U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX

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1 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX A ranking of the experiential quality of U.S. destinations DESTINATION RANKINGS BY CATEGORY P. 0 8 OV E R A L L RANKINGS P. 20 INDEX RANKINGS P. 3 0 ResonanceCo.com

2 PAGE 2 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 HI. WE RE RESONANCE. As leading advisors in real estate, tourism and economic development for three decades, Resonance combines business strategy and marketing creativity to shape the future of destinations and developments around the world. Our services span development strategy, place branding, place marketing and placemaking. To date, our team has completed more than 100 visioning, strategy, planning, and branding projects for destinations and developers in more than 70 countries. To learn more about us and our services, please visit ResonanceCo.com. VANCOUVER NEW YORK CALIFORNIA

3 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 3 Welcome to the 2017 U.S. Tourism Quality Index R esonance Consultancy has undertaken Destination Assessments and Development Strategies for a wide range of destinations, cities, states and countries. Through our work, we ve learned that traditional performance indicators economic output, spending and visitor counts don t tell destinations and their tourism and economic development agencies the whole story. In our experience, Destination Marketing Organizations focus primarily on growing visitor numbers, but relatively scant attention is paid to the product development and programming required to maintain and improve the quality of the visitor experience. We ve identified how many quality experiences cities offer from one product and experience category to the next as rated by locals and visitors themselves. CHR IS FA IR, RESONANCE CONSULTANCY As a growing number of visitors base their judgments about destinations on overall experiential quality rather than just the number of must-see attractions, growth in demand must be matched by expansion and improvement in supply to ensure the viability and sustainability of a destination s tourism industry over the long term. From a demand perspective, it s generally straightforward to assess a destination s performance using standardized measures of visitor traffic, spending or hotel occupancy rates. But when it comes to evaluating the supply side of a destination, no standardized measures exist to benchmark the experiential quality of one destination to the next. Traditional visitor intercept surveys provide destinations with insight into what visitors find appealing or lacking, but there has been no efficient or standardized way to compare and benchmark these results with those of other destinations. To solve this problem, Resonance Consultancy has analyzed social media channels from increasingly influential websites such as TripAdvisor. We ve identified how many quality experiences cities offer from one product and experience category to the next as rated by locals and visitors themselves. RESONANCE CONSULTANCY PRESIDENT & CEO CHRIS FAIR With more than 500 million reviews on TripAdvisor alone, these sites are powerful marketing channels for destinations, and they can provide new insight and intelligence into their experiential quality and differentiating characteristics. We think you ll find this approach to examining the quality of destinations from visitors points of view both effective and efficient in measuring supply-side performance from one destination to the next, and a valuable tool for better understanding the competitive advantages and weaknesses of your destination. Chris Fair, President & CEO Resonance Consultancy Ltd. cfair@resonanceco.com

4 PAGE 4 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 METHODOLOGY What really makes one destination better than another? We all have opinions based on personal preferences and tastes. Our approach to benchmarking and measuring the quality of one destination to the next is rooted in our analysis of social media channels from increasingly influential websites such as TripAdvisor. This evaluates the supply side of a destination. The 2017 U.S. Tourism Quality Index measures tourism s supply-side performance and competitiveness in destinations that attract more than 3 million visitors per year across the United States. Destination rankings are based on both absolute and indexed scales: the absolute scale measures the total number of quality experiences 2 ; the indexed scale evaluates performance in terms of how many quality experiences are delivered per visitor (i.e. the number of quality experiences per 100,000 visitors). To formulate visitor estimates for each destination and create the indexed scoring, we utilized a combination of data from Kantar TNS visitor survey for domestic visitor counts and the U.S. Department of Commerce National Travel and Tourism Office Survey of International Air Travelers to create estimates for total visitors to each destination. The rankings that follow are based on an analysis of the number of products or experiences rated as Very Good or Excellent in 17 different areas. We grouped these factors together into six categories: Culture, Entertainment, Sightseeing, Sports & Adventure, Culinary and Lodging. The six categories in this report are treated with equal importance and, as such, are weighted equally. In sum, a destination s performance across these six categories reflects the experiential quality of one destination to the next. Ct Et Ss SA Cl Culture The arts and culture in a destination Museums 1 Concerts & Shows 1 Arts & Events 1 Entertainment Fun attractions and experiences Shopping 1 Nightlife 1 Amusement Parks 1 Zoos & Aquariums 1 Casinos & Gambling 1 Fun & Games 1 Sightseeing The natural and built environment of a destination Sights & Landmarks 1 Nature & Parks 1 Tours & Activities 1 Sports & Adventure A destinations outdoor activities and adventures Outdoor Activities 1 Boat Tours & Water Sports 1 Culinary The food experiences in a destination Food & Drink 1 Restaurants 1 References Kantar TNS Visitor Survey for Domestic Visitors U.S. Department of Commerce National Travel and Tourism Office Survey of International Air Travelers 1. TripAdvisor.com 2. Quality experiences are those with an average overall rating of Very Good or Excellent Lg Lodging Accommodation in a destination Hotels 1

