for no more than 4 years, 4 for 5 to 10 years and 3 for 11 or more
years. This pattern distribution for years of recreation business
continuance is different for the 82 enterprises mainly in that relatively
fewer of the 13 are 11 or more years old while more are in the
5-10 year age group. The comparisons are 46 percent (for the 13)
vs. 41 percent (for the 82) that have been in business for 4 or
fewer years; 31 percent vs. 21 percent for 5-10 years; and 23 percent
vs. 38 percent for 11 or more years. (Nineteen or 23 percent of the
82 ownerships with campgrounds have been in business 21 or more years,
and the oldest is 51 years.)
Eight of these 13 ownerships with a camping enterprise have plans
for additional developments in the next 3 years at an average cost
of $11,100 each. This compares to $8,238 average for each of 24 other
ownerships also adding develcpments. The acres to be developed per
enterprise are nearly the same--8 acres for the 8 enterprises and
7.4 acres for the others.
It is obvious that camping enterprises having desired features
both in their campgrounds and in their business operations are patronized
by more campers than are those enterprises with fewer such features.
In broad respect, there is sane indication that the newer camping
enterprises tend to have more desired features than the older enterprises.
Advertisement Media Used
Enterprise operators depend mostly on advertisement from travel
guides and directories, roadside signs, and brochures distributed
by them or by an organization or firm for them. Thirtywsix of the
82 operators gave first priority in advertisement importance to travel
guides and directories (Table 28). Same of these directories are
provided by public agencies without charging the enterprise for its
inclusion while others carry the enterprise listing and/or advertisement
only if a fee is paid. Twenty-one additional operators indicated this
medium as the second most important type of advertisement used. A
total of 73 operators included travel guides or directories in their
4 selections fran 8 choices as being important to their recreation
business--only 9 operators did not include it.
Roadside or area collective signs were considered by 71 operators
as among their first 4 priority of importance selections. This medium
was generally rated sanewhat evenly in the 4 levels of priority with
third and first choice of importance respectively having the largest
nurbers of operator indications.
If brochures about the enterprise are considered irrespective
of haw they are distributed, their importance is more impressive than
viewed separately by operators' distribution and by an organization
or firm distribution (Table 28). This medium (collectively) could
be considered as the second most important in the priority rankings
made by the 82 operators.


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