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UPEI's Tourism Research Centre releases study on US visitors
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The Tourism Research Centre (TRC) at UPEI’s School of Business today announced the release of a report profiling United States visitors to PEI during the summer of 2007.
“This report really highlights the differences among our American visitors. Those visiting PEI from New England are much more likely to be repeat visitors and are more likely to be ‘doers,’ rather than ‘seers,’” says Dr. Sean Hennessey, Faculty Director of the TRC. “Visitors from outside the New England region tend to be slightly older, retired, and spend far fewer of their vacation days on PEI.”
The report divides the US market into two sub-markets: visitors from New England and visitors from outside of New England.
“Visitors from New England have a very different vacation style than those from other states,” he says. “New Englanders spend much less money per person per night here, but do stay on the Island for much longer. This actually evens out, and the total expenditure per party per trip is almost identical for the two markets. In reality, many characteristics of the New England market are very similar to our Canadian visitors from outside the Maritimes. Visitors from other states are more defined as their own distinct, unique segment.”
Some highlights of the US visitors profile report include:
• The Island’s US visitors are divided almost evenly between those who live in the New England States (5 per cent of total visitors) and those who live in states outside the New England region (4.8 per cent).
• Visitors from New England and from states outside New England were similar in that approximately 85 per cent of visitors from both regions were visiting the Island on pleasure trips, and about 12 per cent were visiting friends or relatives.
• Visitors from New England spent an average of 7.4 nights on PEI, which was equivalent to 78 per cent of their total trip away from home.
• US visitors from states outside New England averaged 13.1 nights away from home. Their stays on PEI were relatively short, averaging only 5.2 nights.
• New England visitors were unique in that they spent more than one half (54 per cent) of their total trip nights on the Island in cottages.
• US visitors from outside New England were the opposite. They spent 32 per cent of their trip nights in hotel, motel, or resort accommodations. This was second only to international visitors. Only 28 per cent of their nights were spent in cottages.
• Visitors from both US regions spent approximately the same share of their nights in Anne’s Land (New England 34 per cent of nights, distant states 37 per cent). However, only 28 per cent of travel parties from New England spent a night in Charlottetown, the lowest level recorded by all visitors when analyzed by place of origin.
• US visitors from outside New England were very thorough sightseers. They visited all types of attractions and did the “touristy” things at above-average rates.
• Vacationers from New England visited National or Provincial Parks and historic and cultural attractions at above average rates, but their interest in any other types of attractions and especially those that could be considered “touristy” fell to well below average rates. A notable exception was attending live theatre and plays; 43 per cent attended – the highest of all visitor markets.
• Visitors from New England were the Island’s lowest spending visitors on a per-person per-day basis, spending an average of only $53.05 per person per day.
• At an average of $92.35 per person per day, US visitors from outside New England spent 74 per cent more than those from New England.
• The demographics and characteristics of New England visitors tended to resemble those of Canadian visitors from outside the Maritimes. More than one half (57 per cent) were making a return visit to the Island. One-quarter (25 per cent) were travelling as families accompanied by children and less than one-third (31 per cent) were retired.
• Visitors from outside New England were considerably older (66 per cent were 55 or more years of age), almost one-half (49 per cent) were retired, a market low of 11 per cent were travelling as families with children, and only 25 per cent had been to the Island before.
The report is the sixth in a series of in-depth profiles based on comprehensive data previously released in the report “Overall Results of the 2007 Exit Survey.” The data is for the main tourism season of June 27 to September 30, 2007, and was collected as visitors departed PEI at the Confederation Bridge, Charlottetown Airport, and Wood Islands Ferry (seasonally).
Data is being collected for a full year, and the survey is being managed by the TRC on behalf of Tourism PEI. The Exit Survey gathers information on main purpose of the trip, length of stay, areas visited, accommodation used, size and composition of travel party, holiday activities, visitor spending, customer satisfaction, visitation data, place of origin, and traveller demographics. The results are based on 3,173 completed surveys collected from June 27 to September 30, 2007.
For a list of all reports released by the TRC on Exit Survey results please visit trc.upei.ca/exitsurvey. Three more reports based on main season results will be released over the next six weeks.
Further information about the report can be obtained from the Tourism Research Centre, School of Business, University of PEI, at (902) 566-6096 or trc@upei.ca.
