Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau Conversion and Marketing Survey: 2008 Analysis of 2007 Data Presented by: Michael Kenline Amanda Demo Sean Stamer Shauna Krege Cole Sturdevant 1
Letter of Transmittal MEMORADUM To: Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau From: SUNY Fredonia SIFE team #3 Date: April 23, 2009 Subject: Analysis of Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau (CCVB) surveys In this report, you will find a thorough analysis of the CCVB surveys. SUNY Fredonia SIFE team #3 inputted information for the analysis and demographic findings of 352 CCVB surveys. From these surveys we will be able to find the percentage of visitors of Chautauqua County stemming from the number of potential visitors requesting information from the CCVB. Also, we will be able to determine visitor expenditure per visit, average travel party size, and length of stay. Finally, we can determine certain demographics characterized and trip/visit interest of visitors as well as their evaluation of the CCVB and visitor services. SUNY Fredonia SIFE team #3 is a group of soon to be college graduates. We have taken Statistical Analysis and Marketing Research which have both given us the necessary skills to be able to provide the above information. With the use of the program SPSS we were able to make available the answers you were looking for. Now that we have given you what you were looking for we hope that you can interrupt it and further better Chautauqua County 2
CCVB s Mission Statement To support Chautauqua County businesses and the local economy by marketing to, attracting, and serving visitors to our county. Problem Definition BACKGROUND TO THE PROBLEM The main management decision problem that CCVB was trying to answer was whether or not their marketing materials and advertising materials were impacting a decision to visit Chautauqua County. The marketing research problem is to determine the effectiveness of the current marketing materials that have been direct mailed to actual and/or potential visitors of Chautauqua County. Also, to obtain visitor profile, demographic and consumer interest data about visitors and potential visitors to Chautauqua County. Approach to the Problem Research Objectives: To determine the percentage of visitors to Chautauqua County stemming from the number of potential visitors requesting information from CCVB To determine visitor expenditures per visit, average travel party size and average length of stay To determine certain demographic characteristics and trip/visit interests of visitors as well as their evaluation of CCVB marketing and visitor services Specific Desired Results: To determine conversion ratio To determine the average dollar expenditure per visiting party 3
To determine what visitors did during their visit to Chautauqua County To determine if visitors and potential visitors were satisfied with and impacted by materials and information received To determine the demographic characteristics of visitors and potential visitors CCVB has surveyed a randomly selected sample of persons who had requested visitor related information about the area in 2007. They did this by mailing out 2,000 randomly selected surveys, expecting a 20% response rate in order to achieve results with a 95% confidence level. The research was conducted in 2007 and analyzed in 2008. 4
Data Analysis I. METHODOLOGY For over 40 years, Chautauqua Count Visitors Bureau had been providing marketing services for tourism related businesses as well as acting as the advocate agency to the New York State Division of Tourism in their efforts to promote tourism. Chautauqua Count Visitors Bureau s (CCVB) mission is to support businesses and the economy of the county by marketing to, attracting, and serving visitors. Throughout the year people request related information about the area. From those who requested travel packets, a sample set of 2,000 people was randomly selected for a survey. In order to achieve a 95% confidence interval, 10% of the 2,000 surveys needed to be returned. Therefore, we needed at least 200 surveys in order for the analysis to be highly reliable. There was an incentive to fill out and return the questionnaire. In doing so