Daniel L. Erkkila

Daniel L. Erkkila Tourism Specialist and Professor
Head, North Central Research & Outreach Center
Adjunct Professor, Dept of Forest Resources.

Ph.D., Resource Economics, University of Minnesota, 1991.
M.S., Quantitative Techniques, University of Minnesota, 1982.
B.S., Forest Science, University of Minnesota, 1977.

Contact Information:
Dan Erkkila
NC Research and Outreach Center
1861 E Hwy 169
Grand Rapids, MN 55744
Voice: 218-327-4361
Fax: 218-327-4361
erkkila@umn.edu

Dan Erkkila's area of specialization is tourism economics, tourism business retention and expansion programs, and community tourism development and planning. His research interests include regional economic impacts from tourism and travel, nature-based tourism, and the identification of linkages between natural resource management processes and tourism. With the Center since 1991, he has served as associate and interim director.

Dr. Erkkila is past chairman of the board and past president of the international Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA), sponsor of one of the travel industry's oldest and most well-known academic journals, the Journal of Travel Research. TTRA has 800 members worldwide, representing forty-one countries.

Selected Publications:

Erkkila, D.L. 2007. Economic Impacts from the Minnesota Zoo. Special research report for the Minnesota Zoological Gardens. University of Minnesota, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences. North Central Research and Outreach Center. 7p.

Erkkila, D.L. 2006. Local considerations in marketing and feveloping lake destination areas. In Lake Tourism - An Integrated Approach to Lacustrine Tourism Systems, ed., C. M. Hall and T. Härkönen. Channel View Publications. Clevedon UK. 235p.

Gartner, W.C., D.L. Erkkila, and J. Hyunkuk. 2005. Development of a Web-based Economic Impact Calculator for Small and Medium Size Airports. Minnesota Department of Transportation Report No. 2005-19. University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies.

Erkkila. D.L. 2004. Becker County Tourism Business Retention & Expansion Program (Research and Summary Reports). University of Minnesota Tourism Center.

Gartner, W.C., and D.L. Erkkila. 2004. Attributes and amenities of highway systems important to tourists. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Board, No. 1890.

Erkkila, D.L. 2000. Trends in tourism economic impact estimation methods. In Trends in Outdoor Recreation, Leisure and Tourism, eds., W. Gartner and D.W. Lime. CAB International, Wallingford, UK.

Green, G.P,. D.W. Marcoullier, S.C. Deler, N.R. Sumathi, and D.L. Erkkila. 1996. Local dependency, land use attitudes, and economic development: Comparisons between seasonal and permanent residents. Rural Sociology 61(3):427-445.

Selected Presentations:

Erkkila, D.L. 2004. Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises in Regional Development. Invited keynote paper presented at the 54th Congress of the Association Internationale D'Experts Scientifiques Du Tourisme, Petra, Jordan.

Erkkila, D.L. 2003. Local Considerations in Marketing and Developing Lake Destination Areas. Invited keynote paper presented at the International Lake Tourism Conference. University of Joensuu, Savonlinna Finland.

Erkkila, D.L. 2001. The University's Role In Working With The Tourism Industry. Invited paper presented at Tourism Performance Strategies: A Leadership Approach, First Annual Hospitality & Tourism Management Conference. Lebanese American University, Beirut.

Erkkila, D., and T. Smith. 1998. Strengthening Community Economic Development Potential Through Tourism Business Retention & Expansion Programs. Paper presented at the National Tourism Extension Conference, Hershey, PA.

Erkkila, D. L. 1995. Enhancing competitiveness through tourism business retention and expansion programs. In Innovation, Technology and Information Management for Global Development and Competitiveness, eds. E. Kaynak and T. Erem, International Management Development Association. (Peer-Reviewed paper presented at the Fourth Annual World Business Congress, July 13-16, 1995, Istanbul, Turkey).