| The economic decline of Rural America followed the severe recession of the early 1980's. As the economy recovered, metropolitan areas rebounded, while rural areas did not. The economic base of many rural communities, tied to traditional agricultural or natural resource dependent industries, has dropped significantly. Diversification of the economic base is frequently viewed as an important tool to stabilize or reverse these declines. Because many of Montana's declining rural communities are isolated from major transportation routes and are unlikely to be selected for high value technology or service industries, economic diversification may be limited to tourism development. Current economic development strategies in Montana focus on developing tourism as one tool to enhance rural community economic diversity and stability.; The goal of this study is to enhance our understanding of the linkage between tourism and rural community economic development. The routes that tourists choose affect the spatial distribution of travel expenditures. A geographic information system (GIS) based model of route choice is developed for several unique types of tourists. The model is based on the route and destination characteristics that are valued by each type.; Simulations are developed using the GIS route choice model to estimate the economic impacts that might result from several tourism development scenarios for one rural community in Montana. These simulations are based on three levels of community involvement. The three scenarios are described as an increase in state-wide nonresident visits, the implementation of a scenic corridor, and the designation of a scenic byway.; Results suggest that while state-level changes can result in substantial local economic impacts, the potential social costs to the community and the state might be too high. However, locally initiated efforts may be the most effective strategy to provide more immediate economic gains while minimizing potential costs. |
