Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater 2017/18 VISITOR PROFILE Report of Findings October 2017 Research prepared for Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater by Destination Analysts, Inc.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Overview & Methodology Visitor Trip Details Travel Planning and Satisfaction Metrics Demographic Profile Point of Origin 3 6 19 23 25
OVERVIEW & METHODOLOGY This report presents interim monthly findings of a comprehensive visitor profile development study conducted by Destination Analysts, Inc. on behalf of Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater. The data presented here comes from an in-person intercept survey of St. Pete/Clearwater area visitors at locations throughout the destination. To be considered a visitor respondents had to reside outside of Pinellas County. This preliminary report presents the top-line survey data collected from these surveys in October 2017, the first month that Destination Analysts facilitated this research. Note that data presented in this interim report is unweighted. Once more data has been collected, we will develop appropriate weighting techniques so the final statistics emerging from the project will accurately reflect the overall population of St. Pete/Clearwater area visitors. In total, 457 completed surveys from Pinellas County visitors were collected. Page 3
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The overarching goal of this survey-based research is to create in-depth profiles of Pinellas County visitors, including: Detailed trip characteristics (i.e. tripographic information like the reason for visiting the area, length of stay, place of stay, etc.) Travel party composition Activities & attractions visited in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area Evaluation of St. Petersburg/Clearwater brand attributes Detailed visitor spending estimates Travel planning resources used by St. Petersburg/Clearwater area visitors Visitor satisfaction Visitor demographics Destination Analysts research staff interviewing visitor at PIE airport Page 4
VISITOR INTERCEPT OVERVIEW Destination Analysts survey team worked at locations around the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area to randomly select and interview visitors. The questionnaire was administered to persons residing outside Pinellas County at the following locations and events: Clearwater Beach Clearwater Jazz Holiday Clearwater Marine Aquarium John s Pass Seafood Festival John's Pass Village & Boardwalk Sandpearl Resort St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport The Dali Museum Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach Destination Analysts research staff interviewing visitors at Johns Pass Village Page 5
VISITOR TRIP DETAILS Page 6
Primary Reason for Visit / Lodging Type In October 2017, nearly seven-in-ten St. Pete/Clearwater area visitors surveyed came to the destination primarily for leisure purposes (69.1%). More than half of these visitors characterized the purpose of their trip as a vacation (53.7%) Half of visitors surveyed in October 2017 stayed overnight in a St. Pete/ Clearwater area hotel, resort or motel during their trip (51.4%). In total, 15.1 percent reported staying in a condo or vacation home in the area. Less than 1 percent stayed in a home share rental. Chart: Primary Reason for Visit Chart: Type of Lodging Vacation Weekend getaway Visit friends or family Other personal reasons Attend special event or concert Wedding Business Conference/tradeshow Attend sports event Government On a cruise 15.4% 10.5% 5.1% 4.5% 4.2% 3.8% 2.0% 0.4% 53.7% Hotel, resort, motel in SPC Hotel, resort, motel outside SPC Home share rental in SPC Home share rental outside SPC Condo/vacation home in SPC Condo/vacation home outside SPC Private residence in SPC Private residence outside SPC Campground RV/Trailer park Other lodging outside SPC Just passing through Regional Resident Day trip 2.2% 0.7% 0.4% 15.1% 0.4% 7.9% 1.3% 1.1% 0.4% 2.2% 16.6% 51.4% 0% 20% 40% 60% Question: What is your primary reason for visiting the St. Pete/Clearwater Area? (Select one) Base: All Respondents. 449 responses. 0% 20% 40% 60% Question: Where are you staying overnight on this trip to the St. Pete/Clearwater area? (Select one) Base: All Respondents. 457 responses. Page 7