“This report really highlights the differences among our American visitors. Those visiting PEI from New England are much more likely to be repeat visitors and are more likely to be ‘doers,’ rather than ‘seers,’” says Dr. Sean Hennessey, Faculty Director of the TRC. “Visitors from outside the New England region tend to be slightly older, retired, and spend far fewer of their vacation days on PEI.”
The report divides the US market into two sub-markets: visitors from New England and visitors from outside of New England.
“Visitors from New England have a very different vacation style than those from other states,” he says. “New Englanders spend much less money per person per night here, but do stay on the Island for much longer. This actually evens out, and the total expenditure per party per trip is almost identical for the two markets. In reality, many characteristics of the New England market are very similar to our Canadian visitors from outside the Maritimes. Visitors from other states are more defined as their own distinct, unique segment.”
Some highlights of the US visitors profile report include:
• The Island’s US visitors are divided almost evenly between those who live in the New England States (5 per cent of total visitors) and those who live in states outside the New England region (4.8 per cent).
• Visitors from New England and from states outside New England were similar in that approximately 85 per cent of visitors from both regions were visiting the Island on pleasure trips, and about 12 per cent were visiting friends or relatives.
• Visitors from New England spent an average of 7.4 nights on PEI, which was equivalent to 78 per cent of their total trip away from home.
• US visitors from states outside New England averaged 13.1 nights away from home. Their stays on PEI were relatively short, averaging only 5.2 nights.
• New England visitors were unique in that they spent more than one half (54 per cent) of their total trip nights on the Island in cottages.
• US visitors from outside New England were the opposite. They spent 32 per cent of their trip nights in hotel, motel, or resort accommodations. This was second only to international visitors. Only 28 per cent of their nights were spent in cottages.
• Visitors from both US regions spent approximately the same share of their nights in Anne’s Land (New England 34 per cent of nights, distant states 37 per cent). However, only 28 per cent of travel parties from New England spent a night in Charlottetown, the lowest level recorded by all visitors when analyzed by place of origin.
• US visitors from outside New England were very thorough sightseers. They visited all types of attractions and did the “touristy” things at above-average rates.
• Vacationers from New England visited National or Provincial Parks and historic and cultural attractions at above average rates, but their interest in any other types of attractions and especially those that could be considered “touristy” fell to well below average rates. A notable exception was attending live theatre and plays; 43 per cent attended – the highest of all visitor markets.
• Visitors from New England were the Island’s lowest spending visitors on a per-person per-day basis, spending an average of only $53.05 per person per day.
• At an average of $92.35 per person per day, US visitors from outside New England spent 74 per cent more than those from New England.
• The demographics and characteristics of New England visitors tended to resemble those of Canadian visitors from outside the Maritimes. More than one half (57 per cent) were making a return visit to the Island. One-quarter (25 per cent) were travelling as families accompanied by children and less than one-third (31 per cent) were retired.
• Visitors from outside New England were considerably older (66 per cent were 55 or more years of age), almost one-half (49 per cent) were retired, a market low of 11 per cent were travelling as families with children, and only 25 per cent had been to the Island before.
The report is the sixth in a series of in-depth profiles based on comprehensive data previously released in the report “Overall Results of the 2007 Exit Survey.” The data is for the main tourism season of June 27 to September 30, 2007, and was collected as visitors departed PEI at the Confederation Bridge, Charlottetown Airport, and Wood Islands Ferry (seasonally).
Data is being collected for a full year, and the survey is being managed by the TRC on behalf of Tourism PEI. The Exit Survey gathers information on main purpose of the trip, length of stay, areas visited, accommodation used, size and composition of travel party, holiday activities, visitor spending, customer satisfaction, visitation data, place of origin, and traveller demographics. The results are based on 3,173 completed surveys collected from June 27 to September 30, 2007.
For a list of all reports released by the TRC on Exit Survey results please visit trc.upei.ca/exitsurvey. Three more reports based on main season results will be released over the next six weeks.
Further information about the report can be obtained from the Tourism Research Centre, School of Business, University of PEI, at (902) 566-6096 or trc@upei.ca.
Contact
Anna MacDonald
Media Relations and Communications, Integrated Promotions
