Students will research and analyze how the pandemic has impacted the National Parks and businesses in towns surrounding the parks. Students will conduct research from campus and then each sub-team will have an opportunity to travel to a National Park and nearby town to interview park rangers and local business professionals.
Finnian D Clark
During This trip we went and interviewed small businesses around national parks about the affects the pandemic had on turnover rates, marketing strategies, and international customers. What I learned is that most small businesses do not have a marketing strategy besides having a small social media account. However, the businesses with true marketing strategies were the ones who were the most successful through the pandemic. On this trip I learned how to communicate with business owners. I also learned more about the local web that businesses have. SIBC has provided me with a broader perspective on how business is conducted, not only in the US, but also in foreign countries.
Hannah J Nelson
The purpose of our trip to Shenandoah National Park was to interview park rangers as well as small businesses near the park in order to determine how COVID affected them. Our interview with the park ranger revealed just how much strain was put on them to maintain not only good service to people seeking a break from the indoors but also to maintain clean facilities and hiking paths throughout the park. We spoke to a group of park rangers, and they said that the number of people visiting the park greatly increased since it was safer to be outside during COVID. These numbers also caused a huge increase in the number of people visiting small businesses in town. It was surprising to interview a number of these small businesses and find out that while the rest of the country had to struggle to keep afloat, most of the businesses in Shenandoah thrived. Of course, this was not the case for everyone. I learned a lot about what kinds of strategies will aid a business in staying alive when times are tough. The ones that find ways to accommodate customers online or outside and market themselves properly are often successful businesses. This trip benefitted me because I got to see the dynamic of a small tourist town. I also gained interview experience. Overall, it was a wonderful trip, and I had a lot of fun.
Matthew A Hockel
Although I got very sick during the trip and could not participate entirely, I learned much about national parks and the businesses surrounding them. My team and I explored the business world of national parks by interviewing park rangers and business owners near the park. We discovered that COVID-19 increased the number of people visiting the national park, which increased the number of customers for most surrounding businesses. I would never have guessed how willing business owners are to talk about the 'behind the scenes' and how the pandemic affected them. This was an incredible opportunity and a wonderful experience!
Addison S Zook
On my trip to Shenandoah National Park, I learned a great many things about Covid's effect on local businesses. What struck me the most out of the things I learned was the different business strategies each place took to make it through the pandemic. The solution each business had to take in order to still be successful and open was almost always something completely new. In addition to learning about their strategies, I was able to connect with the owners and employees and receive advice about starting my own business. This project has given me so many new insights into how I want to run my own business someday and I truly believe I could reach out to many of those businesses and ask for advice down the road. Thank you SIBC!