5 RESONANCECO.COM N E W YO R K C I T Y S D R E A M - L I K E S K Y L I N E PAG E 5

6 PAGE 6 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 DESTINATION RANKINGS BY CATEGORY

7 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 7 Page 08 Culture // The arts and culture in a destination Page 10 Entertainment // Fun attractions and experiences Page 12 Sightseeing // The natural and built environment of a destination Page 14 Sports & Adventure // A destination s outdoor activities and adventures Page 16 Culinary // The food experiences in a destination Page 18 Lodging // Accommodation in a destination

8 PAGE 8 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 Culture The arts and culture in a destination To measure culture in a destination, Resonance analyzes the number of Very Good and Excellent recommendations in the TripAdvisor categories of Museums, Concerts & Shows, and Arts & Events. The cultural champion ranked #1 overall is New York City. The city s prosperity has always fueled its creative endeavours both through eagerly paying crowds from near and far and through corporate endowments and the results are everywhere today. This year, 40 new Broadway shows are launching the most in three decades. New York storytellers Billy Joel and Jerry Seinfeld are doing residencies all year, the former at Madison Square Garden, the latter at the Beacon Theater, just because they can. Long an encyclopedia of both massive museums and niche collections, New York is in full cultural buildout mode. Leading the way this year is the Whitney Museum of American Art s first Biennial in its dramatic new location. The iconic venue doubled its exhibition space two years ago when it relocated to Chelsea, ballooning its visitation numbers as well. For a perspective of the sheer scale of planned cultural investment, one need only look at the ambition in one borough, Brooklyn, in the past year alone. Brooklyn Historical Society opened its second location on Water Street in Brooklyn s iconic DUMBO neighborhood, telling the story of the historic waterfronts across 3,200 square feet of space and some of the most breathtaking views of the New York skyline. Just to the north, Brooklyn s largest general admission music venue, Brooklyn Steel, opened to the public, with room for 1,800 music lovers and a full dance card of year-round performances from local and international bands. This being New York, inclusivity is always front and center, so local and visiting kids now have SPARK by Brooklyn Children s Museum in Crown Heights. The next five years will be equally kinetic. The Shed, in the new Hudson Yards neighborhood on the city s West Side, will boast more cultural square footage than most towns. The five-story building, scheduled to open in early 2019, will THE WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART

9 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 9 Ct Top 20 Cities for Culture BROADWAY IS ABOUT TO HAVE ITS BUSIEST SEASON IN 40 YEARS New York s prosperity has always fueled its creative endeavours both through eagerly paying crowds from near and far and through corporate endowments and the results are everywhere today. feature two column-free galleries, a theater, event and rehearsal space, an artist lab, a 120-foot-high temperature-controlled hall and a 17,000-sq.-ft. plaza for outdoor programming. And in the category of How Did This Not Exist Earlier?, the Statue of Liberty Museum will open in It s no wonder that NYC swept all three sub-categories (Museums, Concerts & Shows, and Arts & Events) that compose our Culture category. 1. NEW YORK 2. CHICAGO 3. LAS VEGAS 4. LOS ANGELES 5. BRANSON 6. SAN FRANCISCO 7. PHILADELPHIA 8. NEW ORLEANS 9. WASHINGTON 10. SAN DIEGO 11. SEATTLE 12. HOUSTON 13. ORANGE COUNTY 14. OAHU ISLAND 15. BOSTON 16. ATLANTA 17. BALTIMORE 18. PORTLAND, OR 19. SAINT LOUIS 20. CHARLESTON

10 PAGE 10 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 Entertainment FLICKR: PERRY QUAN ENTRANCE TO THE BEATLES LOVE BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL IN LAS VEGAS Fun attractions and experiences To measure entertainment in a destination, Resonance analyzed the number of Very Good and Excellent recommendations on TripAdvisor in the categories of Amusement Parks, Zoos & Aquariums, Casinos & Gambling, Fun & Games, Shopping, and Nightlife. You d expect the City That Never Sleeps to rule the nation s Entertainment category, and New York City doesn t disappoint. In addition to a month s worth of mustsee bucket list items that torment most visitors upon arrival, the Big Apple keeps upping the ante. Yes, there s the Empire State Center (or for our money The Top of the Rock), but now there s One World Observatory, complete with a time machine-like ascent up the Freedom Tower that displays the buildout of the city over four centuries. Then there are audacious new icons on the horizon, like the New York Wheel in Staten Island a 630-foot-tall observation wheel that will be (not surprisingly given its provenance) the tallest of its kind in the world. Fortunately for the overwhelmed tourist, it doesn t open for another year (in June 2018). New York s top spot in the Entertainment category was driven by its #1 overall ranking in the Shopping and Nightlife sub-categories, and there are plenty of reinforcements in the pipeline from the high-end pedestrian-accessed boutiques If there s one place that can take on NYC in the Entertainment metric, it s Las Vegas. Sin City comes in a close second behind the Big Apple.