the respondent was entered to a win a 3-day/2-night Chautauqua and Peek n Peak Vacation. The vacation included hotel, food, and entertainment for two. Of the 2,000 surveyed, we received 352 surveys, which exceeded our goal and guaranteed a reliable analysis. It was our group s job to analyze the data from the returned surveys. Over the past few months we have entered the data into SPSS in order to attain an analysis of the results. After dividing the surveys amongst the members of the group each member entered the data from their portion of the surveys into a standardized SPSS database which was determined by all group members. From there each member could obtain a count of all the responses from the surveys. For all the questions, not including the open-ended questions, the total responses were found for each question and were then divided by the number of respondents or responses, whichever was necessary. After the percentages were found they were charted in bar graphs for quick analysis. Certain questions were cross-tabulated. The open-ended questions were categorized and listed for they required no calculation. There were six objectives, the first of which was to determine the conversion ratio. From the Excel spreadsheet the percentage of actual visitors was found and was compared to the number of potential visitors who requested visitor information via Chautauqua County Visitor s Bureau. By also figuring out those who did visit the area and if the information requested was helpful will allow the CCVB to figure out needs to be accentuated or changed in the informational packets. The second objective is to determine the average dollar expenditure per visiting party. In order to do so we looked at the travel party sizes and lengths of stays along with the average daily spending per travel party. Determining what visitors did during their visit to Chautauqua County was the third objective. A list was formed of the areas of interest, purposes of their visits, other destination areas visited, and their recommendations of more attractions in our area. Then similar viewpoints and responses were clumped in order to facilitate analysis. They were 5
qualitative answers, so they will require no computations except for tallying totals. Fourth, we determined if visitors and potential visitors were satisfied with and impacted by the materials and information received form Chautauqua County Visitor s Bureau. Again those survey questions were qualitative as opposed to quantitative. Therefore, lists of the responses were appropriate. Demographic characteristics of the visitors were the subject of the fifth objective. Those surveyed were asked their age, family, and travel party size, and income. From that data we were able to produce percentages, which fulfilled that objective. By analyzing data and getting a good representative sample of the visitors to the area in 2007, we were able to provide CCVB with a look at who exactly is visiting Chautauqua County. This information can then be used to develop marketing plans for the area and ideas for new attractions. The last objective was to determine the characteristics of actual visits. We tabulated percentages for the time of visits, dollars expended, party sizes, lengths of stays, and accommodation types used. Those percentages helped to pinpoint exactly what areas of the county were utilized and the types of things people did while visiting the area. That part of the analysis will allow any marketing or promotion plan to accentuate certain areas that are already attracting visitors and expanding on them. Our analysis will hopefully aid Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau in determining how they can serve the visitors and potential visitors of Chautauqua County better. Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau has supported county businesses and the local economy for over forty years. Currently led by R. Andrew Nixon, Executive Director, CCVB provides marketing services for businesses related to tourism. CCVB also is an advocate agency to the New York Department of Tourism. The students that participated in this project are members of Dr. Joseph Izzo s Sales Marketing class at State University of New York at Fredonia. 6
