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COMPANION REPORT COUTDOOR RECREATION IN NEW MEXICO

2015 OUT-OF-STATE VISITOR PANEL RESULTS

NEW MEXICO STATEWIDE COMPREHENSIVE OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN

MAY 2015

Prepared by Corona Insights

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CONTENTS

OUTDOOR RECREATION | 2015 OUT-OF-STATE VISITOR PANEL RESULTSIntroduction

BackgroundMethodology

Summary of Key InsightsNew Mexico’s Competitive PositioningDesire for Activities and ExperiencesSatisfaction with Recent VisitsOutdoor Events and Spending

APPENDIX 1 | DETAILED METHODOLOGYResearch GoalsSurvey ExecutionAnalysis

APPENDIX 2 | SURVEY INSTRUMENT

C-II | CONTENTS

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OUTDOOR RECREATION |

2015 OUT-OF-STATE VISITOR PANEL RESULTS

INTRODUCTIONBackgroundNew Mexico’s vast natural areas and ample sunshine make it well suited for state residents and visitors to partake in outdoor recreation. In 2015, the state hired Logan Simpson Design to update its Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) to help plan and foster outdoor recreation opportunities for the next 5 years. A successful plan needed to be informed by an understanding of various populations’ opinions about outdoor recreation.

Corona Insights, a Denver-based market research and strategic consulting firm on the Logan Simpson team, was responsible for surveying recent visitors to New Mexico to understand their travel and outdoor recreation preferences, behaviors, and spending, as well as to understand New Mexico’s competitive positioning in terms of attracting out-of-state visitors who might otherwise recreate in neighboring states. This report displays results from an online panel survey and offers key insights and actionable suggestions that recreation planners, managers, recreation groups, state residents, and other decision makers and stakeholders can use to shape an effective and equitable outdoor recreation plan.

MethodologyData were collected from panelists through an online survey research company. Respondents were required to be residents of neighboring states—that is, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, or Arizona—to have stayed overnight in New Mexico within the past 3 years, and to have participated in some form of outdoor recreation during a visit within the past 3 years. These five states represent four of the top five markets for New Mexico for out-of-state visitors. While visitors from further afield may have some different characteristics, these five states were deemed to be the core of the visitor market.

The survey collected a total of 310 responses, of which 9 were discarded due to quality issues. The research team weighted the remaining data to more accurately reflect the regional population in terms of age, gender, and education level, using census data as the benchmark. The weighting was based on the responding population, rather than on completed responses, to account for natural differences that may exist between New Mexico visitors and the population of neighboring states. Analyses involved weighting the data to minimize bias and account for oversampling, calculating descriptive statistics such as means and percentages, and also testing for level of relationships and differences.

Panel surveys constitute a nonprobability sample, in that participants are not randomly selected from the population. In an online panel, respondents are self-selected volunteers. As such, they represent themselves but cannot be assumed to represent the entire population. Panels are often used as a proxy for a survey in instances where the population is difficult to reach via standard research, such as in this case where visitors to New Mexico represent a relatively small proportion of the population (and are thus very expensive to survey via standard research methods). Because this survey was based on nonprobability sampling, the research team did not calculate a margin of error.

C-2 | OUTDOOR RECREATION: 2015 OUT-OF-STATE VISITOR SURVEY RESULTS

A detailed description of methodology is found in Appendix 1 of this report, and a copy of the survey instrument is found is Appendix 2.

SUMMARY OF KEY INSIGHTSThe following key insights are derived from data and analysis displayed in the Analysis Tables Workbook, provided to the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department as a separate document.

New Mexico’s Competitive PositioningHighlights

Events are important drivers. Out-of-state visitors are most likely to come to New Mexico for outdoor cultural events and festivals, and those who attended an event in New Mexico are most likely to return again.

Visitation potential doesn’t differ east to west. Residents of Arizona, Colorado, and Utah are just as likely to visit New Mexico as residents from Texas and Oklahoma, though there are differences in the activities that attract them.

Colorado is a tough competitor. Recalling that this study examines the opinions of people who have visited New Mexico for outdoor recreation, and that it encompasses populations in states contiguous to New Mexico, one would expect New Mexico to perform very well against other states—and it did overall. However, when examining individual activities, more respondents would visit Colorado than New Mexico to engage in most activities, especially skiing, hunting, fishing, and using trails. New Mexico wasn’t alone: Colorado also beat out two other comparable states, Arizona and Utah. This indicates that New Mexico shares its out-of-state outdoor recreation market with Colorado, and that perhaps New Mexico is obtaining a smaller part of that market.

