Over 5,000 consumers in GB England, Wales and Scotland

Transcription

1 GB Market Insight

2 Research Methodology Key Findings Visitors by Demographics Travel Preferences Experience of Belfast Customer Segments Perceptions of Belfast CONTENTS Market Potential Summary Key Takeaways Questions

3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 50,000 UK PANEL SIZE Over 5,000 consumers in GB England, Wales and Scotland Nationally representative Fieldwork period: 4 th 8 th May DATA POINTS MARKET RESEARCH SOCIETY ACCREDITED

4 VISITORS TO NORTHERN IRELAND AND BELFAST 31% of GB adults have visited Northern Ireland (15.7 mil) RESEARCH FINDINGS 21% have visited Belfast (10.6 mil) I ve always wanted to go A friend/family member recommended it I was looking at different cities in the UK

5 MAIN VISITORS TO BELFAST - DEMOGRAPHICS RESEARCH FINDINGS More men than women Young adults aged Parents of under-5s Affluent AB consumers From London, the North West and Scotland

6 FLYING THE PREFERRED ROUTE Convenience to home as important as convenience to Belfast RESEARCH FINDINGS 31% of GB adults consider a short flight time when deciding on a short break Most fly to Belfast International despite being aware of city-centre option Departure Airports: London-Heathrow (20%) Manchester (13%) London-Gatwick (12%) Birmingham (10%) London-Stansted (6%) Arrival Airports: Belfast International Airport (58%) George Best Belfast City Airport (36%) City of Derry (2%) Dublin (4%) Other (1%)

7 POSITIVE SENTIMENT AMONG VISITORS RESEARCH FINDINGS 67% of tourists from GB would definitely revisit Belfast 73% of visitors would recommend it as a short break destination Recommendations from family and friends are a key influence on choice The people and The warmth of the welcome

8 PARENTS OF UNDER-5s KEY CONSUMER GROUP A quarter (25%) of visitors went with their children Parents decided to visit after seeing a flight deal (26%), a post on social media (25%), an article on a travel website (25%), or an advert on TV (20%) Attracted to Titanic Belfast and the city s maritime heritage (27%) and the fact Game of Thrones is filmed there (27%) 78% would definitely revisit

9 VALUE FOR MONEY A KEY CONSIDERATION RESEARCH FINDINGS Value for money is the top consideration for GB consumers (53%) A trip to Belfast generally seen as not very expensive Accommodation, attractions and eating out the most expensive aspects

10 PERCEPTION OF HIGH COST AMONG NON-VISITORS Non-visitors over-estimate cost of all aspects of a weekend trip RESEARCH FINDINGS Majority (at least 60%) perceive accommodation, attractions, eating out and nightlife as expensive 24% of 25-34s felt they could get a better deal elsewhere

11 SEGMENTING THE MARKET CUSTOMER PROFILES Culturally Curious (43%) I enjoy sightseeing and getting to know new places Family Fun Seekers (17%) I enjoy activities that keep the whole family entertained Great Escapers (16%) I enjoy rural holidays and being outside in nature Social Energisers (12%) I enjoy action-packed days and fun-filled nights

12 PROMOTE CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL OFFERING Historical (40%) Traditional (33%) and Cultural (31%) city RESEARCH FINDINGS But among non-visitors - lack of awareness of what s on offer 40% say nothing in particular/i don t know when asked what comes to mind Increase awareness of attractions to appeal to the Culturally Curious

13 MARKET POTENTIAL: NEW VISITORS 38% of non-visitors have considered visiting Belfast before MARKET POTENTIAL 33% decided they would just rather go somewhere else 96% still interested in coming for a short break 12.7 million new visitors who are actively interested

14 KEY TAKEAWAYS year-olds and parents travelling with children Social energisers just 12% - appeal to Culturally Curious, Family Fun Seekers, Great Escapers Promote value for money proposition Raise awareness of cultural and historical offering Maritime heritage is a big attraction SUMMARY The people and warmth of the welcome leave a lasting impression on visitors 12.7 million new visitors from GB are actively interested

15 MEASURING SUCCESS Potential for a consumer tracker CONSUMER TRACKER Quarterly / Yearly Long-term measurement of visitor numbers Track sentiment among GB audience Monitor changes in perceptions of the city Measure success of marketing campaigns Identify new opportunities

16 Thank you for listening Any questions? SUMMARY