Results I. MULTI-YEAR COMPARISON Multi-Year Comparison 1994 1997 2000 2004 2007 Question (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) Receive guide Yes 90.7 87.3 79.5 75 73.09 No 6.3 11.7 19.1 25 24.93 No Response 3 1 1.4 0.5 1.98 Timeliness Yes 90.8 94.1 73 71 69.69 No 6.3 5.3 20 5 6.23 No Response 3 0.4 6.5 24 24.08 Did You Visit Chautauqua County in (year) Yes 66.3 58.2 60.8 72 62.04 No 33.3 41.8 38.5 28 37.11 No Response 0.5 0 0.7 0 0.85 Number of Previous Visits One 24.7 24.4 16 17.28 Two 17.6 18 8 8.78 Three 13 14.8 8 7.93 Four 44.7 42.8 33 5.1 5 + 27.76 Not applicable 26.35 No Response 6.8 Planning a Visit in Future Yes 83.3 88 89.5 86 77.9 No 6.3 6.2 5.8 8 12.18 No Response 9.9 5.8 4.7 8 9.92 Other Destinations You Vistied Niagara Region 22 19.29 New York City 10 8.25 Pennsylvania 28 18.02 Finger Lakes region 12 12.94 7
Canada 15 14.34 Florida 13 13.2 Other 13.96 What Prompted Info Request Advertisement 22.3 18.1 15.3 11 Article 16.5 14 11.4 6 7.46 Internet 0 0 4.9 14.31 Prior Visit 41.8 36.4 24.6 28 31.05 Word of Mouth 31 20.8 28 41 37.1 NYS or other guide 15.5 10.7 15.8 TV 3 0.6 Radio 1 0.2 Newspaper 3 2.62 Magazine 8 6.65 Was Guide Helpful Excellent/Extremly helpful 64.4 34.3 35.8 25 20.4 Good/Very helpful 32.6 5.5 54.3 36 32.58 Fair/Somewhat helpful 1 50.2 8.9 10 14.45 Less than adequate 0 0 0.8 Poor/Not helpful 2 0 0.3 1 0.85 Not Applicable 19 17.85 No Response 13.88 Was Additional Info Needed Yes 20 No 55.7 No Response 24.2 Did You Research on the Internet Yes 67 72.24 No 32 27.48 No Response 0.28 Did you use www.tourchatauqua.com Yes 52 41.36 No 35 48.73 No Response 9.92 How Helpful was www.tourchatauqua.com 8
Extremely Helpful 10 9.07 Very Helpful 21 24.36 Somewhat Helpful 10 10.76 Not Helpful 1 0.28 Not Applicable 42 35.41 No Response 20.11 Annual Household Income Level $0 - $15,000 6.3 2 3.2 2 1.98 $15,001 - $30,000 18.2 14.2 12.1 10 4.82 $30,001 - $50,000 36 32.2 27.2 18 18.41 $50,001 - $75,000 27.4 22.7 32.5 28 20.96 $75,001 - $100,000 12.2 12.9 14.5 21 18.41 $100,001 + 0 8 10.4 10 21.53 No Response 13.88 Age Level 20-34 9.1 13.6 8.9 35-50 53.6 46 46.6 51-64 19.4 27.1 30.1 65+ 16.6 12 58 18-24 1 0.85 25-34 10 6.8 35-44 22 15.86 45-54 25 27.48 55-64 23 27.48 65+ 20 19.55 No Response 1.98 State Residence NY 47.3 36 39.2 31 33.93 PA 17 30.7 29.6 23 20.83 OH 19.3 22 22.1 24 30.95 Canada 0.3 3.2 1.2 2 1.79 Month of Visit January 5.3 3.9 3.6 4 3.17 February 4 2.7 3.3 4 3.33 March 2.5 2.5 1.6 3 3.49 April 4.3 3.7 3 3 2.22 9
May 7.8 9 8 8 8.89 June 13 11.3 13 12 12.38 July 25.8 18.6 20 18 20.48 August 26.8 19.3 22.1 19 18.73 September 15 12.2 10.8 11 12.22 October 13.3 9.1 8.8 9 10.63 November 3.3 3.2 2.9 4 2.38 December 2.8 4.4 2.5 4 2.06 How Long in Advance Did You Plan Trip Less than 2 weeks 29 19.83 2-4 weeks 15 15.01 4-6 weeks 23 16.15 More than 6 weeks 30 24.93 No Response 24.08 Average Daily Expenditures $124.70 $135.64 $158.29 $188.77 $198.22 Length of Trip 1 day trip 56 51.4 52 56.15 2 day/1 night 12.1 18.9 17 17.36 3 day/2 night 8.8 17.1 13 12.36 4 day/3 night 3.5 4 5 4.63 5 day/4 night 0.9 1.2 3 1.9 6 day/5 night 1.2 2.1 1 1.39 1 week 7.9 4.6 5 4.69 1-2 weeks 8.2 0.5 2 1.01 2 weeks or longer 1.4 0.1 1 0.51 Average Length of Trip 1.3 days 2.34 days Type of Lodging Facility Hotel/Motel 25.3 32.7 35.9 34 37.79 Cottage 9.8 6.9 10.4 21 17.39 Campground 9.8 7.3 9.3 10 9.03 Vacation Home/House 5 8.6 6 Bed and Breakfast 9.3 8.6 17.5 14 16.72 Condominium 2 4.6 6.3 5 4.35 Relative's Residence 8 9.2 10.7 17 14.72 Other 1.5 22.1 3.8 10
Average Number of Persons in Travel Party 2.6 2.2 2.6 3.5 3.6 Reason/Purpose for Visit Pleasure/Vacation 74.3 87.5 84.7 Visit Friend/Relative 8.8 6.7 9.2 Business 2 5.1 1.1 4 0.85 Business and Pleasure 3.5 0.7 5 Summer 19 24.08 Recreation 11 20.4 Event/Festival 14 17 Weekend 27 30.31 Cultural 12 23.23 Family 13 13.31 Interests/Assets Utilized Chautauqua Institution 30.8 44.4 53 45.9 44.48 Other Area Attractions 10.8 32.7 37 27.2 24.08 Lakes/Waterways 43 56.9 56 45.9 41.36 Historic Sites/Museums 17.8 23.1 28 22.6 17.85 Fishing Areas 22.8 22.2 18 16.7 15.58 Wineries 21.5 25.8 29 26.9 32.58 Downhill Skiing 2.8 29 5 4.8 6.23 Cross-country Skiing 2.8 6.8 2 2.1 2.27 Hiking Trails/Canoe Routes/Parks 25.3 33 17 13.2 11.9 Other Trail Use 5 2.3 3.4 Golf Courses 8.8 22.3 10 10.5 12.46 Other Event Performances 0 29.6 20 16.7 16.71 Art Gallery/Exhibit 0 28 17 7.5 9.63 Festival/Fair 20.8 41.7 28 23.5 20.4 Dining Facilities 48.5 85.7 58 51.8 48.16 Shopping/Antiques 44.8 73.9 52 45.7 42.49 Marinas/Boating Services 17.8 33 17 16 14.73 Snowmobile Areas 1 4.9 1.4 2.5 1.7 Driving tour/sightseeing 36.8 61.7 35 30.4 28.9 Amish Areas 17.3 34.8 16 11.9 12.18 Beach or Park Areas 33 23.5 23.8 Other 5.3 13.6 7.37 11