11 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 11 Et of the aforementioned Hudson Yards mini-city to the muchanticipated 2019 opening of the three-level, 100,000-sq.-ft. Hermès temple in Manhattan s Meatpacking District. If there s one place that can take on NYC in the Entertainment metric, it s Las Vegas. Sin City comes in a close second for Entertainment, topping three sub-categories: Zoos & Aquariums, Casinos & Gambling, and Fun & Games. Nightlife, not surprisingly, ranked #3. Top 20 Cities for Entertainment 1. NEW YORK 2. LAS VEGAS 3. CHICAGO 4. SAN FRANCISCO 5. NEW ORLEANS 6. LOS ANGELES 7. SEATTLE 8. SAN DIEGO 9. ORANGE COUNTY 10. OAHU ISLAND 11. AUSTIN 12. PORTLAND, OR 13. HOUSTON 14. TAMPA/ST. PETERSBURG 15. PHILADELPHIA 16. ORLANDO 17. NASHVILLE 18. HAWAII ISLAND 19. BOSTON 20. SAN ANTONIO NEW YORK S WORLD TRADE CENTER SHOPPING MALL AT THE OCULUS

12 PAGE 12 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 Sightseeing THE 9/11 MEMORIAL IN NEW YORK The natural and built environment of a city To rank sightseeing and evaluate the natural and built environment of a destination, Resonance analyzed the number of Very Good and Excellent rankings in TripAdvisor s Sights & Landmarks, Nature & Parks, and Tours & Activities categories. The top-ranked destinations for sightseeing reflect the appeal of an eclectic range of sightseeing options from the environmental to the engineered. It s interesting to note the sheer incongruity between the top finishers: New York s cityscape that worked the land into centuries of human ambition in sharp contrast to the isolated and extreme topography of Oahu (#2 in Sightseeing), the Island of Hawaii (#3) and Maui (#4), shaped by active seismic forces over millennia, with city planning that succumbed to playing by Mother Nature s rules a long time ago. OAHU RANKS HIGH FOR SIGHTSEEING AND NATURE-BASED ADVENTURE No wonder Oahu gets the most favorable Nature & Parks ranking on TripAdvisor out of any U.S. destination. As the gateway

13 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 13 Ss Top 20 Cities for Sightseeing to the Islands, the city draws the most tourists while prioritizing access and connectivity to its dramatic natural wonders. Oahu s #2 overall ranking in the Tours & Activities sub-category is the result of relentlessly growing tourism volumes, most of it from returning visitors demanding iterative experiences. It s why the International Market Place in Waikiki keeps getting renovated and why the ever-expanding Ala Moana is today the world s largest open-air shopping center. Then there s the increasing demand for the real Hawaii from visitors. Not surprisingly, tours and activities are evolving and growing like never before, cranking up authentic Aloha while building out capacity for record visitor numbers. As the gateway to the Islands, Oahu draws the most tourists while prioritizing access and connectivity to its dramatic natural wonders. 1. NEW YORK 2. OAHU ISLAND 3. HAWAII ISLAND 4. MAUI ISLAND 5. SAN FRANCISCO 6. SAN DIEGO 7. CHICAGO 8. LOS ANGELES 9. ORANGE COUNTY 10. NEW ORLEANS 11. LAS VEGAS 12. WASHINGTON 13. CHARLESTON 14. BOSTON 15. SEATTLE 16. PORTLAND, OR 17. MIAMI 18. TAMPA/ST. PETERSBURG 19. SAVANNAH 20. PHILADELPHIA

14 PAGE 14 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 Sports & Adventure A destination s outdoor activities and adventures We determine the Sports & Adventure ranking for each destination by evaluating its performance in TripAdvisor s Outdoor Activities, and Boat Tours & Water Sports categories. TripAdvisor s Outdoor Activities category reflects a grab bag of pursuits that vary from destination to destination. It can include everything from fishing charters and tours to kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding to biking trails, golf courses, adrenaline and extreme tours, safaris and scenic drives. Yet most destinations seem popular for specialized outdoor activities: #8 ranked Tampa/St. Petersburg is heavy on boating-related activities, while #6 Miami s most popular adventures are all about the Everglades. Top Sports & Adventure finisher Oahu enjoys the enviable balance of seemingly infinite coastline, exploding topography and the tourism infrastructure as the gateway and largest urban center in this paradise to convince many Hawaii visitors to not bother island hopping. THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FOCUS ON THEIR UNMATCHED NATURAL ATTRIBUTES It s why the Big Island of Hawaii is so notable. Its rank just behind Oahu for Sports & Adventure (#3 for both Boat Tours & Water Sports and Outdoor Activities) has everything to do with its designation as one of the most climatically diverse places on the planet. Visitors can experience (read: play in) four out of the world s five major climate zones. As you d expect from a place that (almost) gives you the world in a day, the few visitors who venture to this youngest (and most geologically active) of the Hawaiian Islands, can t wait to share their discovery. And the Big Island is making access to this staggering diversity easier, with new surf schools (now with SUPs!), diving adventures (snuba is just like it sounds snorkelling with an on-boat air supply), and that most beguiling (and awesome) of bucket list items: lava anything! Such direct, uncrowded interaction with the elements to say nothing of the blooming cultural renaissance triggers adrenaline rushes in the retelling alone. ADVENTURING IN THE EVERGLADES

