Mapping tourism-recreational activities of locals and visitors in Hood Canal, Washington using InSEAM, an online mapping tool.
Presentation Abstract
In Washington State, the Hood Canal watershed provides diverse opportunities for tourism/recreational activities such as camping, boating, shellfishing, swimming, and hiking. Current tourism literature does not have a strong focus on local recreation trends and whether locals partake in different recreational activities than tourists who visit the same region. In order to address this gap, I collected and analyzed social spatial data using an online map survey, InSEAM, to understand the activities of Hood Canal locals and visitors. The survey asked various demographic questions, perception questions about the health of the Hood Canal and the impact of tourism-recreational activities. On the online map, participants drew polygons, lines or points to represent locations of where they partake in tourism/recreational activities. Data was recoded into seven broad categories and analyzed using ArcGIS and Pearson chi squared test. Non-motorized shore activities accounted for the majority of recreational activities done in Hood Canal. Results show there are differences among the types of activities locals and tourists participated in as well as in their perception of how their activities impacted the overall health of the Hood Canal. InSEAM was an effective tool in collecting data stored in GIS format and removed the need to digitize paper maps or convert them into GIS formats. It provided a simple way to engage participants by allowing them to complete the survey at their convenience. To make the tool even more effective, educational information about mapping should be sent out to users beforehand. The results provide tourism brokers, local residents, tourists and managers with visual representations of how the watershed is being used for recreation and tourism purposes by locals and visitors.
Session Title
The Value of Recreation and Community in the Salish Sea
Conference Track
People
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Poster
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Leisure--Washington (State)--Hood Canal; Recreational surveys--Washington (State)--Hood Canal--Analysis
Geographic Coverage
Hood Canal (Wash.); Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Mapping tourism-recreational activities of locals and visitors in Hood Canal, Washington using InSEAM, an online mapping tool.
2016SSEC
In Washington State, the Hood Canal watershed provides diverse opportunities for tourism/recreational activities such as camping, boating, shellfishing, swimming, and hiking. Current tourism literature does not have a strong focus on local recreation trends and whether locals partake in different recreational activities than tourists who visit the same region. In order to address this gap, I collected and analyzed social spatial data using an online map survey, InSEAM, to understand the activities of Hood Canal locals and visitors. The survey asked various demographic questions, perception questions about the health of the Hood Canal and the impact of tourism-recreational activities. On the online map, participants drew polygons, lines or points to represent locations of where they partake in tourism/recreational activities. Data was recoded into seven broad categories and analyzed using ArcGIS and Pearson chi squared test. Non-motorized shore activities accounted for the majority of recreational activities done in Hood Canal. Results show there are differences among the types of activities locals and tourists participated in as well as in their perception of how their activities impacted the overall health of the Hood Canal. InSEAM was an effective tool in collecting data stored in GIS format and removed the need to digitize paper maps or convert them into GIS formats. It provided a simple way to engage participants by allowing them to complete the survey at their convenience. To make the tool even more effective, educational information about mapping should be sent out to users beforehand. The results provide tourism brokers, local residents, tourists and managers with visual representations of how the watershed is being used for recreation and tourism purposes by locals and visitors.
