail Country. That's one of the pieces of information that will be gathered during a year-long survey that will profile visitors to the County.
The project kicks off today when University of Minnesota Tourism Center researchers visit the area to review potential sites where in-person visitor interviews will be conducted during the next 12 months. Interviews will be conducted seasonally at a variety of sites throughout the county, including festivals and events, lodging and restaurant facilities, and points of interest. Researchers will summarize the information obtained at the end of each season of interviews. A final report will be prepared at the end of the study.
The surveys will profile visitors to the area, providing information on where visitors are from, why they came to the area, how long they stay, what attracted them, and even how much they spend.
"We're excited about the study," said John Thorup, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce in Perham. "This is exactly the kind of information that will help us better promote our area and better serve our visitors."
The idea for the research project was initiated by tourism professionals in several northwest and central Minnesota communities. Eventually 9 communities in three cluster areas talked with University of Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnership staff in Crookston and Staples about the project and opportunities for financial support through the University's Partnership program. In addition, the University of Minnesota, through the Carlson Chair endowment fund, contributed funds to the project. Each participating community committed financial and staff support and Explore Minnesota Tourism staff are also working with the group on the project.
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In Otter Tail County; Fergus Falls, Pelican Rapids, and Perham are participating in the study. Other clusters and communities include: Fargo/Moorhead, Breckenridge and Hawley; and Detroit Lakes, Mahnomen, and White Earth. A similar study was conducted in Detroit Lakes some years ago. The new research data will offer an opportunity to compare results of previous studies to determine changes in visitation and effects of marketing efforts based on results of the previous data collection effort.
