Visit South Walton Visitor Tracking Study: Summer 2016 Phillip Downs, Ph.D. Joseph St. Germain, Ph.D. Rachael Anglin Downs & St. Germain Research
Study Objectives Profile travel parties to South Walton Size, length of stay, number of times visited Assess motivation for visiting South Walton Determine likelihood of returning Define mode of transportation Assess importance of vacation attributes Capture rating of South Walton on vacation attributes Calculate daily expenditures & expenditures by category Investigate trip planning information Assess use of South Walton Beach Finders App, Visitors Guide & Visitors Center Create a demographic profile of visitors 2
Tourism Metrics: Summer 2015 vs. Summer 2016 Tourism Metrics Summer 2015 Summer 2016 % Change Visitors 1,703,100 1,833,400 +7.7% Direct spending $1,031,137,800 $1,115,691,100 +8.2% Economic impact $1,526,083,900 $1,651,222,300 +8.2% Room nights 792,600 818,800 +3.3% TDT collections $10,324,150 $11,206,829 +8.6% Occupancy 81.4% 81.9% +0.6% Room rates $341.47 $358.22 +4.9% RevPAR $277.96 $293.38 +5.6% ¹Visitors staying in paid accommodations were up 4.3%, while increases in day trippers and VFRs also impacted visitor increases. Data sources: Walton County government, properties in South Walton that rent to visitors, and Downs & St. Germain Research. 3
Visitor Profile Summer 2015 vs. 2016 2015 2016 Travel party size 6.6 6.6 Kids <20 73% 78% Median age 51 48 Estimated average household income $152,800 $162,900 Stayed in condo/rental house 70% 74% Drove 86% 88% Nights spent 5.9 6.0 Direct expenditures (entire trip) $5,186 $5,407 1 st time visitor 24% 19% 10+ visits to South Walton 27% 29% Use the term South Walton 21% 17% 4
Visitor Profile Summer 2015 vs. 2016 2015 2016 Will return to South Walton 95% 95%¹ Rating for overall experience 1 9.1¹ 9.1 1 Has smartphone 99% 98% Used South Walton Beach app 7% 7% Viewed Visitors Guide 22% 21% Planned trip 6 months out 6 months out Used VisitSouthWalton.com 30% 27% Used 1 of 16 beaches websites 49% 49% ¹Key reasons for not returning were too crowded and prefer variety. ²10-point scale with 10=Excellent & 1=Poor. 5
Visitor origin Summer 2015 vs. 2016 Top Origin States 2015 2016 Texas 19% 18% Georgia 14% 13% Tennessee 12% 12% Alabama 9% 10% Mississippi 5% 6% Ohio 5% 6% Florida 6% 4% Louisiana 6% 4% Origins - Regions¹ Southeast 78% 75% Northeast 4% 1% West 3% 1% Midwest 14% 22% ¹1% live outside the US. 6
Visitor activities Summer 2015 vs. 2016 Visitor Activities 2015 2016 Beach 95% 97% Restaurant 93% 93% Relax & unwind 89% 87% Family time, read, cook 80% 81% Shop, antique 74% 73% Bike, run, etc. 52% 54% Water sports 44% 40% Bars, nightclubs 24% 26% Attractions 27% 24% Special events 18% 17% Golf & tennis 18% 15% 7
Summer 2016 Findings 8
South Walton visitor profile Travel party = 6.6 people 78% traveled with kids < 20 Was 48 years old Was female (61%) Had an estimated household income of $162,900 Was from the Southeast (75%) Stayed in a condo or rental house (74%) 9
Origin of summer visitors Top Origin Markets % of Visitors Atlanta 10% Dallas-Ft Worth 5% Birmingham 5% Houston 4% Nashville 4% Memphis 4% St Louis 3% Cincinnati 2% Knoxville 2% New Orleans 2% Chattanooga 2% Huntsville 2% Indianapolis 2% Louisville 2% Jackson 2% Kansas City 2% Tallahassee 1% Little Rock 1% Baton Rouge 1% Washington DC-Baltimore 1% Chicago 1% Pensacola-Mobile 1% Montgomery 1% Columbus 1% Orlando 1% Jacksonville 1% 63% 1% 1% 10 63% of South Walton Visitors live in 26 markets 22% 75% Southeast Northeast West Midwest
Origin of summer visitors 73% of Summer Visitors live in 8 states Texas 18% Georgia 13% Tennessee 12% Alabama 10% Mississippi 6% Ohio 6% Louisiana 4% Florida 4% 73% 11
Visitors accommodations Condo, rental house 74% Hotel/motel 15% Personal condo, house, timeshare, etc. 7% Friends and relatives 4% 12
Typical South Walton visitor Drove to South Walton (88%) 28% of those who drove were aware that there were direct flights from their city to the South Walton area 12% who flew used the following airports: Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (Panama City) 52% Northwest Florida Regional Airport (Ft Walton Beach) 34% Pensacola 10% Other 5% 13
