SATISFACTION WITH VISITOR EXPERIENCE:

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Arline Lewis
5 years ago
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2 MOTIVATORS TO VISIT: The majority of visitors to Queenstown visit the region for a holiday/vacation or short-break. Opportunities to experience adventure and excitement make Queenstown an attractive holiday destination for all markets, especially Australians, reinforcing the importance of maintaining this positioning. Note that the majority of Australian visitors surveyed between July-September were participating in skiing/snow/ice related activities while in Queenstown. For the domestic market, the opportunity for relationship enhancement (spending time with friends, family or partners) and relaxation are also motivating factors, while the novelty of exploring and discovering uniquely different places and experiences motivates international visitors. The activities/attractions available in Queenstown and the natural environment/scenery are the two primary drivers of destination choice for those who considered visiting other regions. Along with adventure and excitement, visitors arriving in Queenstown expect to find beautiful natural landscapes and scenery. Returning visitors have higher expectations of finding good food and wine in the region, suggesting an opportunity to further promote Queenstown s culinary and wine offerings. TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR: Queenstown tends to be the primary destination for domestic and Australian visitors, with an average stay of 5-7 nights. international visitors stay for a longer period of time, with Queenstown being part of a bigger trip around New Zealand. Despite their longer stay, other international visitors are more likely to leaving their booking until the last minute, with 1 in 4 not making any bookings until the week before arriving in Queenstown. Australian visitors plan further ahead, with many starting to make bookings as early as 6 months or more before arriving in the region. international visitors appear more likely than domestic or Australian visitors to stay in non-commercial accommodation (i.e. accommodation not captured through the Commercial Accommodation Monitor). More than 1 in 4 of these other international visitors rented either a private home/holiday home or a room in a private home (e.g. via Airbnb). Over time, it will be important to monitor the impact of this type of accommodation on the overall visitor experience in the region. visitors are more likely to stay at backpackers/hostels, while hotels remain the most popular accommodation choice for domestic and Australian visitors. While domestic and Australian visitors tend to travel as a couple or in a small group, international visitors are more likely to either be travelling on their own or in a much larger tour group. SATISFACTION WITH VISITOR EXPERIENCE: The quality of activities/attractions and quality of restaurants, cafés and bars available in the region, along with the cleanliness/presentation of the town, exceed visitor expectations. Visitors are disappointed however with the availability of parking and the traffic flow around Queenstown. There are opportunities to boost visitor satisfaction with improvements to both traffic and car parking and also local transport options and services. Across markets, visitors remain highly satisfied with their experience in the Queenstown region, with the natural environment driving satisfaction. The majority of visitors are likely to recommend Queenstown to others as a holiday destination, reflecting the overall positive visitor experience in the region.

3 Main Reason for Visit [Single Response] New Zealand Australia Holiday/vacation or short-break 73% 86% 79% Conference or convention 7% 0% 0% Family or friends 6% 4% 6% Transport connection/just passing through 4% 0% 0% Business reasons 2% 4% 8% Event held by friends or family 2% 4% 0% Event held by someone else 2% 0% 0% Education/study 1% 0% 2% 2% 1% 6% Base: Total Sample (n=125) (n=74) (n=52) Travel Motivations [Multiple Response] New Zealand Australia Spend time with my family, friends, or partner 38% 28% 17% Experience adventure and excitement 37% 55% 37% Relax, recharge and feel refreshed 36% 20% 20% Escape from the routine and pressures of everyday life 25% 28% 12% Explore and discover uniquely different places and experiences 21% 30% 46% Visit a must-see destination that people talk about 20% 25% 32% Meet new people and share experiences 2% 13% 10% Indulge in comfort and be pampered 2% 6% 2% None of the above 1% 3% 5% Base: Visitors on Holiday/Vacation or Short Break (n=91) (n=64) (n=41)

