phd research proposal - the economic impact of tourism on vail, colorado - brian m touray msc
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PhD. Research Proposal for a study. University of Derby. Tourism management - Tourism Economic Impacts. Brian M TourayTRANSCRIPT
PhD PROPOSAL FOR A STUDY: University of Derby, United Kingdom
THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TOURISM ON VAIL, COLORADO,THE WHITE RIVER NATIONAL FOREST,AND
ITS REGIONAL COMMUNITES
August 15, 2001
Brian M Touray MSc Griffith University
1
Introduction
Revisions to the Colorado State tourism tax in 1992
resulted in necessary restructuring of the tourism offices
and the scope of how that entity conducts its business. New
visions for the State's tourist attractions and resorts,
with emphasis on forging an alliance of environmentalists,
communities, resort destinations and tour packagers in the
White River National Forest region, has impacted well-known
and frequented areas such as Vail (ranked the No. 1 ski
area in North America according to Ski Magazine) and Aspen
resorts, and the surrounding communities. The collaborative
effort, in conjunction with revised legislation, intends to
create a sustainable tourism project, designed to promote
the economic development of the most rural and economically
struggling communities as well as preserve the habitat.
The Colorado Tourism Board and Tourism Authority had
shouldered this burden of promoting Colorado tourism, with
dwindling funds to help protect unspoiled habitats. Because
the separate entities were working toward the same goals
and competing for funding, the Colorado Tourism Office, to
resolve environmental, economic and tourism-related issues,
was formed ("Colorado Tourism board Holds Initial Meeting",
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2000). Today, however, Colorado remains the only state
without a state-financed tourism promotion operation.
Statement of Problem
The proposed study will examine the economic impact of
tourism on Vail and the surrounding regional community, in-
light of these developments. Priorities placed on physical
and biological resources, as well as available funding,
have expanded the economic impacts on established tourist
and resort attractions, as well as the surrounding rural
communities. Proposed changes in forest planning and
uncertainty about changes initiated at the national level
add to questions about future growth and health of tourism
in the White River National Forest area.
Public involvement is viewed as a key issue and goal
in regional collaborating and economic area growth. For
example, not only do Vail and Aspen attract ski and snow-
oriented tourism, but the upper Colorado River area also
has experienced local economic impact from the tremendous
growth in Commercial River rafting over the past decade.
Busloads from rafting companies in Vail and Aspen pack
surrounding areas, but until local commercial regulations
and use fees were implemented; impacts on the cities and
their parks were not adequately accounted for Grauer,
1999).
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The argument of this paper will be that, with some
effort, environmentalists focused on habitat and wildlife
conservation, agency impact estimators, local communities
and the tourism industry can all effectively collaborate to
enhance, rather than destroy Colorado's economic and
recreational stability.
Literature Review of Tourism Impacts on the Area: One of the primary issues is Colorado's reluctance to
promote itself. Through the oil crisis, Colorado's tourist
industry pulled it through. The last year 2/10 if 1 percent
sales tax was imposed on tourist-related purchases, $11
million was collected and primarily used for advertising to
keep Colorado in the forefront of people's minds when they
do vacation planning. That tax is gone and alternative
funding has had to be found. ("Tourism Promotion A Must",
1998).
Growth in tourism particularly in the skiing and
rafting industries has been increasing an astounding rate.
It is estimated that by 2003, commercial rafting in
Colorado will grow to 800,000 per total user day period,
which is a projected 8.4 percent increase annually (Grauer,
1999). Meantime, the forest around Vail, Breckenridge, and
Aspen record approximately 12 million visits per year, the
fifth highest of any national forest. The forest is
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responsible for 34,000 jobs and $720 million in revenue
annually. However, a proposal to restrict ski area growth
and off-road vehicle use in an effort to protect the
busiest national forest in the Rockies, creates concern and
pits ecosystem health against human use and employment
("Critics: Forest proposal would raise ski costs, hurt
disabled", 2000).