Days & Nights in St. Pete/Clearwater On average, October visitors surveyed stayed 6.0 days and 5.3 nights in the St. Pete/Clearwater area on their trip. Chart: Days in Market Chart: Nights in Market 10 or more 9 8 7 6 5 4 0.7% 5.2% 6.7% 11.9% 10.9% 10.6% Mean Days = 6.0 20.7% 10 or more 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2.7% 0.5% 6.7% 9.6% 11.5% 9.1% 11.5% Mean Nights = 5.3 20.3% 3 2 1 5.9% 12.1% 15.3% 2 1 0 6.4% 4.8% 17.1% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% Question: How many total days and nights did you, or will you, stay in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area on this trip? Base: All Respondents. 405 responses. Question: How many total days and nights did you, or will you, stay in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area on this trip? Base: All Respondents. 405 responses. Page 8
Method of Arrival & Departure / Arrival Airport A large majority of visitors surveyed arrived and departed the area by car, using either a personal automobile (45.5%) or rental car (29.7%). A majority of visitors who arrived into the area by airline flew into the Tampa International Airport (6). Chart: Method of Arrival and Departure Chart: Airport of Arrival Personal vehicle Rental vehicle Airline Rideshare (Uber, Lyft, etc.) Taxi or limo Other Tour bus Public bus RV 45.5% 45.8% 29.7% 30.4% 29.5% 10.6% 5.9% 6.6% 3.7% 3.1% Arrival 2.2% Departure 2.4% 0.7% 0.7% 0.4% 0% 20% 40% 60% Tampa Int l. St. Pete-Clearwater Int l Orlando Int l. Miami Int l. Ft. Lauderdale Int l. 6 30.1% 6.8% 2.3% 0.8% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Question: How did you arrive into the St. Pete/Clearwater area and how will you leave? (Select all that apply) Base: All Respondents. 455 responses. Question: At which airport did you arrive into the area? (Select one)? Base: Respondents who arrived by Airline. 133 responses. Page 9
Rental Vehicle Pick-Up City / Transportation Used In-Market Visitors who arrived into the St. Pete/Clearwater area by rental car primarily rented their car in nearby Tampa. Driving a personal or rental car was the most utilized form of transportation in the area amongst visitors surveyed. Chart: Rental Vehicle Pick-Up City Chart: Transportation Used In-Market Tampa Orlando 24.2% 64.8% Personal vehicle Rental vehicle Uber, Lyft, etc. 16.8% 37.2% 46.2% Miami Outside of Florida 4.7% 2.3% Free Beach Rides Public bus Bicycle 1 5.9% 4.5% Fort Lauderdale Jacksonville 2.3% 0.8% Taxi or limo Boat Tour bus 3.1% 2.8% 1.4% Ft. Myers 0.8% RV 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Question: In which city did you rent your rental vehicle? (Select one) Base: Respondents who rented a vehicle. 128 responses. Question: Which modes of transportation did you, or will you, use while in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area? (Select all that apply) Base: All Respondents. 422 responses. Page 10
Travel Party Composition / Travel Party Size Just under half of visitors surveyed in October were traveling with one other person (45.9%) while 31.5 percent were traveling with their immediate family. The typical travel group to the St. Pete/Clearwater area was comprised of 4.9 people. In total, 27.3 percent of travel groups surveyed included children under age 18. Chart: Travel Party Composition Chart: Travel Party Size Solo 7.1% Mean Couple 45.9% Male adults (18 yrs. +) 1.5 Immediate Family Extended Family Business Associates Tour Group Group of Couples 6.0% 2.7% 0.4% 3.3% 31.5% Female adults (18 yrs. +) 1.8 Male children (0 to 17 yrs.) 0.8 Female children (0 to 17 yrs.) 0.8 Average Travel Party Size 4.9 Group of Friends 11.1% Percent with children in party 27.3% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Question: Which best describes your travel group on this trip? Are you? (Select all that apply) Base: All Respondents. 451 responses. Question: How many people of each type are in your immediate travel party, including yourself? Base: All Respondents. 458 responses. Page 11
Important Factors to Destination Decision Beaches that suit travelers tastes was the most common factor motivating Chart: Important to Decision to Visit visitors to take a trip to the St. Pete/Clearwater area (53.6%). Beyond beaches, respondents were also inspired to visit because of the weather (24.3%), overall ambiance and atmosphere of the destination (21.0%) and/or to visit a specific attraction in the area (20.6%). Beaches that suit my tastes Weather Overall ambiance & atmosphere A specific attraction Scenic beauty Restaurants, cuisine, food scene Friends or family in the area Appealing hotels/resorts Attractions in the area Easy to get to Good deal on airfare The area is family-friendly Shopping opportunities Outdoor recreational opportunities Good hotel rate Arts & cultural offerings Recommendation from people I know Fishing opportunities Sports or sporting events The St.Pete/Clearwater area is romantic Special event(s) and/or festival(s) Breweries/Distilleries/Craft beer scene Golf The area s unique culture Lifelong desire to visit Advertisements for the area Articles, features, reviews, etc. 24.3% 21.0% 20.6% 16.0% 16.2% 16.0% 13.3% 12.7% 11.8% 9.0% 8.3% 7.2% 7.2% 7.4% 5.5% 4.6% 3.9% 3.9% 3.3% 3.3% 3.1% 2.0% 1.5% 0.7% 0.4% 53.6% Question: Which of the following were IMPORTANT to your decision to take this trip to St. Petersburg/Clearwater area? (Select all that apply) Base: All Respondents. 457 responses. 0% 20% 40% 60% (% of respondents) Page 12