4 14% 86% 57% 43% 35% Yes 65% No Base: New Zealand (n=125), Australia (n=74) & (n=52) Drivers of Destination Choice [Multiple Response] New Zealand Australia Activities/experiences available in Queenstown 54% 59% 35% Natural environment/scenery 36% 30% 56% Weather, climate, or seasons 15% 33% 21% Family or friends 14% 7% 6% Recommendations by family or friends 14% 14% 23% Restaurants, cafes, nightlife or shopping 14% 14% 8% Wine/wineries 9% 1% 4% Convenient travel options to get to/from Queenstown 8% 12% 8% People/culture 8% 7% 8% Stories or promotions I saw/heard about Queenstown 7% 1% 4% Special deal offered on transport/activities/accommodation 5% 4% 4% Accommodation options 5% 13% 4% An event, concert or festival 5% 1% 0% Reputation as a safe and secure destination 4% 9% 13% Recommendations by a travel advisor 0% 3% 4% 2% 6% 6% None of the above 4% 0% 0% Base: Visitors on Holiday/Vacation or Short Break or Considered Visiting Alternative Region (n=99) (n=69) (n=48)

5 Expectations of Queenstown [Multiple Response] New Zealand Australia Beautiful natural landscapes and scenery 78% 80% 67% Adventure and excitement 67% 62% 48% Good food and wine 54% 50% 15% A relaxing place to visit 52% 35% 38% A clean and unpolluted environment 46% 42% 37% An appealing cityscape/townscape 42% 41% 27% A safe and secure place to visit 34% 41% 37% Good weather 34% 20% 29% Friendly local people 33% 49% 33% A vibrant urban environment 27% 22% 10% Unique history or heritage sites 21% 16% 6% Unique bush or plants 10% 8% 10% Unique wildlife 6% 9% 12% An authentic culture 6% 18% 6% None of the above 0% 0% 0% Base: Total Sample (n=125) (n=74) (n=52) Those who had previously visited Queenstown had significantly higher expectations of finding good food and wine in the region (52% vs. 35%)

6 27% 42% 30% 19% 12% 12% New Zealand Australia Booking to Arrival Lag [Single Response] New Zealand Australia I didn't book anything before I arrived 0% 1% 2% Less than a week 13% 11% 23% One week to a month 17% 7% 17% 1 month 14% 5% 12% 2 months 22% 12% 17% 3 months 14% 19% 15% 4 months 5% 7% 0% 5 months 5% 9% 2% 6 months 3% 20% 6% 7 months 2% 0% 0% 8 months 1% 1% 2% 9 months 1% 0% 0% 10 months 0% 0% 2% 11 months 0% 1% 0% 12 months 3% 1% 2% Between one and two years 1% 3% 0% Between two and five years 1% 0% 0% More than five years 0% 1% 0% Base: Total Sample (n=125) (n=74) (n=52)

7 Travel Companions [Multiple Response] New Zealand Australia No-one, I am travelling on my own 14% 8% 29% My partner/spouse 55% 51% 37% My child or children 10% 11% 13% members of my family 17% 12% 12% A friend or friends 24% 22% 21% Work/business colleagues 2% 5% 8% members of a tour group 0% 1% 4% members of an organised group 0% 1% 2% people 1% 1% 0% Base: Total Sample (n=125) (n=74) (n=52)

8 Base: New Zealand (n=125); Australia (n=74); (n=52)

9 27% 23% 34% 73% 77% 66% Commercial Accommodation Non-Commercial Accommodation Main Accommodation [Single Response] New Zealand Australia Commercial Accommodation Hotel 36% 35% 19% Motel 14% 8% 10% Serviced apartment 13% 14% 4% Backpackers/hostel 5% 12% 31% Exclusive/luxury lodge 3% 1% 0% Camping ground/holiday park 2% 7% 2% Non-Commercial Accommodation Private home/holiday home - no payment made 12% 3% 2% Private home/holiday home - rented 9% 9% 17% Bed/room in a private home - rented 2% 5% 10% Bed and Breakfast 1% 1% 4% Homestay or Farmstay 0% 1% 0% National Park DoC hut or tent site 0% 0% 0% Freedom camping 0% 0% 2% 3% 3% 0% Base: Total Sample (n=125) (n=74) (n=52)

