DEVELOPING THE NATURE-BASED TOURISM SECTOR IN SOUTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA

The purpose of this study was to: 1) identify opportunities for expanding the tourism sector in southwestern North Dakota, 2) identify challenges and obstacles facing the area's tourism businesses, and 3) frame key issues and outline potential options for area decision makers (the primary clientele for the study). The findings reveal some basic characteristics of businesses in the region's tourism sector, identify some of the key constraints to expansion and development, and identify respondents' perceptions of opportunities for growth and expansion.