Blog | IMPLAN

Announcing New Quick Start Guides: University Impacts & Simplified Tourism Impacts

Written by Chandler West | August 7, 2024

We’re thrilled to announce the latest additions to IMPLAN’s Quick Start Guides: the University Impacts Guide and the Simplified Tourism Impacts Guide. Like our other Quick Start Guides, these new guides are designed to make economic analysis accessible to everyone, regardless of their background in economics. By following a series of on-screen prompts, users can easily analyze the impacts of various economic events and projects.

University Impacts Guide

The new University Impacts Guide is tailored to analyze the economic impact of universities. Whether you’re looking at a public, private, or community college, this guide allows you to account for the diverse roles that universities play in their communities. It enables users to input data related to:

  • University Type: Choose the type of institution you're analyzing, and the guide will tailor the analysis accordingly.
  • Construction Impacts: Include the economic effects of new building projects, renovations, or other construction activities on campus.
  • Student Spending: Consider the spending habits of students, which can significantly affect local economies.
  • Visitor Spending: Factor in the spending of visitors, such as family members and friends attending events, which can also have a substantial economic impact.
This guide provides a comprehensive way to assess how universities contribute to local economies, from construction projects to daily spending patterns.

Simplified Tourism Impacts Guide

We’ve also updated our Tourism Impacts Quick Start Guide, making it easier than ever to evaluate the economic effects of tourism. The Tourism Impacts Quick Start Guide now includes a secondary, simplified path for users who may not have specific data on tourist spending. This feature:

  • Auto-Fills Spending Estimates: When detailed information isn't available, the guide automatically estimates how tourists typically spend their money, saving time and ensuring a thorough analysis. All you need is an overall spend amount or headcount.
Whether you’re a local government official, a tourism board member, or a business owner, this guide provides a streamlined way to understand and quantify the economic benefits of tourism in your area.

Accessible and User-Friendly

IMPLAN’s Quick Start Guides are specifically designed for ease of use, enabling anyone to conduct thorough economic analyses without needing an advanced understanding of economics. These tools empower communities, organizations, and businesses to make data-driven decisions with confidence.

We invite you to explore these new guides and see how they can assist you in understanding and communicating the economic impacts of universities and tourism in your area. Start your analysis today and unlock the full potential of your economic data with IMPLAN's intuitive Quick Start Guides!