Monday, June 7, 2010

Water Level Study Requests Local Tourism Industry Input

This is an invitation and encouragement to participate in a study of the impact of fluctuating water levels in the Great Lakes on the tourism industry. The International Joint Commission (IJC) has commissioned the study.

Below is a link that will open an on-line survey questionnaire. Please click on the link, or cut and paste it into your web browserʼs address line, to participate in the study. Completing the questionnaire should take approximately 15 minutes. The deadline for submitting responses is June 18, 2010.

Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/57KRDYK

The Recreational Boating, Cruise Ship and Tourism Technical Work Group (TWG) of the IJC is attempting to identify the various components that best determine the impact of high and low water levels which are affected by different water release regimes from the St. Maryʼs River/Lake Superior and then attempt to measure how different release rules would impact recreation boaters, marinas, the cruise ship industry, tourist dependant
businesses and related industries. The social and economic impact of changing water levels on those businesses is of the utmost importance.

As part of its mandate, the TWG is assessing the physical aspects and financial ramifications that fluctuating water levels may have, or are having on tourism related businesses around the Great Lakes. While there is a lot of current data available directly related to the recreational boating and cruise ship industry, very little information is available on the general tourism industry which is estimated to make up 70-80% of the overall
tourism product on the Great Lakes.

The TWG has engaged the Tourism Company, a tourism industry planning and management consulting company (www.tourismco.com) to identify and assess the importance of this portion of the industry, including the impacts of water level fluctuations on tourism businesses in selected study areas. Thunder Bay is one of the study areas.

The survey questionnaire that you are being encouraged to complete (see link, above) is the primary tool being used to gather data for the assessment. The breadth and depth of the study conclusions will be directly related to the level of participation of Thunder Bay tourism businesses in the survey. Survey responses will be kept strictly confidential. In the reporting, responses will only be reported in aggregate. Businesses will not be identified with their responses.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact:

DʼArcy McKittrick
Partner, the Tourism Company
Telephone: (705) 772 8425
Email: darcy@tourismco.com

If you have questions or comments about the study, please contact:
Glenn Warren
Study Co-Chair
Telephone: (705) 698 0523
Email: glenn.warren@persona.ca

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

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