Tech Trek creator launches research project on tourism

Oregon State University recently launched a research project to survey residents in various communities on their experiences with tourism in their towns. Behind the research is former Saipan resident and OSU professor Todd Montgomery.

Montgomery is currently the co-host of Tech Trek, a television show produced with Chris Nelson about the future of work and tourism. Tech Trek has aired in California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. Episode 1 was shot in Tokyo and Episode 2 is currently in production.

OSU and Montgomery are now partnering with the Marianas Visitors Authority to gather residents’ opinions on tourism. The goal of this survey is to explore resident attitudes of the industry and gauge the opinion of how it affects their lives.

“Todd is on the forefront of research, and we are happy to assist in getting feedback from our residents. The pandemic has been a great pause in the visitor industry around the world and I think all of us are hoping to learn something in the interim and help make tourism more sustainable in the coming years,” said Nelson, who is also on the board of the Marianas Visitors Authority.

The researchers want to hear directly from all stakeholders in the tourism industry—employees, business owners, indigenous populations, policymakers—on what you are currently experiencing and what you want to see in the future.

Monitoring resident sentiment toward the changing tourism industry is important to maintaining a mutually beneficial hospitality industry for residents and visitors alike. Resident attitudes toward the industry are also a good indicator of where the industry can make improvements in long-term sustainability.

In relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is especially important to take residents’ thoughts and perceptions into account before taking steps to welcome visitors back into the community.

The surveyors from the project are asking Northern Mariana Island residents to participate in their survey and share their experiences with the tourism industry. We encourage anyone that shares our interest in the betterment of the tourism industry to complete this survey. Once the research is completed the results will be shared with MVA

Those who complete the survey will also be eligible to win an Amazon Gift Card. Use the link to participate: https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3WNX4aFtiP6mrdA. (PR)