10 Experiences in Region [Multiple Response] New Zealand Australia Restaurants and cafes, bars/nightclubs 57% 68% 60% A visit to Arrowtown 44% 35% 25% Shopping 42% 36% 48% Ski, snow, ice activities 41% 78% 40% Skyline Gondola and lookout 40% 57% 54% Sightseeing 31% 46% 50% Walking, hiking, climbing, trekking, tramping 25% 23% 42% Wineries or other wine experiences 20% 20% 12% Lake cruising or boating 15% 16% 12% Art galleries, museums, historic buildings or sites or other cultural or heritage attractions 15% 7% 10% River and lake adventures 13% 31% 23% A visit to Glenorchy 13% 23% 17% A visit to Fiordland/Milford Sound 13% 20% 40% Extreme activities 12% 32% 33% Wellness experiences 12% 15% 8% Cycling/biking 6% 8% 10% soft adventure and sports activities 5% 1% 2% Flying/air activities 4% 16% 10% Golf 4% 3% 0% Lord of the Rings, Hobbit or other film-related sightseeing tours and activities 3% 9% 15% Event, concert or festivals 3% 1% 2% Viewing, learning about or interacting with birds or animals 1% 7% 12% None of the above 4% 0% 0% Base: Total Sample (n=125) (n=74) (n=52)

11 New Zealand Q Q Q Accommodation Transport to Queenstown Local transport options and services Traffic and car parking * 6.6* Public facilities (parks, toilets) 8.5 Natural environment Cleanliness/presentation of town/region Activities and attractions Restaurants, cafes and bars in Queenstown Overall experience in the Queenstown region Australia Q Q Q Accommodation Transport to Queenstown Local transport options and services Traffic and car parking * 6* Public facilities (parks, toilets) 8.8 Natural environment Cleanliness/presentation of town/region Activities and attractions Restaurants, cafes and bars in Queenstown Overall experience in the Queenstown region Q Q Q Accommodation Transport to Queenstown Local transport options and services Traffic and car parking * 6.6* Public facilities (parks, toilets) 8.7 Natural environment Cleanliness/presentation of town/region Activities and attractions Restaurants, cafes and bars in Queenstown Overall experience in the Queenstown region *Previously Parking and other public facilities

12 Base Size - excludes N/A Quality of activities and attractions 13% 43% 44% (n=105) Quality of restaurants, cafes and bars 10% 44% 43% 3% (n=119) Cleanliness/presentation of town/region 18% 31% 50% 2% (n=98) Quality of accommodation I chose 11% 24% 56% 7% (n=115) Public transport services 9% 24% 62% 4% (n=120) Availability of accommodation I wanted 8% 20% 66% 5% (n=99) Taxis, shuttles and transfer services 9% 17% 69% 6% (n=117) Price of accommodation I chose 8% 12% 66% 13% (n=70) Traffic flow around town/region 3% 14% 57% 20% 6% (n=68) Availability of parking 4% 10% 52% 26% 8% (n=108) Overall experience 13% 44% 44% (n=119) Much better than expected Better than expected Just as expected Worse than expected Much worse than expected

13 Base Size - excludes N/A Quality of activities and attractions 22% 47% 31% (n=70) Cleanliness/presentation of town/region 26% 38% 36% (n=74) Quality of restaurants, cafes and bars 19% 39% 41% 1% (n=56) Availability of accommodation I wanted 15% 35% 45% 4% (n=69) Quality of accommodation I chose 19% 29% 46% 6% (n=74) Taxis, shuttles and transfer services 18% 25% 54% 4% (n=71) Public transport services 16% 23% 56% 5% (n=74) Price of accommodation I chose 10% 24% 57% 9% (n=56) Traffic flow around town/region 4% 16% 51% 25% 4% (n=43) Availability of parking 13% 34% 41% 13% (n=72) Overall experience 27% 50% 23% (n=74) Much better than expected Better than expected Just as expected Worse than expected Much worse than expected

14 Base Size - excludes N/A Quality of activities and attractions 24% 46% 30% (n=52) Quality of restaurants, cafes and bars 37% 29% 33% 2% (n=52) Cleanliness/presentation of town/region 15% 40% 42% 2% (n=32) Quality of accommodation I chose 8% 37% 46% 8% 2% (n=47) Public transport services 9% 34% 34% 23% (n=52) Availability of accommodation I wanted 8% 33% 44% 13% 3% (n=49) Taxis, shuttles and transfer services 13% 23% 51% 13% (n=50) Price of accommodation I chose 12% 18% 59% 2% 8% (n=39) Traffic flow around town/region 9% 16% 34% 31% 9% (n=39) Availability of parking 2% 10% 69% 15% 4% (n=52) Overall experience 23% 56% 19% (n=52) Much better than expected Better than expected Just as expected Worse than expected Much worse than expected