Question #1 Q: Did you take a trip to the Chautauqua County area in 2007? 12
Question #2 Q: If you have visited the Chautauqua area prior to 2007, how many times? 13
Question #3 Q: Do you plan visit the Chautauqua County area during 2008 or 2009? 14
Question #4 Q: Please list other destinations you visited in 2007. 15
Question #5 Q: Please tell us what prompted your interest in the Chautauqua area in 2007 (check all applicable) 16
Questions #6 Q: Did you receive our Chautauqua County Travel Guide in 2007? 17
Question #7 Q: If so, did you receive the Chautauqua County Travel Guide packet in a timely manner? 18
Question #8 Q: How helpful was the Chautauqua County Travel Guide in planning or considering a visit? (select only one option) 19
Question #10 Q: Did you research the Chautauqua Country area on the Internet? 20
Question #11 Q: Did you use www.tourchautauqua.com to research the Chautauqua County area? 21
Question #12 Q: How Helpful was www.tourchautauqua.com in planning or considering a visit? (Check only one option) 22
Question #16 Q: Please indicate your current annual household income? 23
Question #17 Q: Please check the category that reflects your age (questionnaire respondent only) 24
Question #18 Q: Please name the state of your primary residence. 25
Question #19 Q: During what months did your trip to Chautauqua County area occur? 26
Question #20 Q: How long in advance did you plan your trip to Chautauqua County area? 27
Question #21 Q: Please provide an estimate of your combined average daily expenditure, while in the Chautauqua County area? *The Average Daily Expenditure for the 220 visitors who answered this question was $198.22 28
Question #22 Q: Please tell us the total number of persons in your travel party. *The average travel party size was 3.6 persons per party. This was calculated by taking the total number of persons per party which was 974 and dividing it by the 269 total responses. 29
Question #23 Q: How many single-day and/or multi-day trips did you spend in the Chautauqua County area, in the past 1-5 years? 30
Question #24 Q: If you stayed overnight, what type of lodging facility did you use? (Check all applicable) 31
Question #25 Q: What is the primary motivator in planning a trip to the Chautauqua County area? 32
Question #26 Q: Please indicate what features of the Chautauqua County area listed below you utilized. (Check all applicable) 33
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Qualitative Analysis Qualitative data are described in terms of quality (that is, 'informal' or relative characteristics such as warmth and flavour). This is the converse of quantitative, which more precisely describes data in terms of quantity and often using a numerical figure to represent something in a statement. Question #9 Q: Please specify any additional printed information that would have been useful to you. 35
Question #11b Q: Can you specify any search words you used Question #13 Q: Please specify any additional on-line information that would have been useful to you? 36
Question #14 Q: What other information resources did you utilize in planning a trip in 2007? Question #15 Q: Please list ideas for attractions or visitor services which you think should be developed in the Chautauqua County area: 37
Suggestions I relied on the Chautauqua institute box office they could have been more helpful in explaining the logistics can t park car on premises, ect. Seem to be a lot of younger adults who didn t get into details. Otherwise everything else went good. Start stocking and start a fish management system. Also marinas for boat gas Specific children s activities, wine tasting, jazz concerts outside, outdoor plays, historical reenactments, hot air balloon rides 38