Based on this study of the role of the IWC in tourism to the area, it appears that the Wolf Center relies to a large extent, but not entirely, on its proximity to the BWCA and nearby lakes and forests. While the IWC could not continue operating for long without business from Ely's existing base of tourists, it has carved itself a surprisingly large niche as a tourist attraction in its own right. This corresponds to about 12,000 tourists who would not have visited Ely if not for the Wolf Center. While most of these visitors stay in the area only a day or two, they are likely to be new to the area and may decide to return on a future vacation. There appear to be few significant differences between tourists who visit the IWC and those who do not.
Visitors have on average fewer children in their group.
In most other respects, there were no important differences between the two groups. Attracting backcountry visitors to the IWC may continue to be a challenge, but tourists staying at resorts, campgrounds, and motels are all strong candidates for visiting. These figures correspond to about 11,000 tourists which the IWC is largely responsible for bringing to the Ely area. Buttressing these results are responses ranking the top three activities which drew respondents to the Ely area. As a result, an IWC-influenced tourist has a smaller economic impact than does a typical Ely tourist.