Off-highway vehicle (OHV) riding is a small but promising niche. New Mexico competes well with other states in this activity group, and OHV riders tend to come back when they do visit.

OUTDOOR RECREATION: 2015 OUT-OF-STATE VISITOR SURVEY RESULTS | C-3

Analysis

Top-of-Mind Thoughts about Outdoor Recreation in New Mexico (Q7)

When out-of-state visitors think about New Mexico, they think about activities and landscapes. They frequently mentioned hiking, skiing, balloons, camping, and golfing as activities, and frequently mentioned deserts and mountains as landscapes. Many visitors mentioned scenic beauty, and culture was cited somewhat frequently.

Likeliness to Travel to New Mexico to Participatein Outdoor Recreation in the Next 12 Months (Q5a)

Most out-of-state visitors are somewhat likely to visit again. On a 7-point scale, where 0=not at all likely and 7=very likely, about one-third of respondents indicated that they are very likely to visit New Mexico again in the next 12 months, and one-third are somewhat likely to revisit (answered with a 4 or 5). The remaining one-third answered with a 4 or lower, indicating that they are less likely or unlikely to visit again.


Categories of Likelihood of Travelingto New Mexico (Q5a) in the Next 12 Months

To help analyze and display results, the research team collapsed the 7-point scale (shown above) into three categories (shown at left). Selected results are displayed by these categories later in this report. Generally, if people who are “very likely” to visit New Mexico in the next 12 months answer questions differently than people in the other two categories, those differences could provide clues about attitudes or opinions that can be leveraged to increase visits to New Mexico.

Likelihood of Traveling to Various Statesto Participate in Outdoor Recreation (Q5), by State of

Residence

Average responses on a scale of 0 (“not at all likely”) to 6 (“very likely”).

Respondents were asked about out-of-state travel only, so theirintent to travel in their own state is excluded from these figures.

Respondents are more likely to leave their home state to visit New Mexico or Colorado than Arizona or Utah. This might not be particularly surprising considering that about half of respondents are from Texas/Oklahoma, states which are geographically much closer to New Mexico and Colorado. However, on average, respondents who live in Arizona, Colorado, or Utah are just as likely to visit New Mexico as those from Texas or Oklahoma. This is good news, meaning that New Mexico can draw visitors from other mountain/western states, not just from plains states. Indeed, New Mexico competes significantly better than Utah as an out-of-state travel destination among Arizona, Colorado, and Utah residents. Not surprisingly, due to proximity, people who live in Texas or Oklahoma are more likely to visit New Mexico or Colorado than Utah or Arizona.

Note that while respondents were drawn from the five states contiguous to New Mexico, the “competitive set” was considered to be only the states of Colorado, Arizona, and Utah. These states offer a more similar outdoor recreation environment than do Texas and Oklahoma, and so were deemed more likely to be competitors for visitors.


Likelihood of Visiting New Mexico (Q5a) within the Next Year,

by Attending an Outdoor Recreation Event during Most Recent Trip (Q13)

Using several different statistical techniques, there were very few demographic trends associated with the likelihood of revisiting New Mexico. For example, the age, region, income, and gender of respondents didn’t relate to likelihood.However, those who did attend an outdoor recreation event on their last trip to New Mexico (see survey instrument in Appendix 2 for definition) are much more likely to revisit the state than those who did not attend an event. While it is unclear whether the relationship is causal, or whether revisiting is due to annual attendance at an event versus being introduced to the state via an event, it is nonetheless a very strong effect that suggests events are an important element of increasing out-of-state visitor travel.

Likelihood of Visiting New Mexico (Q5a) in the Next 12 Months,

by Recreation Activity during Most Recent Trip (S4)Out-of-state visitors who had participated in motorized activities or ridden an OHV on their most recent trip to New Mexico were also the most likely to plan to return to New Mexico, followed by visitors who went fishing, hunting, or birdwatching and those who went hiking, running, biking, or horseback riding. Compared to visitors in all other activity categories measured, those who visited outdoor cultural sites were least likely to revisit New Mexico; however, they still scored an average of 4 on a scale of 0 to 6.Comparing this finding to other findings in the statewide resident survey, it appears that less frequent activities may be stronger candidates for promoting New Mexico, for example, “the annual trip” of activities that may be less commonly engaged. Additionally, visiting cultural sites is more of a traditional tourist activity that warrants repeat visits to a lesser


degree.

