Visitor experience and ticketing system surveys at Timpanogos Cave National Monument (TICA)

	U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Social Science Program Visitor Services Project

OMB Control Number: 1040-1024

Current Expiration Date: 8-31-2013

Timpanogos Cave

National Monument

Visitor Study

[Fee and Ticketing survey]

[Space holder for cover photo]

	United States Department of the Interior NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Timpanogos Cave National Monument R.R. 3 Box 200 American Fork, Utah 84003
June 2013 Dear Visitor, Thank you for participating in this important study. We want to learn about the expectations, opinions, and interests of visitors regarding Timpanogos Cave National Monument. This information will help us improve our management of this site and better serve our visitors. This questionnaire will be given to a select number of people, so your participation is highly appreciated. It should only take about 10 minutes to complete. Please complete this questionnaire and return it to the survey technician or place it in the drop box at the Visitor Center. If you have any questions, please contact Lena Le, NPS Visitor Services Project, Director, Park Studies Unit, College of Natural Resources, 875 Perimeter Driver MS 1139, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844-1139; 208-885-2585 (phone); [email protected] (email). We appreciate your help and are looking forward to hearing your opinions. Sincerely, [insert signature] Jim Ireland Superintendent

DIRECTIONS

1. Please have the selected individual (at least 18 years old) complete this questionnaire.

2. For questions that use circles (O), please mark your answer by filling in the circle with black or blue ink. Please do not use pencil.

3. Once you have completed this questionnaire, please return it to the survey technician or place in the drop box located at the Visitor Center.

Topic Area 3 – LEARN1

1. a) Prior to your visit today, how familiar were you with cave systems? Please mark (•) only one.

O Not at all familiar

O Slightly familiar

O Somewhat familiar

O Very familiar

O Extremely familiar

b) Compared to your level of familiarity with cave systems prior to your visit today, which of the following statements best describes your familiarity with cave systems after your visit today? Please mark (•) only one.

O I did not learn anything new about cave systems on my visit today.

O I learned one new fact about cave systems on my visit today.

O I learned several new facts about cave systems on my visit today.

Topic Area 3 – TRIPC1

2. What is your primary reason for visiting Timpanogos Cave National Monument today?

Topic Area 6 – EVALFEE1 VARIATION

3. Please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements concerning your willingness to pay more for a cave tour ticket, depending on how the increase would be used. Please mark one (•) for each statement.

I would be willing to pay more for a tour ticket if the increase were put toward…	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Agree	Strongly agree
…a system to reserve tickets by phone	O	O	O	O	O
…a system to reserve tickets via the Internet	O	O	O	O	O
…a system to procure a last- minute ticket, on-site	O	O	O	O	O
…additional features/exhibits of the cave tour program	O	O	O	O	O
…additional tour times after 4:30pm	O	O	O	O	O
…better directional signage	O	O	O	O	O
…building improvements	O	O	O	O	O
…decreased wait time to obtain tour tickets	O	O	O	O	O
…ecological restoration of bat habitat within the cave	O	O	O	O	O
…increased grounds maintenance	O	O	O	O	O
…increased availability of emergency services	O	O	O	O	O
…law enforcement presence	O	O	O	O	O
…limiting traffic and parking congestion	O	O	O	O	O
…parking lot improvements	O	O	O	O	O
…preservation of cave ecosystems	O	O	O	O	O
…preservation of natural cave features	O	O	O	O	O
…providing a longer tour	O	O	O	O	O
…providing child-free or age-specific tours	O	O	O	O	O
…restroom improvements	O	O	O	O	O
…safety barriers/ improvements along the trail to the cave	O	O	O	O	O
…smaller tour group size so I can see and hear better	O	O	O	O	O
…special topic tours	O	O	O	O	O

Topic Area 7 – ECON7 VARIATION

4. Which type(s) of cave tour ticket(s) did you purchase for your visit today? Please mark all (•) that apply.

O Adult (age 16 and older): $7.00

O Senior (Golden Age) and Access Pass holders: $3.50

O Junior (age 6-15): $5.00

O Child (age 3-5): $3.00

O Infant (age 0-2): Free

Topic Area 6 – EVALFEE3

5. For each type of cave tour fee that you paid on this visit, how would you rate the tour’s value for the fee paid? Please mark one (•) for each fee type.

Fee type		Very poor	Poor	Average	Good	Very good	n/a
Adult (age 16 and older)	$7.00	O	O	O	O	O	O
Senior/Golden Age/Access passes	$3.50	O	O	O	O	O	O
Junior (age 6-15)	$5.00	O	O	O	O	O	O
Child (age 3-5)	$3.00	O	O	O	O	O	O

Topic Area 6 – EVALFEE3

6. For each type of cave tour fee that you paid on this visit, in your opinion, how appropriate is the fee amount? Please mark one (•) for each fee type.

