Appendix D: Key Informant and Focus Group Protocols
Key Informant Protocol for tourism organization directors
2. In your opinion has tourism business in the Adirondacks been getting better, staying the same, or getting worse? Please explain.
3. How is tourism changing in the Adirondack Park? Do you think the motivations, characteristics, and/or activity preferences of visitors to the Adirondacks have changed during the past 5 to 10 years? Please explain.
4. Are regional organizations and local businesses responding to that change. How? Can you provide any examples of innovative tourism development activities in the Adirondacks? Regionally? At the state level? Or, in other regions of the country or internationally?
5. What do you think about the way in which tourism has recently been promoted in the Adirondacks? Would you recommend any changes or improvements?
6. Does your organization have a formal plan or strategy regarding tourism? (If yes, request a copy. If no, ask why not?)
7. How do you think tourism relates to the quality of life in Adirondack communities? How does it positively or negatively impact communities and local economies? How can the community benefits of tourism be enhanced and the costs reduced?
8. A similar question on the environment: How do you think tourism relates to the natural environment? How does tourism positively or negatively impact the environment in the Adirondacks? How can the environmental costs of tourism be reduced and the benefits enhanced?
9. Is a tourism fund needed for the Adirondack Park for tourism development and promotion, and how should it be set up?
10. Which sources of data and information should we look at? Please identify any tourism studies or information you know of that have been compiled about the Adirondacks during the past ten years. (Record the title, author, place of publication, and request a copy if appropriate.)
11. Who else should we talk to? Please identify any organizations and/or individuals you think are key stakeholders regarding tourism in the Adirondacks.
12. Do you have any questions or additional comments about tourism in the Adirondacks or particular communities?
Focus Group Workshop Discussion Topics
1. Local and Regional Tourism Identities
Locally
What place/community name do you use to refer to your local tourism community?
How would you define your tourism area geographically?
Why do tourists want to come to your area?
What is your area’s biggest draw?
Regionally
Which places/communities within the Adirondacks do you think have the best current strategy for tourism?
Which places/communities within the Adirondacks do you think have the biggest challenge in dealing with tourism?
In your opinion, what would be the best single "identity", "feature", or "focus" to promote tourism development within the Adirondacks?
If there was one request you could ask of regional tourism organizations on helping you to promote your area, what would it be?
Please rate each of the alternatives shown below on a scale from one to ten, where one is not important and 10 is most important.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
"Adirondacks"
Anything but "Adirondacks"
"North Country"
Adirondack - Mountains
Waterways
Communities/Villages
Heritage
Wildlife
Forests
High Peaks
Arts & Crafts
History & Culture
2. Preferred Tourism Actions
What do you think would be the most important action that could be taken to improve tourism in your community and/or the Adirondacks?
Please rate each of the alternatives shown below on a scale from one to ten, where one is not important and 10 is most important.
Establish new public-private partnerships to address tourism issues.
Form a Tourism Planning Council with public and private reps.
Develop a regional sales system that would allow visitors to purchase
tourism products at select visitor information sites.
Develop entrepreneurship training workshops for tourism businesses.
Develop new tourism products.
Develop or expand accommodations.
Improve local and regional infrastructure
Improve access to capital for tourism businesses
Address labor shortage during the summer months.
Please identify other actions:
3. Possible Tourism Research Topics
What is the most important tourism trend you would like to know about your local community?
What information would like to know about the current visitors to your area?
What is the most important tourism trend you would like to know about the Adirondacks as a whole?
What tourism destinations do you think are the greatest competitors with the Adirondacks?
What are the barriers, the things that would prevent tourists from taking a vacation in the Adirondacks?
Please rate each of the alternatives shown below on a scale from one to ten, where one is not important and 10 is most important. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Tourism market share analysis within the Adirondacks and/or for major competing regions.
Cost analysis for tourism at distinct destinations and/or in competing regions.
Profit analysis for tourism at distinct destinations and/or in competing regions.
Image awareness studies for current tourism publicity campaigns.
Conversion studies to evaluate the effectiveness of specific methods of tourism promotion.
Preferences, motivations, and barriers for present tourists.
Preferences, motivations, and barriers for potential tourists.
National trends in rural tourism that relate to the Adirondacks.
4. Stewardship and the Environment
What are the positive impacts of tourism within the Adirondacks?
What are the negative impacts of tourism within the Adirondacks?
How can the negative impacts of tourism be eliminated or minimized?
How can stewardship and environmental quality become a tourism marketing strategy?
Please rate each of the alternatives shown below on a scale from one to ten, where one is not important and 10 is most important. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Recognize the importance of environmental quality for tourism.
Reduce, re-use, and recycle the inputs required for tourism.
Develop a voluntary program of environmental audits.
Improve visitor interpretive programs.
Develop non-motorized tourism products and alternatives.
Improve pubic transportation options within the region.
Retrain tourism employees to focus on quality.
Reward tourism businesses, employees, and visitors for stewardship.
Develop a sustainable tourism marketing strategy.