Competitive Positioning among Neighboring States (Q3)

Respondents were asked to which of four states they would most likely travel to participate in various outdoor recreation activities, and “I would not travel out-of-state to do this activity” was another option. Among the competitive set of states, the results above suggest that people are generally more likely to go to Colorado for activities but that more people will travel to New Mexico over Arizona or Utah for these activities. However, findings should be considered in the context that survey respondents live in states surrounding New Mexico, and that they have already visited New Mexico in the past, when those two traits may not apply to other states. Therefore, one would expect New Mexico to appear stronger when examining this market.

New Mexico is a clear regional leader in attracting visitors to participate in outdoor cultural events or festivals, an activity for which 87 percent of respondents would travel out-of-state. Events and festivals appear to be a clear and strong draw for out-of-state visitors, both in general and in New Mexico. New Mexico also competed relatively well in attracting out-of-state campers and those playing outdoor sports. New Mexico had a hard time competing with Colorado in fishing/hunting and in snow sports (other states struggled in this category, compared to Colorado).

Among all of the activities listed, respondents were most likely to travel out-of-state to visit national parks, forests, or natural areas, again suggesting a large market size for this broad activity. Small percentage gains in this category would translate into large sums of visitors. New Mexico is currently less strong at capturing this visitor market than any of the other markets that were tested. (The percentage of visitors for this market is higher than in other markets, due to the broadness of this activity—New Mexico captures a smaller percentage of that market.)

About 46 to 48 percent of respondents would not travel out-of-state for OHV riding or horseback riding. These are niche activities with low participation rates in out-of-state travel, but they are activities that may still be worth very targeted promotions because New Mexico competes relatively well against neighboring states, especially in OHV riding.


Proportion of Respondents Who Are Most Likely to Travelto New Mexico for This Activity (Q3), by Home State

Respondents were asked about out-of-state travel only, so theirintent to travel in their own state is excluded from these figures.

The research team isolated respondents who indicated that they were most likely to travel to New Mexico for each activity, then segmented these results by home region (i.e., residents from Texas and Oklahoma in one category and residents from Arizona, Colorado, and Utah in another). Analyzing the differences between these groups can reveal which region is ripe for promotion of that activity.Texans and Oklahomans are much more likely to travel to New Mexico for snow sports (skiing, snowmobiling) than respondents from Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. Advertising snow sport opportunities in Texas and Oklahoma should be more effective than advertising in the other states. Similar patterns exist for OHV riding; hiking and biking on dirt trails; and, to a lesser extent, camping and outdoor sports. Conversely, residents from Arizona, Colorado, and Utah are more likely to visit New Mexico for cultural events and festivals than residents from Texas and Oklahoma. Because New Mexico competes so well in this activity, promotion would likely be effective in all states but could be even more effective in Arizona, Colorado, and Utah.


Desire for Activities and ExperiencesHighlights

Most people pick a destination first. When traveling out-of-state, about 60 percent of respondents pick a destination before picking an activity to do there, and about 30 percent take the opposite approach. Slightly more than 10 percent fall into a third category of picking a time- and location-specific event. Among this survey population (recent past visitors to New Mexico), that third category is the greatest predictor of their intent to visit New Mexico (again) in the next 12 months. This appears to imply that promoting New Mexico as a destination may be the best marketing strategy for first-time visitors, and promoting events is the best way to attract repeat visitors.

Seeing attractive natural scenery is very important to most. The more important elements of a good vacation in the eyes of many people are seeing natural scenery, visiting historical sites, and having good dining and shopping. Keep in mind that the survey population is people who have come to New Mexico and participated in outdoor recreation, so these are elements of vacations for that particular group.

To increase visitation, promote the ability to “feel connected to nature” and “feel excited” in New Mexico. Travelers appear to desire these experiences, and they correlate with a greater likelihood of visiting New Mexico.


Analysis

Typical Travel Planning Processamong All Respondents and by Age Group (Q1)

The survey asked a few questions about general vacation planning (not New Mexico specific) to understand travel decision-making processes.In examining the green bars (all respondents) in this graph, most people (57%) determine a destination first, then choose an activity to do. So, most people are probably looking for places to go more than things to do. With that said, a solid proportion of travelers do determine an activity first. Only 12 percent plan to attend an event at a specific time and place.The red bars in this graph break down results by age, showing most specifically the difference between those younger or older than 65. Older respondents are more likely than younger respondents to determine an activity first and are more likely to plan to attend an event.

Average Likelihood of Traveling to New Mexico (Q5a)in the Next 12 Months, by Typical Travel Planning

Process (Q1)It is useful to assess whether respondents’ likelihood of visiting New Mexico depended on their typical planning process. The answer appears to be no. The average likeliness to travel to New Mexico differed only slightly (and not statistically) based on planning process. However, keep in mind that the top planning process (destination first) is a larger share of the market.The third category, “planned to attend an event,” is the least common planning process, but also appears to be the strongest at attracting repeat visitors.


