National Scenic Byways Program and
America’s Byways Resource Center: 10-Year Report
This December 2009 report represents the byway-specific knowledge base and resources created over the previous decade to fortify the success and sustainability of designated byways. It covers work implemented by the America’s Byways Resource Center in support of the National Scenic Byways Program.
For ease of viewing this 10-year compilation, descriptions of the work follow the Introduction in four categories: Research, Training, Tools, and Evaluation. Links to digital resources are provided when available.
For additional information, please contact the FHWA-National Scenic Byways Program or America’s Byways Resource Center.
Research
America’s Byways Resource Center and FHWA-National Scenic Byways Program have engaged in research intended to provide tangible benefits to the entire byway community. Time and resources have been allocated to identify and address the critical areas for research, such as the economic impacts of national scenic byway designation. The information was interpreted, if needed, and made available to byway organizations to help shape future efforts and strategies for byway sustainability.
Market Research Results - 2007
America’s Byways Resource Center, in partnership with the FHWA-National Scenic Byways Program, worked with Longwoods International to execute three phases of research to study stakeholders, profile visitor audience and assess positioning.
The market research confirmed that, while there is a significant market for driving trips, awareness of the America’s Byways® brand is virtually non-existent. The research provided a basis for future marketing efforts and helped shape the framework for a partnership marketing initiative to elevate national awareness of the brand. Following the launch of a potential partnership marketing campaign, this baseline data will enable the America’s Byways Resource Center to measure the change in awareness over time, therefore providing a measurement of success.
Work Synopsis
- Audience: America’s Byways Resource Center, FHWA-National Scenic Byways Program, and the byway community.
- Goal: To conduct an analysis of vehicular travelers and their motivations, and to collect baseline data about the public’s awareness of the America’s Byways collection. The analysis would be useful to Resource Center and Program staff in developing a public awareness strategy and to the byway community as they market their individual byways to the traveling public.
- Intensity: Three phases of research focused on stakeholders, visitor profiling and brand positioning.
- Duration: Based on the Longwoods Travel USA® Personal Vehicular Travel Analysis and Custom Image & Positioning Research studies executed for America’s Byways in 2006 and 2007.
- Product: A compilation of research in a series of PDFs and .txt formats, available for viewing and printing on www.bywaysresourcecenter.org.
- Outcome: The research provided a basis for future marketing efforts and helped shape the framework for a partnership marketing initiative to elevate national awareness of the brand.
- Continued Use: Following the launch of a potential partnership marketing campaign, this baseline data will enable the America’s Byways Resource Center to measure the change in awareness over time, therefore providing a measurement of success.
Key Highlights (PDF, .txt)
Personal Vehicular Traveler Analysis - 2005 (PDF, .txt)
Personal Vehicular Traveler Analysis - 2007 (PDF, .txt)
Awareness, Familiarity and Appeal of the America’s Byways® Collection (PDF, .txt)
Product Perception vs. Actual Experience (PDF, .txt)
Motivating Potential Byways Travelers (PDF, .txt)
Quantifying the Economic Impacts of Scenic Byway Designation - Executive Summary - 2003
Commissioned by America’s Byways Resource Center, the Economic Development Research Group (Boston, MA) prepared the original document, Quantifying the Economic Impacts of Scenic Byway Designation, in 2001. The University of Minnesota - Duluth, School of Business and Economics Bureau of Business and Economic Research completed an Executive Summary of the original document to distill the material for the byway community’s non-economists. The Executive Summary, produced by America’s Byways Resource Center, was not intended to verify any findings of the 2001 studies.
One of the most frequent requests from the byway community is a method of measuring their byway’s economic impact on surrounding communities. The results of the report were inconclusive and did not provide sufficient results on which to base a conclusion.
Work Synopsis
- Audience: Nationally designated byways.
- Goal: To review how other researchers have attempted to measure the economic impact of scenic byway designation, and to offer the byway community tools and information they need to draw conclusions from previous economic impact research.
- Intensity: Self-directed study; primarily intended for readers not familiar with the subject.
- Duration: Self-directed study.
- Product: An Executive Summary document, available in PDF format upon request from America’s Byways Resource Center.
- Outcome: A report that evaluated previous research, which could help in designing future economic impact studies for scenic byways.
- Continued Use: No quantifiable data is available.
