This survey of visitors to Arizona’s wine tourism regions was undertaken to gather market research on a growing industry, including visitor demographics, travel patterns, satisfaction with the experience and spending patterns. This information will assist the wineries, vineyards, tasting rooms and local tourism communities in the wine regions with targeted marketing efforts, product development, and advocacy for a burgeoning industry that is critical to the health of these rural regional economies.

A survey of visitors to Native American tribal lands in Arizona was commissioned by the Arizona Office of Tourism and conducted by NAU’s Arizona Hospitality Research & Resource Center in 2004-2005. This research constituted the first major study of visitors to Native American tribes in Arizona and possibly in the Southwest. This final report, Survey of Visitors to Arizona Tribal Lands, provides first-ever baseline visitor data, presented in aggregate for the eight participating Arizona tribes. The study found that visitors to these Native American tribes in Arizona are slightly older, have higher annual incomes, stay longer, and have higher daily expenditures (for lodging, shopping and entertainment) than Arizona visitors generally. Visitors to Arizona’s tribes are also more interested in cultural and historic activities, shopping for arts and crafts, educational experiences and sightseeing than are visitors overall. They are also highly satisfied with their visits to Native American tribal lands.

This report is a reexamination of visitor data first reported in the multi-year "Survey of Visitors to Arizona’s Tribal Lands," which was commissioned by the Arizona Office of Tourism and conducted in 2004-05 by the Arizona Hospitality Research and Resource Center at Northern Arizona University. That study, released in December 2005, analyzed visitor data collected for eight Arizona American Indian tribes and presented that data in aggregate for all tribes. This report, on the other hand, disaggregates that original database to take a more in-depth look at visitor patterns at Rural versus Metro tribes in Arizona.

Generally, this second study found that visitors to Rural and Metro tribes in Arizona are similar in many ways – parties of two persons; parties composed largely of family members; similar educational and income levels; private vehicles as travel mode; similar sightseeing and cultural/heritage activities; similar information sources; relatively high satisfaction levels; and, many similar shopping purchases. The survey also found some significant differences, however, including the following: Travel parties visiting Rural tribes contained more children, more Arizona residents, and had higher numbers of repeat visitors. Visitors to Rural tribes were also more likely to describe the tribe as their main destination; were more likely to engage in recreation and outdoor activities; stayed longer; and, consequently had higher spending. Visitors to Metro tribes were slightly older and visited the tribe as one stop on a longer trip. Visitors also reported slightly higher satisfaction levels at Metro tribes.

Universities contribute to the local community in three distinct ways: 1) Traditional Economic Impact; 2) Benefits to Individuals and Society; 3) Creation of Knowledge. Among the results are higher incomes of individuals and the community as a whole, higher-quality jobs, enhanced economic development, and improvements in prosperity and quality of life.

Enrollment in degree-granting institutions of higher education in Arizona as a percentage of the state’s population was about equal to the national average in 2003. The Arizona figure was higher than the national average at private for-profit institutions, slightly greater than the national average at public institutions, but considerably below average at private not-for-profit institutions. Total revenues and expenditures per student at Arizona institutions of higher education were far below the national averages in 2003, among the least in the nation. Among public institutions, Arizona’s higher education revenues and expenditures were not as far below average, but still ranked among the bottom 10 states in the nation.