15 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 15 SA Top 20 Cities for Sports & Adventure Top Sports & Adventure finisher Oahu enjoys the enviable balance of seemingly infinite coastline, exploding topography and tourism infrastructure. 1. OAHU ISLAND 2. MAUI ISLAND 3. HAWAII ISLAND 4. SAN DIEGO 5. DESTIN 6. MIAMI 7. ORANGE COUNTY 8. TAMPA/ST. PETERSBURG 9. NAPLES 10. CHARLESTON 11. FORT LAUDERDALE 12. LAS VEGAS 13. NEW YORK 14. SAN FRANCISCO 15. SARASOTA 16. FORT MYERS 17. VIRGINIA BEACH 18. SEATTLE 19. CHICAGO 20. MONTEREY

16 PAGE 16 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 Culinary The food experiences in a destination To get a sense of the culinary experiences in a destination, we analyzed the number of Very Good and Excellent reviews in TripAdvisor s Food & Drink and Restaurants categories. While the Restaurants category measures pure popularity, TripAdvisor s Food & Drink reviews demonstrate how many different ways there are to explore the culinary landscape of place: in #2 Los Angeles, for instance, we find suddenly spiking categories like Breweries, Distilleries, and Wine Bars. That this is happening in a place that for decades deferred the culinary crown to places like New York, Chicago, and even Portland just adds to the enlightened visitor s itinerary. All of which likely leads to enthusiastic, pioneering reviews and highly Instagrammable moments. The diversity of dining experiences that visitors have reviewed illustrates how food tourism has become paramount to a destination s sense of place. Seeking and reveling in a place s culinary bounty allows visitors to experience and remember a destination with more senses: they see the neighborhoods that are the source of the food, feel the ambiance of a historic distillery, taste a chef s inspiration or try their hand at frying up the catch of the day themselves. Seattle now rivals any city for craft breweries (although San Diegans and Chicagoans would dispute this vehemently). SEATTLE S CULINARY SCENE RIVALS MOST U.S. CITIES

17 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 17 Cl EDIBLE ART AT RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR ELEVEN MADISON PARK This multi-sensory experience which demands that visitors come equipped with nothing more than curiosity is tourism at its most impactful. Other once-culinary outliers are forcing their way into the Top 10. Vegas, ranked #8 in our Culinary category, was once a wasteland of chains and questionable buffets. Today, food is reinventing its downtown. Chef Natalie Young s EAT, on the street level of a nondescript apartment building, became legendary for Mexican-French breakfast and lunch magic. And other concepts followed from hot vegan spot VegeNation to Cajun mastery at Zydeco Po-Boys. Chef Young has kept up, with the Chinese-and-chicken lure of Chow, her latest initiative, drawing crowds and training the next generation of local chefs since late Seattle, one spot lower at #9, now rivals any city for craft breweries (although San Diegans and Chicagoans would dispute this vehemently) as well as innovative Pacific Northwest (they call it Cascadian ) locavorism that imbues everything from fine dining hotel spots to Mariners home games. Of course the top culinary destination in the country is still New York City, indicated by the fact that 77 of its restaurants boast one, two or three Michelin stars. Earlier this year, Eleven Madison Park was named best restaurant in the world by the global authority on such matters, becoming the first U.S. room to grab the honor since The difference between culinary lineage of old and today? Starred restaurants are tucked relatively off the map, in Bushwick (Faro), Harlem (Sushi Inoue) and Williamsburg (Aska). PAUL WAGTOUICZ Top 20 Cities for Culinary 1. NEW YORK 2. LOS ANGELES 3. ORANGE COUNTY 4. CHICAGO 5. HOUSTON 6. SAN FRANCISCO 7. SAN DIEGO 8. LAS VEGAS 9. SEATTLE 10. PORTLAND, OR 11. SAN ANTONIO 12. OAHU ISLAND 13. ORLANDO 14. PHILADELPHIA 15. AUSTIN 16. MIAMI 17. ATLANTA 18. WASHINGTON 19. DALLAS 20. TAMPA/ST. PETERSBURG