Trip Activities Visitors surveyed in October 2017 most commonly went to the beach, dined in Chart: Trip Activities restaurants and shopped while in the St. Pete/Clearwater area. Survey respondents were presented with a list of activities and asked which they had participated in during their time in the area. Of the activities tested, going to the beach (77.7%) was the top activity visitors participated in while in the destination. In addition, 63.5 percent of visitors surveyed reported that they dined in restaurants and 42.0 percent shopped. Visit the beach Dining in restaurants Shopping Swimming Bars/Nightlife Attend a festival or special event Visit friends or family Fishing Other boating Visit museums Shelling Visit breweries and/or distilleries Biking Guided tour Attend or participate in a sporting event Bird watching Photography Jet skiing Take a dining cruise Golf Parasailing Sailing Paddle boarding Kayaking/Canoeing 42.0% 37.4% 26.0% 17.7% 13.8% 9.2% 9.0% 7.7% 7.7% 4.4% 3.5% 3.5% 3.5% 3.3% 3.1% 3.1% 2.2% 2.6% 2.2% 1.3% 1.3% 1.3% 77.7% 63.5% Question: Which of these activities did you, or will you, participate in while in the St. Pete/Clearwater area? (Select all that apply) Base: All Respondents. 457 responses. 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% (% of respondents) Page 13
First-Time Visit to Florida / Previous Visitation to St. Pete/Clearwater Most St. Pete/Clearwater visitors surveyed had visited Florida before; just 5.2 percent were on their first visit to the state. In total, 21.0 percent of visitors surveyed in October were first-time visitors to the St. Pete/Clearwater area. Chart: First Time Visitors to Florida Chart: Previous Visitation to the St. Pete/Clearwater Area Yes, 5.2% More than 10 visits, 31.1% First time visitors, 21.0% No, 94.8% Question: Is this your first visit to Florida? Base: All Respondents. 444 responses. 1-10 previous visits, 47.9% Question: Prior to this visit, how many times have you been to the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area? Base: All Respondents. 434 responses. Page 14
Attractions Visited / Communities Visited The Clearwater Marine Aquarium and Orlando area Theme Parks are the top attractions visited as part of their St. Pete/Clearwater area trip amongst respondents surveyed in October. Of the 19 communities tested, 70.2 percent of visitors surveyed went to Clearwater Beach. In addition, approximately a quarter of respondents also visited Clearwater (26.9%) and/or Madeira Beach (26.7%) on their trip. Chart: Attractions Visited Clearwater Marine Aquarium Orlando area Theme Parks Dali Art Museum Busch Gardens Tarpon Springs Other Ft. Desoto Park Kennedy Space Center Florida Aquarium in Tampa Caladesi Island Florida Botanical Gardens Adventure Island Tampa Bay Rays game/tropicana Field Heritage Village Weedon Island Preserve Brooker Creek Preserve NONE OF THESE 20.6% 9.2% 7.9% 6.3% 4.6% 3.1% 2.6% 2.2% 2.2% 1.5% 1.1% 1.1% 0.9% 0.4% 0.0% 0.0% 59.5% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Question: Which of these attractions did you (or will you) visit while on this trip? (Select all that apply) Base: All Respondents. 457 responses. Chart: Communities Visited Clearwater Beach Clearwater Madeira Beach Treasure Island St. Pete Beach St. Petersburg Indian Shores & Indian Rocks Beach Tarpon Springs Pass-A-Grille Beach Dunedin Largo Seminole North Redington Beach/Redington Shores Gulfport Pinellas Park Palm Harbor Safety Harbor Tierra Verde Oldsmar 26.9% 26.7% 19.0% 16.6% 15.8% 6.6% 5.3% 5.0% 5.0% 4.4% 3.5% 2.8% 2.6% 2.0% 2.0% 1.1% 0.7% 7 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Question: Which of the following communities in the St. Pete/Clearwater area did you visit? (Show list. Select all that apply) Base: All Respondents. 457 responses. Page 15