Average Importance of Activities (Q2)

Averages are calculated using an 11-point scale, where0 = “not at all important” and 10 = “extremely important.”

Natural resource recreation is just one type of activity travelers can do on vacation, and it is useful to see how it compared or complemented other general activates.Looking at all respondents, it is clear that seeing attractive natural scenery (which is inherently connected to natural resource recreation) is clearly the most important activity, followed by visiting historical sites and dining and shopping. For these most important activities, there is not much difference between respondents by home state.However, as one considers activities that are generally less important to most visitors, geographical differences emerge. Texans and Oklahomans are more likely to indicate water-based activities and visiting theme parks as more important. These differences suggest portions of the Texas/Oklahoma market may be harder to capture.


Average Desire for Various Experiences (Q6),by Likelihood of Traveling to New Mexico in the Next 12

MonthsIn addition to general vacation planning processes and activities people like to do, one can also hypothesize that visitors’ desire for certain experiences might relate to their likelihood of going to New Mexico. Strong relationships would suggest that the desire for that experience is driving respondents to be more likely to visit New Mexico.The items closer to the top of this list are the most desired experiences, so they appear to be good candidates for marketing themes. However, they do not appear to be drawing visitors to New Mexico. In other words, people in the “very likely to visit” market segment do not disproportionately seek these experiences. This could be because people who want those traits aren’t particularly likely to travel to seek them, or it could be because they can also find the same experiences in other locations and thus don’t feel the need to go to New Mexico for them. Therefore, marketing may want to reinforce that these experiences exist in New Mexico, but it may not differentiate New Mexico from its competitors and/or it may not reach a highly traveling market. If New Mexico can truly differentiate, then perhaps more education of the traveling public needs to be done.

For five types of experiences, people who are more likely to visit New Mexico (again) in the next 12 months differ from those who are less likely. From strongest to weakest relationship, they were 1) develop skills or abilities, 2) feel connected to nature, 3) feel excited, 4) be around others, and 5) take personal risks. This may mean that people who want these experiences believe that they can find them in New Mexico, or it could simply mean that people who desire these traits are more likely to travel. Regardless, it points out that these experiences may be differentiating “drawing cards” to New Mexico.

For these five items, there appears to be something that is drawing people to New Mexico. In other words, people in the “very likely to visit” market segment disproportionately seek these experiences. It’s possible that New Mexico differentiates itself from competitors in terms of providing these experiences, or it’s possible that people who desire these experiences merely travel more, but either way it represents a market opportunity.

Note that many of the items that showed significant relationships are generally less desired than other items (i.e., they are closer to the bottom of the list). This means that they are less strongly desired, or that they are strongly desired by a smaller segment of the population. However, they can be difference makers either way, because the data indicates that they appear to be tied more strongly to plans to visit New Mexico in the future.

With this in mind, targeted marketing might stress the ability to feel connected to nature and to feel


excited, because these items were strongly desired and correlated to likelihood of traveling to New Mexico. They appear to differentiate New Mexico among those who plan to visit.

What Would Make You More Likely to VisitNew Mexico Again, Instead of Traveling Elsewhere?

(Q11)The survey asked, in an open-ended format, what would make recent visitors more likely to return to New Mexico to participate in outdoor recreation rather than going to a different state. About one in every five didn’t know what would make them return to New Mexico, suggesting that desired promotions are not top-of-mind. Of those who provided a response, the most common suggestions were decreasing costs and offering more appealing activities and attractions.Many respondents mentioned that if they visit family or friends, they will be visiting the state by default; tourism would not be the primary reason for their visit. Interestingly, having more knowledge about what to do or where to go was mentioned by only 3 percent of respondents.Fourteen percent of respondents cited incentives not listed here, demonstrating the variety of factors that people might find appealing about traveling out-of-state.


Satisfaction with Recent VisitsHighlights

Visitors who attend outdoor recreation events are more likely to be satisfied with their visit than other outdoor recreation visitors. Promoting attendance at recreation events helps ensure positive associations with the state.

Visitors who were satisfied with their experience are likely to revisit.


Analysis

Satisfaction with Most Recent Experience Recreatingin New Mexico (Q10), by Attendance at Outdoor

Recreation EventOn average, all respondents felt that when they most recently participated in recreation in New Mexico, their expectations were somewhat exceeded (this question was a proxy for satisfaction). Those who had attended an outdoor recreation event reported a much stronger score, in terms of satisfaction, than did visitors who did not attend an event. As our other survey-question results indicate, attendance at events is a key variable.