18 PAGE 18 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 Lodging Accommodation in a destination To evaluate accommodation in a destination, Resonance analyzes the number of Very Good and Excellent reviews in TripAdvisor s Hotels category. According to NYC & Company, the city s tourism and marketing organization, the number of hotel rooms in the city has risen to almost 110,000. A record 60.3 million visitors arrived in New York in 2016, including 12.7 million from outside the U.S. Developers have been quick to build places for them to lay their heads. According to NYC & Company, the city s tourism and marketing organization, the number of hotel rooms in the city has risen to almost 110,000. Bloomberg projects another 25,000 rooms planned or under construction. This meteoric rise represents a 20% increase in the city s room count in the past five years. The good news for visitors is that increased competition is reducing room rates (relatively and outside of peak season speaking of course). That Houston came in at #2 for the second year in a row speaks to the stealth boom happening in this hot corner of Texas: the city opened eight new hotels in 2015, with another five having opened in downtown alone last year. This year is even hotter, with another seven properties either opened or opening, including the much-anticipated Le Meridien Downtown. The formerly vacant, historic downtown office building, Houston s first modern skyscraper listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is being renovated to become the city s newest luxury destination. A rooftop pool, restaurants, bars and 225 guest rooms will set a new bar that, given the velocity of buildout, will be exceeded in the not-too-distant future. SAN DIEGO S NEW PENDRY HOTEL TripAdvisor s Hotels category doesn t tell the story of the influence of Airbnb, a significant change agent in the lodging space. According to the most recent data from Airdna, a company specializing in Airbnb data, New York City has more than 52,000 active Airbnb rentals. Houston, by contrast, had less than 7,400. Resonance research indicates that Millennials, the primary Airbnb audience, would still rather stay in a full-service hotel if money were no object while hotels are working mightily to create brands, spaces and experiences that compete with Airbnb s eclectic offerings.

19 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 19 Lg VISIT HOUSTON (HUGH HARGRAVE) / JOHN EVERETT Top 20 Cities for Lodging 1. NEW YORK 2. HOUSTON 3. ORLANDO 4. ORANGE COUNTY 5. SAN ANTONIO 6. SAN DIEGO 7. CHICAGO 8. LAS VEGAS 9. LOS ANGELES 10. WASHINGTON 11. NEW ORLEANS 12. SAN FRANCISCO 13. AUSTIN 14. TAMPA/ST. PETERSBURG 15. ATLANTA 16. MYRTLE BEACH 17. BRANSON 18. DALLAS 19. CHARLOTTE 20. PHOENIX HOTEL ZAZA HOUSTON

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21 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 21 Page 22 Overall Rankings Page 23 Large Destinations Page 24 Medium Destinations Page 26 Small Destinations Page 29 Tourism Regions

22 PAGE 22 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 OVERALL RANKINGS We base overall rankings on how many Very Good or Excellent reviews a destination receives regardless of its size or its number of visitors. While this ranking favors larger cities, which have more experiences to review, it also provides a few surprises. Relatively small but focused destinations like #9 overall Oahu double down in delivering just one or two visitor experiences better than anywhere else. In Oahu s case, it s Sports & Adventure (#1) and Sightseeing (#2) the result of impossible-to-duplicate location and topography that Oahu is owning year after year, by layering access and cultural significance on some of Mother Nature s finest work. Have you been surfing? Well now try it with a traditional Hawaiian outrigger! Already had a Mai Tai? Now enjoy this one made with nothing but Island-grown ingredients! It s authentic and educational and, most important, it celebrates what s been there all along. Some smaller, less defined tourism destinations like booming Seattle are really firing on all cylinders of late. The Emerald City just made it into the final slot of our Top 10, and it s riding an economic and construction wave that has residents and tourists arriving in record numbers. Its strong (and seemingly surprising) #7 Entertainment ranking and #9 Culinary finish position it as a place that will increasingly find itself on the radar of both cultural and family visitors. And speaking of culture, at #11 overall, Seattle scored well in our Culture category for a relatively small city, beating out top finisher Houston and Orange County in that vital category. The performance of these smaller destinations is particularly impressive considering the massive scale of diverse experiences offered by the reigning Top 3 tourism centers New York, L.A., and Chicago (with Orange County and San Francisco rounding out the Top 5). Top 20 Overall Cities 1. NEW YORK 2. LOS ANGELES 3. CHICAGO 4. ORANGE COUNTY 5. SAN FRANCISCO 6. LAS VEGAS 7. HOUSTON 8. SAN DIEGO 9. OAHU ISLAND 10. SEATTLE 11. PORTLAND, OR 12. MIAMI 13. ORLANDO 14. AUSTIN 15. SAN ANTONIO 16. PHILADELPHIA 17. WASHINGTON 18. TAMPA/ST. PETERSBURG 19. ATLANTA 20. BOSTON