Other Destinations Visited / Daily Spending In-Market Tampa and Orlando were the top Florida destinations respondents visited as part of their St. Pete/Clearwater trip. Visiting travel parties spent an average of $340.74 in the St. Pete/Clearwater area per trip day. Chart: Other Destinations Visited on St. Pete/Clearwater Trip Chart: Per Day Travel Party Spending Tampa Orlando/Disney Sarasota Area Ft. Myers/SW Florida Miami Ft. Lauderdale/Palm Beach Florida Keys Lakeland/Winter Haven Kennedy/Space Coast/Cocoa/Melbourne Jax/St. Augustine Crystal River Ocala/Gainesville Everglades Panhandle Daytona Tallahassee Sebring NONE 16.2% 13.6% 6.1% 3.3% 2.6% 1.8% 1.8% 1.3% 1.3% 1.3% 1.3% 0.9% 0.9% 0.7% 0.7% 0.0% 0.0% 58.0% Hotel/motel/inn/lodging: Restaurants: Retail store purchases: Other Entertainment & sightseeing: Gas, parking and local transit: Car rental (in area only): Other: $13.08 $7.44 $25.06 $11.53 $47.86 $103.11 $132.65 Mean Party Spending = $340.74 Average people covered = 2.7 Mean Spending Per Person = $127.15 $0 $50 $100 $150 $200 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Question: Which of these other destinations did you visit while on this trip? (Show list. Select all that apply) Base: All Respondents. 457 responses. Question: Approximately how much will you spend on each of the following while in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area? Base: All Respondents. 420 responses. Page 16
Most Liked Aspect / Feelings in St. Pete-Clearwater The St. Pete/Clearwater area s beaches and tropical climate were the most liked aspects of the destination amongst visitors surveyed. Visitors most often felt calm/relaxed and happy while they were in the destination. Chart: Most Liked Aspects of St. Pete/Clearwater (Unaided) Chart: Feelings in St. Pete/Clearwater Area (Unaided) The Beaches & Ocean Tropical Climate Relaxed Yet Modern Atmosphere Accessible & Convenient Friendly People Variety of Fun Activities Clean Scenic Beauty Everything Family Friendly Tourist Attractions Restaurants and Bars Location Shopping 7.9% 5.2% 3.9% 3.4% 2.7% 2.5% 2.2% 2.0% 1.5% 1.2% 1.0% 17.0% 49.4% Calm/Relaxed Happy Comfortable Amazing Fine/Good Energized/Excited Refreshed Entertained Negative feelings Welcomed Safe 17.0% 9.4% 9.1% 3.7% 2.2% 1.0% 0.7% 0.7% 0.5% 55.3% 0% 20% 40% 60% 0% 20% 40% 60% Question: What do you like most about the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area? Base: All Respondents. 407 responses. Question: What one word or phrase best describes how you feel in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area? Base: Respondents. 405 responses. Page 17
Attractions or Services that Would Enhance the Destination Experience A majority of visitors surveyed feel the St. Pete/Clearwater area does not need any additional attractions or services to enhance the visitor experience. Chart: Additional Attractions or Services (Unaided) It needs no improvement Cheaper & more parking Better nightlife More public transportation options Bars and food options on the beach Less congestion Restaurant diversity More beach & boardwalk rentals Finish/update the pier More affordable lodging options More shaded areas More shopping Better road signage 7.7% 4.9% 3.7% 3.2% 2.9% 2.6% 1.4% 1.4% 1.4% 1.1% 1.1% 1.1% 64.2% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Question: In your opinion, what services or additional attractions would most enhance your experience in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area? Base: All Respondents. 349 responses. Page 18
TRAVEL PLANNING AND SATISFACTION METRICS Page 19
When Decision to Visit was Made / Travel Planning Resources Used On average, respondents made the decision to visit the St. Pete/Clearwater area 115.8 days (3.9 months) in advance of their trip. The most utilized trip planning resource amongst visitors surveyed (both prior to arrival and in-market) was user-generated content/reviews websites. Chart: Average Time Between Decision to Visit and Arrival 115.8 Days In advance Chart: Resources Used before Arrival and While In Market Used Before Arrival Used In Market User-generated content/review websites, such as Yelp and TripAdvisor 32.2% 18.2% Online travel agencies (Expedia, Travelocity, etc.) 36.8% 1.8% Social Media content 8.1% 11.2% Travel guides, brochures 3.1% 11.4% Official St. Petersburg/Clearwater area tourism website, www.visitstpeteclearwater.com 12.0% 2.2% Opinions of friends or relatives 9.6% 4.6% Official Visit St. Pete/Clearwater Destination Magazine 1.8% 2.0% Lifestyle or travel magazines 1.5% 0.7% YouTube or other online videos 1.5% 0.7% Travel agency (traditional, offline) 1.3% Newspaper travel section 0.9% Radio programming 0.4% Television programming Question: Approximately how many days before you arrived did you make the decision to visit the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area for this trip? Base: All Respondents. 433 responses. Question: Which of the following resources did you use to plan your trip to the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area BEFORE you arrived and which did you (or do you plan to) use while IN the area for this trip? (Select all that apply.) Base: All Respondents. 457 responses. Page 20