Fee type		Too low	About right	Too high	n/a
Adult (age 16 and older)	$7.00	O	O	O	O
Senior/Golden Age/Access passes	$3.50	O	O	O	O
Junior (age 6-15)	$5.00	O	O	O	O
Child (age 3-5)	$3.00	O	O	O	O
Infant (age 0-2)	Free	O	O	O	O

Topic Area 3 – LEARN2

7. a) If special topic cave tours were offered, which topic(s) would interest you? Please mark all (•) that apply.

O None  Please go to Question 8 below.

O Photography

O History

O Cave ecology

O Caving techniques

O Other __________________________

b) If you were interested in any of the special topic tours above, would you be willing to pay a higher fee for that tour than for the general tour?

O Yes O No  Please go to question 11 below.

Topic Area 6 – EVALFEE3

8. Park managers are considering an online reservation system for cave tour tickets. This would result in an additional $3 transaction fee per ticket. Would you be willing to pay $3 more per ticket in order to use an online ticket reservation system? Please mark one (•) for each fee type.

			Would you be willing to pay increase for online ticket reservation?
Fee type	Current fee	Proposed fee	Very Likely	Likely	Neither likely or unlikely	Unlikely	Very Unlikely
Adult (age 16 and older)	$7.00	$10.00	O	O	O	O	O
Senior/Golden Age/Access passes	$3.50	$6.50	O	O	O	O	O
Junior (age 6-15)	$5.00	$8.00	O	O	O	O	O
Child (age 3-5)	$3.00	$6.00	O	O	O	O	O
Infant (age 0-2)	Free	Free	O	O	O	O	O

Topic Area 3 – FVIS20

9. a) Of the following cave tour ticketing options, please indicate the option you would most prefer. Please mark one (•).

O	(a)	Tickets available for purchase on-site, on a first-come-first-serve basis only
O	(b)	Tickets available for advance reservation through a phone reservation system only (which would include a non-refundable transaction fee of $0.50 per ticket).
O	(c)	Tickets available for advance reservation through an online reservation system only (which would include a non-refundable transaction fee of $3 per ticket).
O	(d)	A combination of options (a) and (b).
O	(e)	A combination of options (a) and (c).

b. Which of the following best describes the reason(s) you selected your most preferred option above? Please mark all (•) that apply.

O Price

O Convenience

O Assurance of securing a ticket

O Assurance of obtaining a ticket for a particular tour day and time

O Fairness of method for obtaining a ticket

O Other (please specify) _________________________________________

Topic Area 2 – TPLAN20 VARIATION

10. Regarding obtaining cave tour tickets, which of the following statements best describes your situation on this visit? Please mark one (•).

O As long as I can secure tickets for my entire group to go on the same tour, tour times and crowding are not a problem.

O As long as I can secure tickets for my entire group, I am willing for my group to be separated into different tours.

O Being able to secure a ticket for a specific day and time is most important to me.

O I am willing to wait for a tour in order to have a quality experience (e.g., less crowded, more intimate, better conveyance of information from ranger).

Topic Area 1 – GR1

11. On this visit, what kind of personal group were you with? (Please mark (•) only one.

I am traveling with:

O Alone

O Family

O Friends

O Family and friends

O With a guided tour/church/school/scouts group

O Other (Please specify) ____________________________

Topic Area 1 – GR3

12. How many people were in your personal group, including yourself?

____ Number of people in personal group

Topic Area 1 – RES1

13. a) What is your zip code? _________________

b) If you are not from the U.S., what is the name of your country?____________________

Topic Area 1 – AGE3

14. What is your age (in years)? _______________

Topic Area 1 – VISHIS3

15. How often do you visit Timpanogos Cave National Monument? Please mark (•) only one.

O This is my first visit

O Several times a week

O Several times a month

O Several times a year

O About once a year or less often

Topic Area 1 – ECON1

16. Which category best represents your annual household income? Please mark (•) only one.

O	Less than $24,999	O	$100,000 to $149,999
O	$25,000 to $34,999	O	$150,000 to $199,999
O	$35,000 to $49,999	O	$200,000 or more
O	$50,000 to $74,999	O	Do not wish to answer
O	$75,000 to $99,999

Topic Area 6 – OPMGMT3 (VARIATION)

17. Please tell us about your experience from the time you obtained your ticket to the end of the cave tour. Do you have any suggestions for improvement?

Thank you

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: The National Park Service is authorized by 16 U.S.C. 1a-7 to collect this information. This information will be used to evaluate ticketing and fee process at Timpanogos Cave National Monument. Your response to this request is voluntary. Please do not put your name or contact information on the questionnaire. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Burden estimate statement: We estimate that it will take 10 minutes to complete this questionnaire. You may direct comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this questionnaire to the Lena Le, NPS Visitor Services Project, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1139, Moscow, ID, 83844-1139; [email protected] (email).