23 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 23 LARGE DESTINATION RANKINGS Destinations that attract more than 10 million visitors per year Rank Destination State Culture Entertainment Sightseeing Sports & Adventure Culinary Lodging 1 New York NY Los Angeles CA Chicago IL Orange County CA San Francisco CA Las Vegas NV Houston TX San Diego CA Seattle WA Miami FL Orlando FL Austin TX San Antonio TX Philadelphia PA Washington DC Tampa/St. Petersburg FL Atlanta GA Boston MA New Orleans LA Dallas TX Denver CO Phoenix AZ Kansas City KS-MO Nashville TN Indianapolis IN Columbus OH Sacramento CA Fort Lauderdale FL

24 PAGE 24 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 MEDIUM DESTINATION RANKINGS Rank Destination State Culture Entertainment Sightseeing Sports & Adventure Culinary Lodging 1 Oahu Island HI Portland OR OR St. Louis MO Charlotte NC Pittsburgh PA Jacksonville FL Minneapolis MN Baltimore MD Charleston SC SC Cincinnati OH Louisville KY San Jose CA Fort Worth TX Boca Raton/ West Palm Beach FL Oklahoma City OK Milwaukee WI Virginia Beach VA Cleveland OH Richmond VA Raleigh NC Salt Lake City UT Savannah GA Colorado Springs CO Destin FL Tulsa OK Asheville NC

25 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 25 Destinations that attract between 5-10 million visitors per year Rank Destination State Culture Entertainment Sightseeing Sports & Adventure Culinary Lodging 27 Myrtle Beach SC Knoxville TN Fort Myers FL Monterey CA Oakland CA Santa Barbara CA Branson MO Buffalo NY Madison WI Chattanooga TN Detroit MI Birmingham AL Fresno CA Little Rock AR Daytona Beach FL Pigeon Forge TN Albany NY Lancaster PA Palm Springs CA Flagstaff AZ Gatlinburg TN Atlantic City NJ Waco TX Panama City FL Cape Canaveral FL

26 PAGE 26 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 SMALL DESTINATION RANKINGS Rank Destination State Culture Entertainment Sightseeing Sports & Adventure Culinary Lodging 1 Tallahassee FL Lake Charles LA Bend OR Dothan AL Augusta GA Greenville SC Greensboro NC Mesa AZ Pensacola FL Hot Springs AR Estes Park CO Gainesville FL Columbia SC Traverse City MI Fort Smith AR El Paso TX Portland ME ME Aspen CO St. Augustine FL Biloxi MS Lexington KY Sioux Falls SD Albuquerque NM Amarillo TX Anniston AL

27 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 27 Destinations that attract between 3-5 million visitors per year Rank Destination State Culture Entertainment Sightseeing Sports & Adventure Culinary Lodging 26 Sandusky OH Ocean City MD Williamsburg VA Syracuse NY Jackson MS Tucson AZ Reno NV Springfield MO Scottsdale AZ Auburn AL Wichita KS Dayton OH Niagara Falls NY Boulder CO Naples FL Omaha NE Duluth MN Huntsville AL Memphis TN Sarasota FL Hawaii Island HI Arlington VA Grand Rapids MI Charleston WV WV Corpus Christi TX

28 PAGE 28 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 SMALL DESTINATION RANKINGS CONT D Destinations that attract between 3-5 million visitors per year Rank Destination State Culture Entertainment Sightseeing Sports & Adventure Culinary Lodging 51 Provo UT Juneau AK Gulf Shores AL Baton Rouge LA Wilmington NC Sevierville TN Des Moines IA Green Bay WI Abilene TX Mobile AL Ann Arbor MI Maui Island HI Saint Paul MN Hershey PA Galveston TX Macon GA Anchorage AK Rochester NY Wisconsin Dells WI

29 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 29 TOURISM REGIONS For the first time ever, we decided to also rank the quality of Tourism Regions, focusing on areas that attract more than 3 million visitors per year. The 2017 data includes domestic visitor counts for major tourism regions in the U.S. Tourism Regions were ranked separately in order to account for their scale relative to cities. These multicounty regions (versus the single-county destinations and cities that appear throughout this report) offer additional insights into U.S. destination perception, but on a regional, out-of-metropolitan area basis. Although not directly tied to nearby cities, tourism regions are directly affected by them. Long Island, for example, benefits from a surge in New York City visitors, especially those returning in search of new itineraries and experiences still within a day s travel of the gateway city. Rank Destination State Culture Entertainment Sightseeing Sports & Adventure Culinary Lodging 1 Long Island NY Upper Peninsula MI Florida Keys FL Jersey Shore NJ Cape Cod MA Poconos PA Outer Banks NC White Mountains NH Lake Tahoe CA Catskills NY Adirondacks NY Grand Canyon AZ Although not directly tied to nearby cities, tourism regions are directly affected by them.