Typical South Walton visitor Spent 6.0 nights in South Walton When including long-term visitors 1, the average nights stayed is 7.2 19% were first time visitors 29% had visited more than 10 times Reasons for visiting South Walton: 83% - Family vacation 48% - Relax & unwind 19% - Annual routine 10% - Special occasion (wedding, girls trip, golf trip, anniversary) 1% - Special event 1 People who stayed longer than 1 month. 14
Visitor satisfaction Visitors gave South Walton a rating of 9.1¹ as a place to vacation 95% will return to South Walton² Definitely will return 73% Probably will return 22% Probably will not return 3% Definitely will not return 0% Don t know 2% ¹10 = Excellent; 1 = Poor ²3% of visitors will not return to South Walton because of the following reasons: 1. Too crowded; 2. prefer more variety in vacation spots; 3. too expensive. 15
South Walton Gap Analysis Importance of attributes when choosing destinations vs. ratings for South Walton Sugary white sand and turquoise blue waters 9.2 9.4 Good place for family vacation 9.2 9.3 Place you feel comfortable 9.4 9.2 Pleasant place to unwind 9.2 9.1 Scenic beauty 9.0 9.0 Customer service 8.8 8.2 Importance Returning to familiar places, people, and traditions 7.3 8.1 Rating Value for your travel dollar 7.8 8.5 Having a variety of communities 6.6 7.5 Place that s different and unique 7.0 7.5 Activities other than the beach 6.8 7.3 Cultural events & festivals 4.9 6.0 16
Typical South Walton travel party Spent $901 a day Spent $5,407 on their trip: +4.3% compared to 2015 1 Total Trip Expenditures Expense categories 2015 2016 Accommodations $1,994 $2,149 Restaurants $899 $939 Groceries $508 $494 Shopping $694 $737 Entertainment $434 $431 2 Transportation $446 $428 Other $211 $229 Total $5,186 $5,407. 17
Planning cycle 1 in 3 visitors plans a summer South Walton vacation 6 months out or more A week or two 5% A month or so 2 months 3 months 11% 10% 16% 4 to 5 months 26% 6 months or more 32% Not sure 1% 18
Trip planning sources Visitors use the following sources to plan their trips¹: Friends, family Search sites e.g., Google, Yahoo, Bing Website for 1 of 16 beach areas in South Walton Travel websites Online travel reviews and blogs VisitSouthWalton.com Brochures, travel guides, visitor guides Hotel websites Airline websites Facebook VRBO Airbnb Travel magazines Travel agent Television Twitter Newspapers 8% 7% 7% 4% 2% 1% 1% 1% 1% 19 49% 49% 32% 28% 27% 14% 13% ¹Multiple responses permitted. 60%
Information & technology 98% have a smartphone or tablet 83% use their smartphones to plan their trips or to learn where to visit or how to get around while they are here 7% of visitors use the South Walton Beach Finders app on their trips 21% of visitors viewed a South Walton Visitors Guide before going to South Walton 19% online 2% print Visitors Guide received a rating of 7.2 out of 10¹ 1 Rated ¹10 = on Extremely a 10 point scale useful; where 1 = Not 10 is extremely at all useful. useful and 1 is not at all useful. 20
Typical South Walton visitor 1% of visitors stopped at the Visitors Center during their trip to South Walton Visitors Center received a rating of 9.6 out of 10¹ 17% - use the term South Walton 40% - considered going to only 1 of the 16 beach communities; 43% considered 2 or more beaches in South Walton before deciding ¹10 = Extremely useful; 1 = Not at all useful. 1 Rated on a 10 point scale where 10 is extremely useful and 1 is not at all useful. 21
Visitors activities Engaged in the following on their last trip to South Walton¹: Beach Restaurants Relax and unwind Family time, reading, cooking, etc. Shopping, antiquing Biking, running, etc. Water sports Bars, nightclubs Attractions Special events Golf or tennis Hiking, nature walks, bird watching, eco tours State parks Art galleries, museums, cultural events Dune lakes Spas Business meetings, conferences Other 22 54% 97% 93% 87% 81% 73% 40% 26% 24% 17% 15% 13% 13% 8% 8% 7% 2% 3% ¹Multiple responses permitted.
