An Amenity Assessment Model for Evaluating State Park Tourism Assets

Creative, quick and inexpensive assessment models based on sound methods that yield practical applications can be of great utility to the administrators of both public and private sector outdoor recreation resources in their decision-making tasks. This paper presents a case study on the development of a tourism amenity assessment model designed for application to state and regional parks and historic sites. The five-step process utilized in developing and applying the model is discussed. The findings yielded as a result of application of the model to state parks in southeastern Georgia (USA) are enumerated, and the recommendations made to Georgia Department of Natural Resources decision makers are presented. A concluding discussion identifies the wider managerial utility of the model.