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31 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 31 INDEX RANKINGS

32 PAGE 32 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 INDEX RANKINGS We ve created indexed rankings to provide a clearer picture of how smaller destinations perform. They reflect how many Very Good or Excellent experiences each destination offers per 100,000 visitors rather than just the total number of high-quality experiences. This levels the playing field between destinations that are large in both size and tourism volume and those that aren t. By a per-visitor measurement, smaller destinations Portland and the Hawaiian Islands in particular shine. We discussed Oahu s domination extensively in this report, but it s important to focus on Maui s performance per 100,000 visitors because with just a few adjustments, it could futureproof its tourism experience. Maui is tops in Sports & Adventure and #2 in both Culture and Sightseeing. In the vital but difficult Entertainment category, it ranks #4. But it s Maui s disappointing #57 Culinary finish and relatively low #26 Lodging ranking that prevented it from ruling the Indexed rankings. Still, given how food tourism is sweeping the rest of the Islands, Maui can quickly improve its Culinary ranking in the years ahead with some strategic thinking. Several cities also score in or near the Top 5. Portland, ranked #4 overall here, tops the Culinary ranking and also scores well in Entertainment and Sightseeing (#7 in both). Portlandia, riding its pioneering Left Coast-ness, is quickly maturing as a must-see American city. Another well-balanced smaller city of note is Tucson, Arizona. It ranked #6 overall in the Indexed categories, with an impressive #3 ranking for Culture (thanks to its proximity to Mexico and its university-fueled infrastructure) and an intriguing sixth-best Culinary ranking. This vital metric is bound to improve in the coming years as a result of its UNESCO s Creative Cities Network designation for gastronomy, designed to prioritize food as part of cultural heritage worth protecting. The reason? Tucson is the oldest continually farmed city in North America (extending back more than 4,000 years). Plus the mole poblano is some of the best you ll find anywhere on both sides of the border. Top 20 Index Cities 1. OAHU ISLAND 2. MAUI ISLAND 3. HAWAII ISLAND 4. PORTLAND, OR 5. SCOTTSDALE 6. TUCSON 7. SEATTLE 8. NAPLES 9. ALBUQUERQUE 10. EL PASO 11. ST. LOUIS 12. PHILADELPHIA 13. CHICAGO 14. GREENVILLE 15. SARASOTA 16. OMAHA 17. NEW YORK 18. ORANGE COUNTY 19. HOUSTON 20. LOUISVILLE

33 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 33 INDEX RANKINGS Destinations that attract more than 3 million visitors per year Rank Destination State Culture Entertainment Sightseeing Sports & Adventure Culinary Lodging 1 Oahu Island HI Maui Island HI Hawaii Island HI Portland OR OR Scottsdale AZ Tucson AZ Seattle WA Naples FL Albuquerque NM El Paso TX Saint Louis MO Philadelphia PA Chicago IL Greenville SC Sarasota FL Omaha NE New York NY Orange County CA Houston TX Louisville KY Wilmington NC Memphis TN Virginia Beach VA Springfield MO Raleigh NC Austin TX San Antonio TX Charleston SC SC New Orleans LA Columbia SC

34 PAGE 34 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 INDEX RANKINGS CONT D Rank Destination State Culture Entertainment Sightseeing Sports & Adventure Culinary Lodging 31 Baltimore MD Salt Lake City UT Greensboro NC Wichita KS Mesa AZ Lexington KY Ocean City MD San Francisco CA Charlotte NC Tallahassee FL Pittsburgh PA Tampa/St. Petersburg FL Phoenix AZ St. Augustine FL Washington DC Cincinnati OH Minneapolis MN Tulsa OK Rochester NY Anchorage AK Boston MA Destin FL Oklahoma City OK Richmond VA San Diego CA Bend OR Arlington VA Milwaukee WI Syracuse NY Denver CO

35 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 35 Destinations that attract more than 3 million visitors per year Rank Destination State Culture Entertainment Sightseeing Sports & Adventure Culinary Lodging 61 Indianapolis IN Fort Myers FL Fort Worth TX Saint Paul MN Portland ME ME Las Vegas NV Jacksonville FL Asheville NC Baton Rouge LA Nashville TN Ann Arbor MI Los Angeles CA Cleveland OH Chattanooga TN Colorado Springs CO Knoxville TN San Jose CA Madison WI Columbus OH Grand Rapids MI Savannah GA Reno NV Kansas City KS-MO Biloxi MS Branson MO Atlanta GA Dayton OH Boca Raton/ West Palm Beach FL Oakland CA Traverse City MI

36 PAGE 36 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 INDEX RANKINGS CONT D Rank Destination State Culture Entertainment Sightseeing Sports & Adventure Culinary Lodging 91 Boulder CO Sacramento CA Miami FL Pensacola FL Santa Barbara CA Dallas TX Sioux Falls SD Buffalo NY Mobile AL Corpus Christi TX Gainesville FL Augusta GA Juneau AK Green Bay WI Monterey CA Huntsville AL Provo UT Myrtle Beach SC Fort Lauderdale FL Des Moines IA Little Rock AR Williamsburg VA Aspen CO Galveston TX Duluth MN Detroit MI Fresno CA Estes Park CO Amarillo TX Lancaster PA

