Residents
Resident Survey Findings
1,000 surveys were mailed to randomly-selected Sedona households. A return rate of 38 percent was achieved.
Some highlights:
- Most residents have contact with tourists, with only 12 percent noting they have no contact
- 18 percent say they are either directly or indirectly employed in tourism.
- 61 percent had out-of-town guests stay with them in 2017, with an average of 6.5 guests.
- Eight percent have paying customers stay, with an average of 4.8 guests.
More than 70 percent recognize that tourism is the most significant job and tax contribution sector of the Sedona economy.
50 percent say tourism should have a lesser role in the economy; 43 percent believe tourism should retain its current role.
60 percent agree or strongly agree they would support current tourism levels if traffic flows improve.
Residents do not support less tourism if it means less city service or the assessment of a city property tax.
Residents lean toward supporting current tourism levels with sustainable tourism management strategies in place.
Residents ranks ‘medical/health’ as the most acceptable kind of economic development for Sedona. This is a significant variance with business owners, who rank ‘tourism’ number one.
Residents are most likely to support tourism development that focuses on outdoor activities, such as:
- State/national parks and heritage sites
- Non-motorized trails
- Archeological sites
- Outdoor recreation
- Public transportation
Residents say they are least likely to support:
- Motorized trails
- Airbnb
- Hotels/motels and resorts
Residents are know tourism strongly influences amenities such as variety of restaurants; festivals and events; retail/shopping; outdoor recreation opportunities and museums/arts/cultural venues.
In the too much/too many category, residents say:
- Amount of traffic
- Number of tourists
In the not enough/too little category, residents say:
- Public transportation
- Community walkability
Areas ranking high in importance but low in satisfaction are:
- Crowding of roads
- Crowding in Uptown