Note that in addition to differences by attendance at events, those who stayed five nights or more had significantly greater satisfaction than those who stayed fewer than five nights. Also, visitors younger than 45 were more satisfied than older visitors, and those without a bachelors degree tended to be more pleased than those with a degree. There was no notable difference in satisfaction between visitors who most recently flew or drove, or between males and females.

Satisfaction with Most Recent Experience Recreatingin New Mexico (Q10), by Likelihood of Visiting Again

Findings presented in this graph might not be completely unexpected, but they drive home an important point: those who have lower satisfaction (via their most recent experience not meeting expectations) are less likely to revisit New Mexico. This effect appeared for the "least likely to revisit" group, but not between the "somewhat likely" and" very likely" groups. This suggests that factors other than satisfaction drive those who are very likely to revisit to feel that way. Regardless, it appears that keeping current visitors satisfied with their experiences will amplify visitation in the future.


Outdoor Events and SpendingHighlights

Visitors import money into New Mexico. On average, visitors spend about $1,000 per trip, or about $290 per day.

Event-goers spend similarly to other types of visitors. Looking at data from several angles, it appears that those who attend or participate in an event do not spend more than their counterparts. This was true for total dollars spent, dollars spent per day, and average number of nights stayed.

Events bring in about $900 per attendee.


Analysis

Average and Median Amount of Total Money Spent on Most Recent Overnight Visit (Q16), by Attendance at

Recreation EventsAmong all respondents, 36 percent had participated in or attended an outdoor recreation event,1 52 percent had not, and an additional 12 percent were unsure.There was no significant difference in spending between event-goers and those who did not attend an event. There was also no significant difference in the average number of nights they stayed based on attending an event.While event attendance appears to influence future visitation and satisfaction, it does not have the same effect on spending or length of stay.

1 The research team defined an outdoor recreation event as being “organized for the public or other groups and occurring at a specific time and place such as balloon festivals, running races, sports tournaments, group ski trips, birdwatching events, and other similar activities.”


Average and Median Amount of MoneySpent on Each Category (Q16)

On average, respondents reported spending the most on lodging, followed by food and gasoline. Respondents spent the least on admission fees, car rentals, and equipment rentals among the categories that were measured.The greatest variation in average spending was for lodging, where the minimum spent was $0 and the maximum spent was $5,000, although 95 percent of respondents spent less than $750 on lodging. Responses to all other items were much more clustered around the average.

Average and Median Amount of Money Spentby Reason for Participating in an Outdoor Recreation Event

(Q16)Among the respondents who participated in or attended an outdoor recreation event, 45 percent visited New Mexico primarily for the event. For another 44 percent, attending the event was a secondary reason for visiting New Mexico. For the remaining 11 percent, attending the event was not a reason for visiting (presumably they found out about the event while visiting). The research team examined the spending totals among these three groups but found no significant differences. The reason for attending events does not appear to influence in-state spending.

Our final goal was to determine how much money a typical person spent because they attended an outdoor recreation event. In other words, how much money did events bring in per person? Because people likely spent money for reasons besides the event, the research team controlled for this by attributing a percentage of total money spent based on reason for visiting New Mexico and number of nights stayed.


First, if a person visited the state primarily to attend an event, all money spent was attributed to the event. Then, for everyone else who attended an event in which it was not their primary reason for visiting, or it was not related to their reason for visiting, the analysis multiplied their total dollars spent in the state by the proportion of total nights stayed (Q9) that were stayed specifically for the event (Q15). For example, one visitor from Arizona spent five nights in New Mexico, but only two (i.e., 33%) were specifically to attend a recreation event. The protocol multiplied his total spending of $520 by 33% and determined that he spent $173 due to the event. What was the result? The research team estimates that event-goers spent, on average, $900 per visitor.

After determining the influence of events on spending, one more question remained: How does the number of nights spent in New Mexico predict in-state spending? In other words, if visitors were persuaded to stay an additional night, how much additional money would they spend? By using a regression analysis, which is a statistical technique that evaluates the strength of the relationship between the number of nights spent and the total amount of money spent in state, it appears that each additional night spent would result in an additional $150 to $160 dollars. This is a fair amount lower than the average amount spent per night. As explained below, the lower amount is likely due, in part, to cost efficiencies of people who stay in New Mexico longer.

