Arizona Highways Magazine’s Impact on Tourism: Final Report 568

Andereck, Kathleen L.; Ng, Evelyn · 2005 · ROSA P / Arizona. Dept. of Transportation

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

Get this paper ↗ (full text — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)

Summary

This study, conducted by Kathleen L. Andereck and Evelyn Ng for the Arizona Department of Transportation, investigates the impact of *Arizona Highways Magazine* (AHM) on tourism behavior and economic outcomes. The research addresses a gap in tourism literature regarding the influence of informal information sources, such as magazines, on travel decisions. The primary objectives were to examine AHM’s effect on tourism to and within Arizona, determine the trip characteristics of subscribers, and calculate a benefit/cost ratio for the publication based on its operational costs versus the economic impact of travel it generates. The methodology involved a comprehensive literature review and three distinct survey efforts targeting different populations. Researchers surveyed 811 in-state AHM subscribers, 1,200 out-of-state subscribers, and 1,433 non-subscribers from the Arizona Office of Tourism’s inquiry list. Surveys were administered via mail and the internet using Dillman’s technique to maximize response rates, which ranged from 31% for the general population to 56% for in-state subscribers. The study compared subscriber behaviors against a general population of prospective visitors to isolate the magazine's specific influence on destination choice, travel planning, and spending. Key findings indicate that AHM subscribers are demographically similar to other interested travelers but are older, with health issues being a primary travel constraint. A high percentage of subscribers visited Arizona multiple times over the past five years. Out-of-state subscribers typically stayed for about a week, traveled with spouses, and utilized hotels or private homes. Crucially, AHM served as a significant information source; subscribers reported the magazine substantially increased their interest in Arizona, particularly through its photography. Approximately 35% of out-of-state visitors cited AHM as the influence for their most recent trip, while another 11% extended their stay due to the magazine. The publication also influenced specific decisions regarding attractions, routes, and accommodations. Economically, the study found that subscribers spent an average of over $136.4 million annually in Arizona over the past five years. Of this total, $34.7 million was directly attributed to the influence of AHM on out-of-state subscribers' travel behavior. Given the magazine’s annual cost of $9.6 million, the analysis yielded a benefit/cost ratio of at least 3.6 to 1. The study concludes that AHM is a highly effective tool for tourism promotion, generating significant economic returns by influencing destination selection and enhancing the travel experience for a "product involved" audience.

Key finding

Arizona Highways Magazine generates a benefit-to-cost ratio of 3.6 to 1, with $34.7 million of the $136.4 million in annual subscriber expenditures directly attributed to the magazine's influence on travel behavior.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 1405

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (6 acquisition events logged).

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• external distraction