Gay Camp: Analysis of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Culture and the Economic Impacts in the Missouri Ozarks

Date of Graduation

Summer 2007

Degree

Master of Science in Geospatial Sciences

Department

Geography, Geology, and Planning

Committee Chair

Dimitri Ioannides

Abstract

Douglas County, MO is one of the most impoverished counties in Missouri. However, the opportunities for tourism and outdoor activities in the county provide for potential economic growth to area. Specifically, the Cactus Canyon Campground (CCC) has become a national international attraction to the Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) community. Each year brings increased global acceptance of the GLBT community through the legalization of rights and dismissal of laws against the GLBT. This acceptance is tied to an increase in the visibility and specific services aimed at the inclusion and acceptance of the GLBT community. The spending power of the GLBT community has become an important area of study in many different disciplines. This study examines the geospatial patterns of incoming Cactus Canyon Campground users and focuses on three main objectives: (1) the economic strength of GLBT tourism in the Ozarks, (2) a survey of where campground users come from, and (3) an evaluation of the economic patterns of campground users. A survey has been designed to allow evaluation of travel dollar spending in the Ozarks by CCC patrons. The geospatial patterns of campground users have been evaluated through thematic mapping, interpolation of actual frequency, and forecasted the needs for tourism capabilities. The results of this research will be used to highlight the positive impact of the GLBT community on outdoor recreational activities that can increase awareness of the community and activities in the Ozarks region.

Keywords

gender, tourism, camping, rural, Ozarks

Subject Categories

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | Recreation Business

Copyright

© Brandon Harley Haddock

Citation-only

Dissertation/Thesis

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