Total In-State Spending,by Number of Nights Spent in New Mexico

This graph shows results of nights stayed by total money spent in New Mexico. As would be expected, there is a lot of variability, and some people reported spending large sums of money in a few days (i.e., $1,750 per day), while others reported spending very little money over a long period of days (i.e., $41 per day). Also, it appears that not many people stay longer than five days. The total spending of those who stayed longer than five days actually does not increase much compared to those staying five days or less.

Note that while the number of nights spent does predict the amount of money spent, these results suggests that other elements, possibly type of activity or mode of travel, might be much better predictors of spending behavior. In other words, getting visitors to stay longer might not be the best approach to increasing visitor spending.


APPENDIX 1 |

DETAILED METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH GOALS Corona Insights collaborated with key staff from Logan Simpson and New Mexico State Parks to develop the following research goals.

Understand New Mexico’s competitive positioning of outdoor recreation as a means for attracting out-of-state visitors (i.e., why would they visit New Mexico over other states, and why would they visit other states rather than New Mexico)

Understand what activities, destinations, and other qualities of outdoor recreation are top-of-mind (e.g., what comes to mind when you think of outdoor recreation in New Mexico)

Understand the desirability of several types of outdoor recreation activities, facilities, and experiences in New Mexico

Measure satisfaction of visiting New Mexico among out-of-state visitors Determine what out-of-state visitors feel is lacking in New Mexico outdoor recreation

opportunities Measure out-of-state visitors’ spending due to outdoor events

SURVEY EXECUTIONData were collected from panelists through an online survey research company. Panel surveys constitute a nonprobability sample, in that participants are not randomly selected from the population. In an online panel, respondents are self-selected volunteers. As such, they represent themselves but cannot be assumed to represent the entire population. Panels are often used as a proxy for a survey in instances where the population is difficult to reach via standard research, such as in this case where visitors to New Mexico represent a relatively small proportion of the population (and are thus very expensive to survey via standard research methods). Because this survey was based on nonprobability sampling, the research team did not calculate a margin of error.

The survey was administered in late April and early May 2015. Corona Insights included four screener questions designed to filter desired respondents and exclude insincere respondents. The survey was introduced blindly, meaning respondents did not know the survey topic or sponsor before completing the screener questions. Respondents were required:

To be residents of neighboring states (i.e., Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, or Arizona).

To have stayed overnight in New Mexico within the past 3 years. To have participated in some form of outdoor recreation during a visit within the past

3 years (see survey instrument for a list of qualifying outdoor recreation activities).

The survey collected 310 responses, of which 9 were discarded due to quality issues. The research team weighted the remaining data to more accurately reflect the regional population in terms of age, gender, and education level, using census data as the benchmark. The


weighting was based on the responding population, rather than on completed responses, to account for natural differences that may exist between New Mexico visitors and the population of neighboring states. Upon calculating weights, the research team found that the difference between the minimum and maximum weights were undesirably large; therefore, the weights were truncated so that the maximum weight was no more than 10 times the amount of the smallest weight.

ANALYSISAfter weighting the data, Corona Insights tabulated all closed-ended questions from all responses and by key segments where sample size allowed. Segments were chosen based on their relevance to the research goals and contributions to the findings. We analyzed and reported quantitative data with descriptive statistics such as means, medians, and percentages, and we reviewed open-ended data and coded responses into categories where appropriate. For some questions, responses were assigned a numeric code by response category and averages were calculated and reported. We used z-tests and t-tests to test for statistically significant differences between or among segments where appropriate. A statistically significant difference indicates that we are highly confident that the pattern in the data is reliable and that we would expect to find the same result if we repeated the survey. We are not confident in patterns that are not statistically significant. All statistical tests were deemed statistically significant when the likelihood of a false-positive result was less than 5 percent.


APPENDIX 2 |

SURVEY INSTRUMENT

SCREENERCompleted responses will be from residents of neighboring states who participated in

outdoor recreation and stayed overnight in New Mexico within the past three years.

i. What state do you currently live in? If you live in more than one state, what is your state of primary residence?

a. Dropdown of 50 states plus D.C. [PROCEED IF TEXAS, OKLAHOMA, COLORADO, UTAH, OR ARIZONA.]

ii. Have you ever stayed overnight in any of the following states? Check all that apply. [REMOVE STATE OF RESIDENCE IF APPLICABLE. ANCHOR NONE OF THE ABOVE.]

a. Arizonab. Coloradoc. New Mexico [PROCEED]d. Utahe. Wyomingf. None of the above [EXCLUSIVE]

iii. [ASK ONLY IF SELECTED IN SCREENER II] When was the most recent time you stayed overnight in this/each state?