37 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 37 Destinations that attract more than 3 million visitors per year Rank Destination State Culture Entertainment Sightseeing Sports & Adventure Culinary Lodging 121 Hot Springs AR Lake Charles LA Birmingham AL Macon GA Jackson MS Wisconsin Dells WI Fort Smith AR Charleston WV WV Albany NY Abilene TX Waco TX Orlando FL Flagstaff AZ Sevierville TN Pigeon Forge TN Gatlinburg TN Niagara Falls NY Dothan AL Daytona Beach FL Gulf Shores AL Palm Springs CA Panama City FL Sandusky OH Atlantic City NJ Auburn AL Hershey PA Cape Canaveral FL Anniston AL

38 PAGE 38 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 We hope you enjoyed this sample of our insight and expertise. HERE S HOW RESONANCE CAN HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF YOUR COUNTRY, CITY OR COMMUNITY Development Strategy Resonance development strategies help destinations and developers plan for the future, understand consumers and trends, engage their communities, influence policy, and market their strengths. For both developments and destinations, our Development Strategy documents offer a roadmap that connects economic development, tourism and planning and by doing so, we connect projects, communities and cities with current and future residents, visitors, talent and investors. Smart and comprehensive, development strategies identify target audiences, competitive differentiators and strategic positioning, and articulate sense and personality of place, creating unique language designed to communicate future programming, products, amenities and experience. The Development Strategy process and its result can rally disparate organizations, ensure internal buy-in, inform and direct marketing and sales, and create a competitive identity that helps move the needle. Place Branding Our approach to place branding combines analytics with storytelling techniques and award-winning design to define and communicate a destination or development s essence of place. If infrastructure is the hardware of place, experience is the software and place branding tells the story of those experiences. To do it, we first benchmark against competitors, analyze consumer research, audit existing tourism assets, and forecast future trends. Then we engage stakeholders with story-seeking exercises that articulate the essence of place: what does a destination or development stand for? What are its differentiators and the unique stories it can tell? What are its aspirations for the future? The result is a brand proposition and brand story that positions a place so compellingly that all the audiences you seek to engage will tell your story with pride, clarity and consistency.

39 RESONANCECO.COM PAGE 39 Place Marketing Resonance strategic and creative teams write and execute marketing and public relations plans that bring the story of place to life and engage audiences in communities, cities and countries all over the world. Marketing strategies for destinations and developments are based on our Development Strategies & Storylines, which benchmark against the competitive set, decipher lifestyle trends and the aspirations of current and prospective consumers, imagine a preferred future, and create market-leading positioning strategies. From there, our team of award-winning content creators, designers, filmmakers, photographers and digital specialists create strategic and successful branding, imagery, measurable advertising and content in every medium, along with communications and public relations that put the story into the right hands. Placemaking Resonance placemaking strategies seek to leverage the power of art, culture and creativity to improve the quality of public places and the lives of the communities around them. From the foundation of the Development Strategy, we develop and create placemaking recommendations that align with the ambitions of our clients and the needs of the community. Our placemaking and programming practices rally artists, designers, urban planners and community leaders to make cities, communities and resort destinations more successful, resilient, sustainable and vibrant. They help bring the ideas and values of communities to life, particularly in early days of development or rejuvenation, and give prospective residents a taste of the future.

40 PAGE 40 U.S. TOURISM QUALITY INDEX 2017 We hope you enjoyed this U.S. Tourism Quality Index Report. For detailed results and insights from this study, please contact us. You can download a free copy of this report at ResonanceCo.com/Our-Reports Vancouver W Hastings St Vancouver, B.C. V6B 1P2 P E info@resonanceco.com New York 6 East 43rd St - Floor 25 New York, NY P E info@resonanceco.com California 120 Newport Center Dr. Newport Beach, CA P E ResonanceCo.com The Resonance Report is produced for general interest only; it is not definitive. It must not be relied upon in any way. Although high standards have been used in preparing the information and analysis presented in this report, no responsibility or liability whatsoever can be accepted by Resonance Consultancy Ltd. for any loss or damage resultant from any use of, reliance on, or reference to the contents of this document. We make no express or implied guarantee of its accuracy. Please be advised that your use of The Resonance Report document constitutes your agreement to (i) use the content under a limited license only for your own internal purposes, and (ii) not disclose, publish or otherwise make public or provide the content, in whole or in part, to any third person or entity without the prior written consent of Resonance Consultancy Ltd. The content is and remains at all times the exclusive intellectual property of Resonance Consultancy Ltd. Copyright 2017 Resonance Consultancy Ltd.