Experience Satisfaction / Earned & Paid Media Recall The St. Pete/Clearwater area appears to provide a highly satisfactory experience. Nearly all visitors surveyed (98.2%) said they were satisfied (13.0%) or very satisfied (85.2%) with their experience in the destination. In total, 24.5 percent of October visitors surveyed recalled reading, seeing or hearing paid or earned media for the St. Pete/Clearwater area in the past six months. Chart: Overall Satisfaction Chart: Media Recall Very satisfied 85.2% Maybe/Not sure, 3.9% Yes, 24.5% Satisfied 13.0% Neutral neither satisfied nor unsatisfied 1.6% Unsatisfied Very unsatisfied 0.0% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% No, 71.6% Question: How satisfied are you with your experience in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area on this trip? (Select one) Base: All Respondents. 445 responses. Question: In the last six months, have you seen, read, or heard any travel stories, advertising, or promotions for the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area? Base: All Respondents. 437 responses. Page 21
Likelihood to Recommend / Likelihood to Return Indicative of an exceptionally satisfactory visitor experience, visitors rated their likelihood to recommend the St. Pete/Clearwater area to other travelers a 9.6 on a 10-point scale. Chart: Likelihood to Recommend St. Pete/Clearwater Area out of 10 Further illustrating strong satisfaction with the visitor experience in the St. Pete/Clearwater area, visitors also reported a high likelihood to return to the area in the future rating their likelihood to take another trip to the destination a 9.2 on a 10-point scale. Chart: Likelihood to Return 9.6/10 9.2/10 Question: How likely are you to recommend the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area as a place to visit to other travelers? Please use a 10-point scale where 1 represents Definitely will NOT recommend and 10 represents Certain to recommend. Base: All Respondents. 446 responses. Question: How likely are you to return to the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area? Please use a 10-point scale where 1 represents Definitely will NOT return and 10 represents Certain to return. Base: All Respondents. 447 responses. Page 22
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE Page 23
Demographic Profile The following presents the demographic profile for all respondents surveyed in October 2017. Mean age 50.3 Female 53.9% Male 42.8% Mean household income $90,270 Married/partnered 70.9% Has children under 18 19.6% Ethnicity Caucasian 80.3% Black/African-American 6.0% Latino/Hispanic 5.5% Asian/Pacific Islander 2.4% Heterosexual - 86.7% LGBTQ - 2.2% Page 24
Point Of Origin In total, 14.6 percent of survey respondents were international residents with top visitation from the United Kingdom. In total, 68.0 percent of all domestic survey respondents were out-of-state residents. The top domestic visitor markets represented in the sample are Tampa (16.6%), Orlando (6.8%) and Chicago (5.0%). Chart: Country of Origin Chart: State of Origin Chart: MSA of Origin United States United Kingdom Canada Germany France Mexico Other 85.4% 5.9% 3.7% 0.7% 3.9% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Florida Ohio Illinois Pennsylvania Indiana New York Kentucky Tennessee Michigan Missouri Wisconsin Georgia 7.4% 6.1% 5.9% 5.1% 4.3% 3.3% 2.8% 2.8% 2.6% 2.3% 2.3% 32.0% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Tampa, FL Orlando,FL Chicago, IL Philadelphia, PA-NJ Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL Sarasota-Bradenton, FL Columbus, OH Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN Detroit, MI St. Louis, MO-IL New York, NY-NJ Fort Myers-Cape Coral, FL 6.8% 5.0% 3.3% 3.3% 2.7% 2.7% 2.4% 2.1% 1.8% 1.8% 1.8% 16.6% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% Question: In what country do you reside? Base: All Respondents. 458 responses. Question: What is your zip/postal code? Base: Domestic respondents. 391 responses. Question: What is your zip/postal code? Base: Domestic respondents. 391 responses. Page 25