Within the past 3 years

More than 3 years ago,

but within 5 years

More than 5 years ago

a. Arizona b. Colorado

c. New Mexico

[PROCEED]

d. Utah e. Wyoming


iv. During your overnight visit(s) to New Mexico within the past three years, what did you or others traveling with you do there? Check all that apply [RANDOMIZE, ANCHOR NONE OF THE ABOVE]

a. Visited local parks or community parks [PROCEED]b. Visited state parks, national parks, or national monuments [PROCEED]c. Visited forests, reservoirs, wildlife refuges, or other natural areas

[PROCEED]d. Played outdoor individual sports such as golf or tennis [PROCEED]e. Played outdoor team sports such as soccer, softball, or similar sports

[PROCEED]f. Participated in non-motorized outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, or

horseback riding [PROCEED]g. Participated in motorized outdoor activities such as 4-wheel driving

(OHV/off-roading) [PROCEED]h. Went camping [PROCEED]i. Participated in snow sports such as skiing, snowboarding, or

snowmobiling [PROCEED]j. Went boating, such as rafting, sailing, water skiing, riding jet skis, or

riding on a motorboat [PROCEED]k. Went fishing, hunting, or bird watching [PROCEED]l. Visited outdoor cultural sites such as historic areas or reservations

[PROCEED] m. Specifically sought out natural scenery to view [PROCEED]n. Attended an outdoor festival [PROCEED]o. Visited indoor attractions such as museums, churches, or aquariums p. Visited outdoor attractions such as theme parks, zoos, water parks, or

dude-ranchesq. Purchased art such as paintings, sculptures, or photographs r. Visited a casino or racetracks. Visited art or craft galleriest. Attended a spectator event such as a play, opera, concert, movie, or

sporting eventu. Attended meetings or a conferencev. Went to offices or worksites or otherwise had a normal work dayw. Visited family or friendsx. None of the above [EXCLUSIVE]

[PROCEED TO ALL REMAINING QUESTIONS]

GENERAL VACATION PLANNINGThe next two questions are about traveling for pleasure to any out-of-state destination.


1. On the most recent trip when you traveled out of state for pleasure and stayed there overnight, which of the following best describes your planning process? [Randomize A and B]

a. I picked a place to go and then figured out what I would do while I was thereb. I picked an activity that I wanted to do and then decided where to go for that

activityc. I identified an event to attend that had a specific place and timed. None of the above [Exclusive]

2. In planning your next pleasure trip where you will travel out of state and stay overnight, how important is it that you or others traveling with you can do the following activities? Please rate each activity on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0=“Not at all important” and 10=“Extremely important.” [Randomize]

Not at all important

01 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Extremely important

10

a. Visit theme parks or water parks

b. See attractive natural scenery

c. Dining and shopping

d. Participate in land-based outdoor recreation

e. Participate in water-based outdoor recreation

f. Experience arts and culture

g. Visit historical sites

TRAVELING FOR OUTDOOR RECREATIONThe rest of this survey is about outdoor recreation, which is things you do outside for

fun or leisure. For this survey, outdoor recreation includes the following…


- Visiting parks: such as local parks, state parks, or national parks- Visiting natural areas: such as forests, reservoirs, or wildlife refuges- Playing outdoor sports: such as golf, tennis, soccer, softball, or similar sports- Trail activities: such as hiking, biking, running, or horseback riding- Motorized activities: such as 4-wheel driving (OHV/off-roading)- Camping: including backpacking- Snow sports: such as skiing, snowboarding, or snowmobiling - Boating: such as rafting, sailing, water skiing, riding jet skis, or riding on a motorboat - Wildlife activities: such as fishing, hunting, or bird watching - Visiting outdoor cultural sites: such as historic sites or reservations- Attending an outdoor events: such as a balloon festival or youth sports tournament

For this survey, outdoor recreation does not include entertainment at facilities such as music concerts, racetracks, amusement parks, outdoor markets, or zoos.

3. Among the states listed below, which state would you most likely travel to for the purpose of…[Remove state of residence if applicable. Randomize]

Arizona

Colorado

New Mexico

Utah I would not travel out of state to do this activity

a. Walking, hiking, running, or biking on dirt trails or roads

b. Walking, hiking, running, or biking on paved trails or roads

c. Horseback riding

d. Operating or riding on motorized vehicles on dirt roads or trails

e. Camping

f. Playing outdoor sports

g. Visiting national parks, forests, wilderness, or natural areas

h. Participating in water sports such as boating, rafting, sailing, water skiing, or riding on a motorboat

i. Participating in snow sports such as skiing,


snowboarding, or snowmobiling

j. Fishing, hunting, or viewing animals

k. Participating in outdoor cultural events or festivals

4. When did you, or people you were traveling with, most recently participate in outdoor recreation in each of the following states? [Remove state of residence if applicable.]

