Tourism expenditures increase on the Navajo Nation

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. - Thanks to families and friends, tourism expenditures on the Navajo Nation has significantly increased over the past several years.

In fact, positive word-of-mouth advertising has helped tourism expenditures increase on the Navajo Nation by 32 percent since 2002, according to a 2011 Demographic Survey and Economic Impact Study that was conducted for the Navajo Tourism Department by the Hospitality Research and Resource Center at Northern Arizona University (NAU). A similar study was conducted by NAU in 2002.

The yearlong study revealed that approximately $112.8 million of direct regional purchases were made by people who visited the Navajo Nation, which contributed to a total economic output of $143.7 million for Navajo and Apache counties. It is estimated that approximately 600,000 visitors were responsible for contributing direct expenditures on the Navajo Nation, which amounted to an average of $377 per traveling group.

The survey found that families and friends from throughout the world love the Navajo Nation. In fact, positive word-of-mouth advertising was found to be a key to promoting the Navajo Nation.

The yearlong reservation-wide study revealed that the number one source of information about the Navajo Nation was through family and friends. A similar study was also conducted in 2002, which also revealed that family and friends were the primary source of information about the Navajo Nation.

"I am very pleased to learn that the Navajo Nation has many families and friends out there who are helping to promote the Navajo Nation as a primary tourism destination. No amount of money can equate to positive word-of-mouth advertising. I commend all of the tourism service providers here in our homeland for helping to make the Navajo Nation a great place to visit - keep up the good work," said Albert Damon, Navajo Nation Division of Economic Development Executive Director. "It is also great to know that tourism expenditures on the Navajo Nation have significantly increased over the past several years. We are working diligently to further improve and develop the tourism industry on the Navajo Nation."

Both the 2002 and 2011 studies revealed that the second highest source of information was from the internet. About 18 percent of the travelers in 2002 said they used the internet, which significantly increased to 33 percent in 2011.

The 2011 study also revealed that more travelers are making the Navajo Nation their primary tourism destination rather than a stop on a longer trip. In 2002, about 18.5 percent of the survey participants said that the Navajo Nation was their primary destination, which increased to 28 percent in 2011.

Overall, there are more people from the U.S. who visit the Navajo Nation compared to international visitors. In 2002, about 80 percent of Navajoland visitors were from the U.S. compared to 2011, which decreased to 68.5 percent. However, international visitation increased from 20 percent in 2002 to 31.5 percent in 2011.

Within the domestic market or from the U.S., most visitors come from Arizona followed by California, which were similar to the 2002 study. In the international market, most international visitors came from the United Kingdom in 2002. However, in 2011, German visitors took the lead in international visitation followed by France.

Another interesting shift was regarding the rental of vehicles. In 2002, most travelers who rented a vehicle drove in from Phoenix. However, in 2011, more people were driving in from Las Vegas, which accounted for 26 percent followed by Phoenix at 20.5 percent.

Navajoland travelers primarily visit the Navajo Nation to sightsee, and visit various parks and monuments. About 28 percent of these visitors also stated they are interested in outdoor recreation. Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park was cited as the leading site they intended to visit followed by Four Corners Navajo Monument.

Most visitor expenditures were spent on lodging, which averaged about $241 per traveling party; $159 was spent on transportation; $146 was spent on arts and crafts; $125 on restaurants and grocery; and $123 as "other" spending. The average size of Navajoland visitors was three per party with 87.3 percent traveling by automobile. About 46.5 percent drove their own personal vehicle and about 40.8 percent rented a vehicle. The next highest form of transportation was people who traveled in an RV or had their own camper.

The survey also revealed that the average age of Navajoland visitors is 52-years-old and are generally highly educated. Given that 63.8 percent of travelers had a baccalaureate or master's degree, their average household income was about $74,485 annually. In 2011, about 52.3 percent of Navajoland visitors were female and 47.7 percent were male.

The 2002 and 2011 studies both revealed that many people who visit the Navajo Nation are return visitors. Moreover, on a scale of one to 10, the Navajo Nation earned a very high satisfaction score of 8.5 in terms of overall satisfaction with their visit to the Navajo Nation. A majority or 92.3 percent of visitors were on overnight trips and they spent an average of 2.8 days on the Navajo Nation.

More than 2,000 people from throughout the world participated in the yearlong survey, which was conducted at various museums, visitor centers, parks, monuments and hotels on the Navajo Nation.

"I would also like to thank the many Navajo Nation staff, federal employees and individuals from the private sector who assisted in this comprehensive survey project. Without their assistance this project would not have been possible," said Damon. "We now have current and valuable data that will help guide the Navajo Nation within the area of marketing and tourism development. The information can also assist entrepreneurs who want to establish a tourism business on the Navajo Nation."

Tourism on the Navajo Nation supports approximately 1,800 full-time jobs such as tour guides, tour operators, and staff who work at museums, visitor centers, hotels, restaurants, Navajo artists, and other tourism-related positions.

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