Resumen de Determining The Benefactors Of Tourism: a Case Study of a Small Rural Pennsylvania Community
A major problem facing the tourism industry is the lack of understanding held by the general public, as well as the business sector, as to who benefits from tourism expenditures. The implications of these perceptions can have direct policy results on the public sector as was seen in the process that led to the dismantling of the United States Travel and Tourism Organization. This study addressed the question of which businesses in a small rural community benefit from tourism. The study was sponsored by the county’s local economic development corporation, which had previously not supported tourism initiatives in the county. Qualitative interviews with 30 members of the community, either involved in economic development or recognized as community business leaders, resulted in the development of a self-administered survey. The survey was sent to a sample of 164 businesses. The response rate was approximately 50%. The findings indicated that nearly 80% of the respondents, representing a cross section of the business community, perceived that they benefited economically either directly or indirectly from tourism.