2% 3% 2% 14% 10% 17% 84% 85% 80% Q3 2014 Q3 2015

2015 Q3 2016 3% 3% 2% 21% 17% 17% 76% 80% 81% Q3

15 2% 3% 2% 14% 10% 17% 84% 85% 80% Q Q Q % 2% 1% 12% 13% 9% 88% 84% 88% Q Q Q % 3% 2% 21% 17% 17% 76% 80% 81% Q Q Q Very likely Quite likely Neither likely nor unlikely Quite unlikely Very unlikely Base: New Zealand (n=125); Australia (n=74); (n=52)

16 3% 3% 2% 11% 18% 18% 85% 78% 78% Q Q Q % 3% 4% 11% 18% 14% 85% 78% 81% Q Q Q % 6% 24% 10% 10% 10% 23% 2% 13% 29% 61% 47% 56% Q Q Q Very likely Quite likely Neither likely nor unlikely Quite unlikely Very unlikely Base: New Zealand (n=125); Australia (n=74); (n=52)

17 Gender New Zealand Australia Male 50% 43% 60% Female 50% 57% 40% Age New Zealand Australia years 2% 0% 0% years 6% 3% 4% years 10% 23% 19% years 10% 18% 27% years 14% 11% 13% years 10% 11% 13% years 4% 5% 2% years 14% 3% 4% years 11% 14% 8% years 7% 4% 8% years 5% 4% 2% years 3% 3% 0% years 1% 1% 0% 75+ years 3% 1% 0% Previous Visits to Queenstown New Zealand Australia None (First Visit to Queenstown) 25% 47% 73% 1-5 Previous Visits 46% 47% 27% 6-10 Previous Visits 16% 1% 0% Previous Visits 6% 1% 0% 21+ Previous Visits 6% 3% 0% Base: Total Sample (n=125) (n=74) (n=52) Base: New Zealand (n=125); Australia (n=74); (n=52)

18 Region of Residence (New Zealand) Northland 6% Auckland 49% Waikato 7% Bay of Plenty 6% Gisborne 0% Hawkes Bay 2% Taranaki 1% Manawatu/Whanganui 2% Wellington (& Wairarapa) 9% Marlborough 2% Nelson 2% Tasman 0% West Coast 0% Canterbury 6% Otago 5% Southland 4% Base: New Zealand (n=125) Region of Residence (Australia) Australian Capital Territory 0% New South Wales 32% Northern Territory 0% Queensland 36% South Australia 3% Tasmania 1% Victoria 16% Western Australia 11% Base: Australia (n=74) Country of Origin ( ) Argentina 4% Belgium 2% Canada 6% Chile 2% Czech Republic 2% Fiji 2% Germany 6% India 6% Ireland 4% Japan 4% Korea 2% Malaysia 10% Mexico 2% New Caledonia 6% Singapore 4% South Africa 2% Taiwan 4% Thailand 2% United Arab Emirates 4% United Kingdom 17% United States 12% Base: (n=52) Base: New Zealand (n=125); Australia (n=74); (n=52)

