How to Research Regional Statistics for a Tourism Business

One of the first steps in opening a tourism business is making sure you have a chance for success in your region. By researching regional statistics early on, including the problems and strengths of your area, you can tap into the best options the market offers and work around the deficiencies. Researching regional statistics for a tourism business is easier than you may think, as long as you know where to go and who to talk to.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Talk to your state's Department of Tourism. If there is a local office, walk in and request recent data and studies conducted within the region.
2. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce. In small towns and cities, where no official Board of Tourism exists, the Chamber of Commerce will keep track of regional statistics regarding visitors and tourism in general. While it is possible these numbers are not available to the general public, they may be open to people who own tourism businesses and are members of the Chamber of Commerce.
3. Look online for data specific to your state. This can often be found on the official tourism website for your region or by conducting a more general search. Tourism websites often publish newsletters that offer detailed information and are available for free to visitors.
4. Visit the website of the Office of Travel & Tourism Industries (see Resources below). While the organization focuses mainly on national statistics, state and regional numbers are also covered. The site also offers options and links to help those involved in tourism businesses to further research statistics and figures.
5. Visit your local library to research regional statistics. Libraries often keep copies of tourism guides, official newsletters and even market profiles. If no publication is locally available, you can probably request it through your library's inter-loan option.

Tips & Warnings

• Give yourself enough time to research and request the tourism business book or publication you need. Some library inter-loans take time to track down and locate before you can actually get them.
• Make sure you get statistics that are up to date. Numbers can vary considerably from year to year.