Within the past 12 months

More than 1 year ago, but within 2 years

More than 2 years ago, but within 3 years

More than 3

years ago

Never

a. New Mexico

b. Utah

c. Colorado

d. Arizona

5. [Remove state of residence if applicable] On a scale of 0 to 6, where 0="Not at all likely" and 6="Extremely likely," how likely are you to travel to each of the following states to participate in outdoor recreation within the next 12 months? Analysis may include calculating a likelihood factor of going to New Mexico by subtracting the highest score of any other state from the New Mexico score.

Not at all

likely0

1 2 3 4 5 Extremely

likely6

a. New Mexico

b. Utah

c. Colorado

d. Arizona

6. Please tell me the extent you desire the following when you recreate outdoors and away from home. [Randomize]


Strongly Desire

Somewhat Desire

Do Not Desire

a. Enjoy peace and quiet

b. Feel away from it all

c. Be around other people

d. Spend time with friends and family

e. Discover new things

f. Get exercise

g. Feel connected to nature

h. Take personal risks

i. Feel alone

j. Feel excited

k. Observe scenic beauty

l. Develop skills or abilities

OUTDOOR RECREATION IN NEW MEXICO

7. When you think about outdoor recreation in New Mexico, what is the first word or short phrase that comes to mind?

a. ____________________________________________

When you most recently participated in outdoor recreation in New Mexico…

8. How did you get from your home to New Mexico? [Randomize, anchor other]a. Droveb. Flewc. Other: ___________________________

9. How many nights did you stay in New Mexico? (If none, please enter “0”)a. Nights:___________

10.Did that outdoor recreation experience…a. Greatly exceed your expectationsb. Somewhat exceed your expectationsc. Meet your expectations exactlyd. Somewhat fall short of your expectationse. Greatly fall short of your expectations

11.What would make you be more likely to visit New Mexico again to participate in outdoor recreation instead of traveling to a different state?


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12.Is participating in outdoor recreation something you…a. Definitely want to dob. Somewhat want to doc. Slightly want to dod. Do not want to do at alle. Unsure

ATTENDING OUTDOOR RECREATION EVENTS

Outdoor recreation events are organized for the public or other groups and occur at a specific time and place. Examples are balloon festivals, running races, sports tournaments, group ski trips, bird watching events, and other similar activities.

13.When you most recently participated in outdoor recreation in New Mexico, did you participate in or attend an outdoor recreation event, as described above?

a. Yesb. Noc. Unsure

14.[If attended an outdoor recreation event] Was participating in or attending the outdoor recreation event(s) the…

a. Primary reason for going to New Mexicob. Secondary reason for going to New Mexicoc. Was not part of the reason for going to New Mexicod. Other: ___________________________________

15.[If attended an outdoor] How many nights did you stay in New Mexico

specifically so that you, or people you were traveling with, could participate in or attend an outdoor recreation event(s)? (If none, please enter “0”)

a. Nights: ________

SPENDINGWe are almost done!

16.Totaling up all expenses of your most recent overnight visit to New Mexico, about how much money did you spend inside the state? Please list your expenses for each line, and count only money you spent in New Mexico. Include money that you spent for yourself and for those traveling with you. Enter "0" if you spent no money in that category. Estimating is fine if you don’t know exact numbers.

a. $_____ Lodging (hotels, campgrounds, etc.)b. $_____ Food (restaurants, grocery stores, etc.)


c. $_____ Shopping for destination-specific items (e.g., souvenirs)d. $_____ Shopping for all other itemse. $_____ Equipment rental feesf. $_____ Admission fees or licensesg. $_____ Car rentalh. $_____ Gasolinei. $_____ All other expenses: (please specify)______________________

DEMOGRAPHICSHere are the last questions.

17.In what year were you born? a. ________ (enter 4-digit year)

18.Are you…a. Maleb. Female

19.How many people who are younger than 18 live in your household?

a. _______________ (number of people)

20.Which category best describes your household income? Include all sources of income and all people living in your home.

a. $0 to $19,999b. $20,000 to $39,999c. $40,000 to $49,999d. $50,000 to $74,999e. $75,000 to $99,999f. $100,000 to $149,999g. $150,000 to $199,999h. $200,000 or Greater

21.Have you received a bachelor’s degree?a. Yesb. No

22.If you have anything else to say about this topic, please enter it in the space below.

____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________


Thank you for your time.

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