National Park Service comprehensive survey of the American public: 2018 – racial and ethnic diversity of National Park System visitors and non-visitors
Resource Systems Group (RSG) and Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center (WYSAC). 2019. National Park Service comprehensive survey of the American public: 2018 – racial and ethnic diversity of National Park System visitors and non-visitors. Natural Resource Report. NPS/NRSS/EQD/NRR—2019/2042. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
In 2018, the National Park Service (NPS) conducted its third Comprehensive Survey of the American Public (CSAP3), a nationwide telephone survey consisting of interviews with more than 2,700 adult respondents across the United States. The survey obtained information on public attitudes and behaviors related to programs and services provided by the NPS, as well as on demographic characteristics of recent visitors and non-visitors to the National Park System. The present report examines differences across racial and ethnic groups within the CSAP3 data, including selected comparisons with CSAP1 and CSAP2. As in the 2000 national survey and the 2008–2009 national survey, CSAP3 found that U.S. visitors to national parks, national monuments, and other units of the National Park System were disproportionately white and non-Hispanic. The most common barriers to national park visitation endorsed by non-visitors were related to travel distance, transportation, and expenses associated with travel and entrance to national parks. These barriers were disproportionately endorsed by Hispanic non-visitors and African American non-visitors as compared to white non-visitors. Other barriers highly endorsed by underserved populations related to a lack of interest or a lack of knowledge regarding national parks. Out of recent national park visitors, Hispanic visitors were less likely than white, non-Hispanic visitors or African Americans visitors to attend a ranger-led activity, such as a tour or a talk; and to watch movies about the park or listen to an audio tour or podcast. It is possible that this finding is a result of language barriers, particularly for those who do not speak English as their first language. These results indicate that NPS should continue to focus on improving access, raising awareness and interest, and welcoming diverse populations to national parks in order to remain relevant in the 21st century.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Resource Systems Group (RSG); Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center (WYSAC)
- Date of Issue
- 2019-11
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- EQD , NRSS