The shift from promoting human uses of the forest to
preserving physical and biological resources on public
lands is a new concept. Public involvement and input was
requested in creating alternative proposals. Proposed
planning rules required input of informal advisory groups
to coordinate and provide outside knowledge on local
conditions and topics of interest and concern. The White
River National Forest agencies intent is clear, but the
opportunities for local residents and communities to get
involved were limited due to the large regional expanse
(Webb, "Planning rule changes…", 1999). Proposals and
managed alternatives have been developed, however. The
Forest Service agency has committed to maintain sustainable
ecosystems by primarily providing social responsibility and
environmental sensitivity, including these additional
proposed alternatives: 1) maintain existing recreational
development, 2) use timber harvesting and fire and
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structural improvements to promote habitat types, 3)
continue to provide recreational activities focused on
utilization of resources such as vegetation management,
livestock grazing and mineral development, 4) promote ski-
based resorts, outfitter and guide activities which bring
people to the forest and which emphasizes retaining the
wildness of the land, allowing recreation to continue as
long as it does not impair the forest's natural process,
animals or native plants (Kelley, 1999). All but one of
these proposed alternatives results in estimated forest-
related employment of between 43,153 and 43,610. The
converse to this, is that any of the proposals would still
result in more than 2,000 fewer jobs than if skiing or
other human uses were the primary concern ( Webb,
"Preferred alternative…", 1999).
In 1999, the Colorado Tourism Award was bestowed on
the Dinosaur Diamond Partnership for developing cooperative
tourism marketing around a fossil resource theme. The
example of this small town of "Fruits, CO", which was the
developed, exemplifies success in forging cooperative
partnerships among business, government and community
groups. The development includes a museum, campground, and
state park. The community leveraged limited funds by
providing seed capital and then by creating an environment
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supportive of additional investment by others. The
collaborative effort was developed to promote economic
development in a mostly rural and economically struggling
region. These communities are now looking to tourism
development as a way to diversify and stabilize their local
economies ("The Dinosaur Diamond Partnership:…", 1999).
The Dinosaur Diamond Partnership is an example of how
Vail and its surrounding communities in the White River
National Forest region may collaborate, with limited
capital, to sustain the ecosystem and preserve the habitat
and wildlife without compromising the revenue and economic
growth and stability of the resort and recreational
facilities and communal areas.
Organization of the Study:
The study will be organized in five chapters:
Introduction (Statement of Problem), Review of the
Literature, Methodology, Findings, and Conclusions and
Recommendations.
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TENTATIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Colorado Tourism board Holds Initial Meeting." Marketing News. August 14, 2000, Vol. 34, I. 17, p. 1-8. "Critics: Forest proposal would raise ski costs, hurt disabled." The Glenwood Post: Search Glenwood.com. February 24, 2000. Grauer, Bernie. "Regional rafting business up 38 percent last year." Search Vail.com: Business. May 9, 1999. Kelley, Anne-Marie. "Forest prefers habitat recovery in draft plan." Search Vail.com: News. August 1, 1999. Randles, Jeff. "Tourism Promotion A Must." Colorado Business. March 1998, Vol. 25, I. 3, p. 54. "Rare alliance in the Rockies strives to save open spaces." New York Times. August 14, 1998, Vol. 147, I. 51249, p. A1. Rice, Heidi. "Courting the Front Range." Search Vail.com: Feature. March 7, 1999. "Start-ups in tourism urged." Entrepreneur. March 1995, Vol. 23, I. 3, p. 26. "The Dinosaur Diamond Partnership: A regional initiative million of years in the making." Public Management (US). February 1999, Vol. 81, I. 2, p. 15. Webb, Dennis. "Preferred alternative would slow job growth." Search Vail.com: News. August 5, 1999. Webb, Dennis. "Planning rule changes could impact local forest." Search Vail.com: News. December 2, 1999. Brian M Touray MSc. Tourism Management Griffith University, Australia