Evaluating the Role of State Welcome Centers in Disseminating Travel Related Information in North Carolina

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the distribution of travel-related information by visitors to the seven welcome centers operated by the North Carolina Division of Travel and Tourism. Three questionnaire forms were distributed to random samples of visitors during the fall quarter of 1984. The questionnaires were designed to survey on-site to determine why people stop at the welcome centers, what was their actual use of the wel come centers, and what was the likely influence of information received at the welcome centers on trip decisions. The results indicate that a substantial proportion of welcome center visitors do stop for information, that a large proportion actually pick up or receive information at the centers, and that visitors indicated they would use the information for decisions on both the current and on future trips. There were very few differences in these results between individuals traveling to North Carolina and individuals traveling through North Carolina en route to another state.