County, State, Federal Study Shows Visitors’ Preferences

— by Susan McBain, Orcas Issues reporter —

How many people visit the San Juan Islands each year? Why do they come? Where do they go, and what do they do? These were among the questions asked for the San Juan Islands Visitor Study, which researchers conducted over several months in 2017. Highlights of the results were presented Monday, February 26, at the Orcas Senior Center.

The study, conducted by researchers from Confluence Research & Consulting, received funds through a county lodging tax grant and National Park Service investment. Its results will help managers of island recreation areas, ranging from local (such as Land Bank lands) to national (such as the San Juan Islands National Monument), to improve cooperative planning for development, recreation uses, and visitor experience. (A list of agencies involved in the study is at https://theorcasonian.com/county-will-discuss-visitor-study-results/.)

The researchers interviewed ferry passengers and visitors at recreation sites, such as Lime Kiln and Moran state parks; counted and observed users at the recreation sites; inventoried various types of accommodations on San Juan, Lopez and Orcas; analyzed data provided by Washington States Ferries on ferry usage; and looked at other means of transportation to the county, such as airlines and personal craft.

From the detailed data they presented, the researchers found that:

• Visitors rated natural and rural scenery, beach and shore hiking, and marine wildlife viewing as their top three reasons for visiting the San Juan Islands. (“Friendliness of locals” was rated fourth.)
• Hiking trails and hiking beaches and shores were the outdoor activities that visitors participated in the most.
• Average numbers of people and vehicles at recreation sites were well below half the numbers on the busiest days. The researchers observed that if recreation managers decide that expanded infrastructure (such as parking) is not desirable or cost-effective, strategies like having parking guides on busy days might be useful.
• Visitors reported feeling most crowded when trying to park in villages and at recreation sites.
• Visitors reported that feeling crowded would lower the quality of their experience in the islands.
• Respondents (both visitors and residents) expressed their support for or opposition to several different actions that might be used to improve tourism in the San Juan Islands. Their average responses to eight of these actions are shown in the graph.
• The vast majority of visitor to the islands come by Washington State Ferries. However, on most days, even very busy days, not all the daily ferry capacity is used.
• The islands have about 70 official accommodation sites (hotels, campgrounds, etc.) with about 2100 units (rooms or campsites). Of these, Airbnb and VRBO offer nearly 900 units, not including Friday Harbor. If all units were occupied, the estimated number of visitors would be approximately 10,000.

A written report on the results of the study is due out in March. It will include detailed reviews of the collected data, analyzed by island where possible.