Research and Reports

Q3 Statewide Tourism Updates

Theodore Roosevelt National Park breaks visitation record.

• The quarter ended with Theodore Roosevelt National Park breaking their 2021 visitation record. Through September, the National Park had welcomed 875,257 guests with visitation 30% higher than last year.
• Hotel occupancy continued to outperform the U.S. and west north central region, with revenue 7.8% ahead of 2023.
• August saw a 14% increase in border crossings, and thru that month visitation from Canada was 12.7% higher than 2023.
• ESTO, Columbus OH – ND Tourism moderated the Professional Development session for Domestic and International trade.
• Tribal Leaders Summit: ND Tourism moderated the Tourism session - “What Does Tourism Mean to You? The Positive Effects and Benefits.” Native tourism development builds community capacity, creates jobs, educates visitors and helps sustain a tribe’s culture and environment.
• FAMS: 4 hosted, 3 markets, 32 days spent in ND, 22 cities visited.
• Set up national podcast interview for Jeb Williams, Director of ND Game & Fish to be on The Flush Podcast with Travis Frank. The episode premiered September 19.
• Worked with host of Rush Outdoors TV, Tim Andrus to set up a hunt for an episode of Rush Outdoors near Bowdon, North Dakota.
• Participated in and collected digital assets at the Sheyenne Riverfest in Valley City August 2.

2024 3rd QTR Marketing Report

Q2 Statewide Tourism Updates

North Dakota outperformed the nation in lodging demand and air passengers during Q2 and visitation indicators were strong.

• Economic impact data for counties was released during the quarter, showing an average growth of 8.8% in visitor spending.
• In June, statewide hotel occupancy rose to the highest level seen since June of 2014.
• Hotel occupancy slightly lagged behind 2023 but revenue increased 4.4%.
• Visits to Theodore Roosevelt National Park increased 18% with June recording the most visited month to date.
• Border crossings increased 12.1% during the quarter but remained approximately 83% the volume of 2019.
• GAW Summit & International Round-up - Casper, WY: 49 leads from all 7 international markets.
• US Travel’s IPW - Los Angeles: 90 leads from 17 countries. Top five were Germany, Nordics, UK, Benelux and France.
• German media spent 3 ½ days visiting Medora, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and MHA Tourism.
• Italian Media spent 5 days in state visiting, Wahpeton, Fargo, Cooperstown, New Rockford, Ft Totten, Devils Lake, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, International Peace Garden, Rugby, and Standing Rock National Native American Scenic Byway.
• Traveled 3,000+ miles across North Dakota to set up brochure racks in all 15 rest areas. Distributed over 12,000 Travel Guides and 18,250 Highway Maps in rest areas.
• Group Travel brought in 22 tours resulting in 57 overnights for 779 guests, creating an estimated revenue of $434,124.

2024 2nd QTR Marketing Report

Q1 Statewide Tourism Updates

Pleasant weather and notable marketing activities has 2024 off to a great start for the travel industry.

• Website traffic surged, ending the quarter 65.5% higher than Q1 2023.
• Arrivalist verified more than 1.7 million U.S. trips to North Dakota; a 2.2% increase.
• Hotel occupancy slightly lagged behind 2023 but revenue increased 4.4%.
• Border crossings were available through February and were 22.4% higher than 2023.
• After a cold January, visits to Theodore Roosevelt National Park rebounded in February and March for a quarter ending 18.8% higher than 2023.
• Attended and spoke at Buffalo Grande Foundation Ribbon Cutting in Hettinger.
• Attended GO West Summit with 40 appointments with international tour company representatives. Attended ABA with 58 appointments with group travel representatives.
• Oslo mission with Fargo-Moorhead CVB resulted in good quality appointments with Nordic travel trade representatives. Connected with 26 travel trade representatives at International Inbound Tour Operators (IITA). German sales mission resulted in 181 leads and meetings with 40 media representatives.

