Yuma Visitor Survey: Characteristics and Economic Impacts of Hotel Visitors

The attraction of visitors from other areas often plays a critical role in growing and sustaining local economies. While Yuma has developed itself as a prime destination for “snowbirds” (seasonal visitors from colder climates that visit during winter months), there is potential to grow and diversify the Yuma visitor base. One potential segment of the visitor population that can be targeted are non-local visitors that stay overnight in Yuma hotels. A better understanding of these visitors is important because this segment has the potential to generate significant economic impacts on the Yuma economy. This project is a collaborative effort to learn more about Yuma hotel visitors and estimate the impacts of their spending on Yuma County’s economy. Because secondary data are not available for Yuma hotel visitors, this project employs a survey approach to collect primary data.

Author(s)

Ashley Kerna, Dari Duval, George Frisvold

Publication Date

2016