19 The Visitor Insights Programme (VIP) is an ongoing programme revealing how New Zealand's visitors think, feel and act. The Visitor Experience programme (the in-region component of the VIP) is designed to help Destination Queenstown to better understand the visitor experience in Queenstown (e.g. travel motivations, expectations, booking behaviour, travel behaviour, activities/experiences, satisfaction with the experience, and advocacy) and to investigate any other specific issues relevant to the region. The Visitor Experience programme is designed to provide quarterly or seasonal snapshots, with fieldwork ongoing throughout the year. A target of 250 interviews is completed in Queenstown in each quarter of the year, aggregating to a total of 1,000 interviews per year. Respondents for the Visitor Experience programme are recruited at designated field sites around Queenstown, on between 9 and 13 randomly selected days each quarter. Survey sites are selected in consultation with Destination Queenstown and generally a combination of sites is used to ensure a good cross-section of visitors is involved. At each site and on each field day, standard random sampling procedures are used to select respondents to maximise the representativeness of the Visitor Experience programme sample (for example, selecting every nth person who passes a given point, selecting a person in a group who last had a birthday). However, to qualify to take part in the survey, respondents must be at least 15 years of age, live outside of Queenstown, and have stayed in Queenstown for at least one night at the time of participating in the survey. Quotas are set to ensure the sample includes an equal number of males and females, and an equal number of domestic and international visitors. Respondents participate in the Visitor Experience programme via a questionnaire loaded on ipads. At the end of each survey day, data is transmitted electronically to a central server where it is held securely for aggregation and analysis at the end of the quarter. For more information about the Visitor Experience programme please contact:- Destination Queenstown Diana Mendes (03) dianam@queenstownnz.nz Angus & Associates (04) vip@angusassociates.co.nz

20 Survey Error and Known Sample Bias: All surveys are prone to some degree of error. Sampling error arises from the fact that data is collected from a subset of the population concerned (i.e. a sample of visitors, rather than a census of visitors). Where surveys use straight probability (or random) sampling, the degree of sampling error can usually be measured from the sample data. However, the Visitor Experience programme uses a combination of non-random and random sampling: non-random sampling in the selection of survey sites employed, and random sampling in the selection of respondents at those survey sites. The use of non-random sampling means that not every member of the population in this instance, visitors has an equal chance of being selected: for example, visitors who do not visit the specific survey sites have no chance of being selected for an interview. As a result, it is not possible to accurately calculate sampling error in relation to the Visitor Experience programme data. It is possible only to say that the margin of error associated with the Visitor Experience programme data is likely to be at least as high as that of a survey of similar scale in which respondents are randomly selected. With this in mind, the Visitor Experience programme is based on a sample of around n=1,000 respondents interviewed in Queenstown per year. A randomly selected sample of n=1,000 attracts a maximum margin of error of +/- 3% (when expressed at the 95% confidence level). This means that had the survey been repeated 100 times, we would expect any result to be within 3% of the result reported on 95 out of the 100 occasions. Note that this report is based on one quarter of data (n=250) attracting a maximum margin or error of +/-6% (when expressed at the 95% confidence level). For example, if we found that 25% of visitors stayed in hotel accommodation for the year, we would expect this result to be within 22% and 28% on 95 occasions if the survey were repeated 100 times in the same period. As a consequence, this result would need to move below 22% or above 28% from one year to the next for the change to be regarded as statistically significant. Calculating statistical significance on averages or means (e.g. 8.3 out of 10 vs. 8.7 out of 10) is somewhat more complex, taking into account as it does the question of standard deviation (the extent to which results in each instance vary from the average). For those with access to the Visitor Experience programme data, there are many online resources available to assist with analysis of statistical significance. Non-sampling error: survey error can also be caused by factors unrelated to sampling procedures (for example, mistakes made by interviewers or respondents, by faulty questionnaires, inaccurate data entry or processing errors). The Visitor Experience programme has been designed to minimise such opportunities for error, with careful questionnaire design and single step data capture (respondent to database with no intermediary steps). The Visitor Experience programme is an intercept survey in which interviews are undertaken with visitors recruited at a range of locations around Queenstown. While (multiple) survey sites are selected to provide the widest possible crosssection of visitors to Queenstown, the sample that results may not be representative of all visitors to Queenstown for example it is likely that short stay and non-leisure visitors are under-represented, as they are less likely to be recruited. This in turn means that measures such as number of nights spent in Queenstown are likely to be biased towards longer stay, leisure visitors. Such measures are best used as a basis for comparison (e.g. what are the differences between short and long stay visitors), rather than as a measure of actual activity.

MOTIVATORS TO VISIT: TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR:

MOTIVATORS TO VISIT: TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR: Angus & Associates Ltd. 2017 MOTIVATORS TO VISIT: While the majority of visitors to Queenstown in Q2 2017 were in the region for a holiday/vacation or short-break, the proportion of domestic visitors in