2024 1st QTR Marketing Report

• Arrivalist verified more than 2.2 million U.S. visits during the quarter, which was a 21% increase over Q4 2022. Day trips increased 15% over the previous year.
• Border crossings from Canada were 21% higher than Q4 2022. Canadian visitation is the only area that hasn’t fully recovered to 2019 levels.
• Due to a high-performing program with Midwest Living, traditional inquiries surged during Q4 and were 72% higher for the quarter, ending the year 7% ahead of 2022.
• Hotel occupancy remained high for the quarter, ending 6.7% ahead of Q4 2022. North Dakota’s occupancy, ADR and RevPAR all had increased that outperformed the national average.
• KFYR-TV interview about fall pheasant hunting and the economic benefit of hunters.
• London Travel Week and Italian Mission lead to contacts across six of our markets. International media reached nearly 196M.

2023 4th QTR Marketing Report

• The Tourism Division’s annual staff familiarization tour took the team to the north unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Watford City, Tobacco Gardens, Fort Union, Fort Buford, the Confluence, Williston, Lund’s Landing, the Links of North Dakota and Garrison.
• Visitation remained strong throughout the quarter. Highlights include:
  • Hotel occupancy rates that outperformed the national average in July, August and September. The September OCC % was 7.2% higher than 2022.
  • Border crossings from Canada were 38.5% higher than 2022, but remain 76% of the volume seen in 2019.
  • September 2023 was the first month that in-state air arrivals met the volume seen in 2019.
  • Arrivalist estimated a 10.4% increase in visitation over the same quarter last year.
  • Signals of intent to travel were improved with website sessions, Facebook page visits and live chats all exceeding 2022 volume.
• 138 international tour operators offering North Dakota product, up 10% YOY. Estimated rooms booked up 154% over 2019. Italian, Dutch and UK media FAMs resulted in ad equivalency of $162K and a reach of nearly 13.4M.
• Recorded 79 group tours with more than $1.5M in economic impact.
• Story ideas pitched to 35 qualified outdoor media at AGLOW.
• Rest area distribution included more than 30K Travel Guides and 61.5K highway maps.

2023 3rd QTR Marketing Report

• Statewide hotel occupancy is at its highest level in years and outpacing national growth. Year-to-date occupancy is 7.4% higher than 2022, ADR is 9.3% higher and RevPAR is 17.4% ahead of 2022.
• Visitation metrics are strong at the mid-year point.
  - Arrivalist reports 7.67% higher total visitation.
  - Deplanements are 11% higher than 2022.
  - Border crossings for the quarter were 50% ahead of 2022.
  - Visitation to Theodore Roosevelt National Park is up 12.46% with its second-highest visited June in history.
• 47 international tour operator appointments at International Roundup and 87 appointments at US Travel’s IPW. International media reach of 29M with an ad equivalency value of nearly $761K.
• 20 group tours with estimated $270K in economic impact.
• Hosted Heliconia Productions to produce an episode of the show “Epic Trails” with Eric Hanson. Sites visited include Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the Maah Daah Hey Trail and Lake Sakakawea.

2023 2nd QTR Marketing Report

• The average statewide hotel occupancy has surpassed 2019 levels and is at an eight-year high.
• January visitation to Theodore Roosevelt National Park was 32% higher than its 10-year monthly average. But weather impacted visits in February and March.
• January deplanements outperformed 2019.
• Border crossings into North Dakota from Canada were 151% higher than 2022, but remain only 75% recovered from pre-pandemic closures.
• Through mid-March, Arrivalist has verified 567k U.S. road trips to North Dakota with 48% spending at least one night in a destination. Q1 growth has been seen from primary markets including Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, Colorado and Wyoming.
• International Inbound Travel Association Summit resulted in 24 appointments with 25 leads generated. International media featured North Dakota in 51 stories reaching more than 225M with an ad value of $2.11M.
• Group travel shows, including American Bus Association, Go West, and Midwest Marketplace, resulted in 109 appointments.
• More than 700 people stopped at the North Dakota booth at the Northwest Sportshow in Minneapolis.
• Hosted a writer from Outsider Magazine to do a winter story featuring the national park.

2023 1st QTR Marketing Report

North Dakota Tourism tapped Longwoods International for an analysis of visitation, visitor behavior, demographics and trip characteristics in order to better understand domestic visitation to the state.

2023 Visitor Profile

A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that visitors to Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site and Theodore Roosevelt National Park in 2019 spent $46 million in communities near these parks. That spending supported 586 jobs in the surrounding areas. 

The parks welcome visitors from across the country and around the world. Click here for the 2019 summary.