South Walton beaches visited Summer visitors, in their life, have been to the following beaches in South Walton¹: Sandestin Miramar Beach Santa Rosa Beach Seaside Rosemary Beach WaterColor Seagrove Grayton Beach Seacrest Blue Mountain WaterSound Seascape Dune Allen Alys Beach Inlet Beach Gulf Place 5% 5% 5% 4% 3% 42% 37% 30% 30% 29% 22% 20% 17% 17% 14% 10% 23 ¹Multiple responses permitted. The typical summer 2016 visitor has been to 2.9 of the 16 beach communities in South Walton during her life.
Age of summer visitors Under 35 11% Median age = 48 35 to 49 41% 50 to 65 34% Over 65 14% 24
Visitors household income Less than $50,000 3% $50,000 to $74,999 10% Estimated average = $162,900 $75,000 to $99,999 14% $100,000 to $149,999 24% $150,000 to $200,000 15% $200,000 or more 34% 25
Methodology Internet survey Sample Size - 962 completed interviews Target Individuals Visitors who visited South Walton in June, July, and August, 2016 26
GIS Maps 27
GIS Maps Visitors for the Past 3 Summers Utilizing self-report data from 3,021 visitors to South Walton for the past 3 summers, Downs & St. Germain Research developed the following GIS maps that enable the TDC to examine visitation trends and patterns. 28
Spending per Day per Visiting Party 1 Market Mean Huntsville $1,619 Fayetteville, AR $1,557 Cincinnati $1,265 Indianapolis $1,156 St. Louis $1,103 Austin $1,101 Houston $1,037 Nashville $996 Atlanta $941 Memphis $931 Dallas-Ft. Worth $926 Chattanooga $921 Birmingham $914 Baton Rouge $914 Jackson $913 Knoxville $882 Oklahoma City $873 Washington DC-Baltimore $833 Pensacola-Mobile $825 Little Rock $802 New Orleans $789 Columbus, OH $780 Montgomery $765 Louisville $749 Chicago $699 1 Most sample sizes are between 20 and 100. Use caution in interpreting results.
Spending per Trip per Visiting Party 1 Market Mean Fayetteville, AR $8,944 Huntsville $8,848 Cincinnati $8,782 Indianapolis $7,977 St. Louis $7,503 Austin $7,490 Houston $6,431 Dallas-Ft. Worth $6,203 Nashville $6,076 Memphis $6,050 Oklahoma City $6,026 Chattanooga $5,984 Knoxville $5,819 Columbus, OH $5,691 Atlanta $5,362 Little Rock $5,132 Louisville $5,018 Washington DC-Baltimore $4,998 Baton Rouge $4,845 Birmingham $4,663 Jackson $4,381 Chicago $3,915 New Orleans $3,788 Pensacola-Mobile $3,135 Montgomery $2,602 1 Most sample sizes are between 20 and 100. Use caution in interpreting results.
Average Length of Trip per Visiting Party 1 Market Mean Columbus, OH 7.3 Cincinnati 7.1 Oklahoma City 6.9 Indianapolis 6.9 St. Louis 6.8 Austin 6.8 Dallas-Ft. Worth 6.7 Louisville 6.7 Knoxville 6.6 Memphis 6.5 Chattanooga 6.5 Little Rock 6.4 Fayetteville, AR 6.4 Houston 6.2 Nashville 6.1 Washington DC-Baltimore 6.0 Atlanta 5.7 Chicago 5.6 Huntsville 5.6 Baton Rouge 5.3 Birmingham 5.1 New Orleans 4.8 Jackson 4.8 Pensacola-Mobile 3.8 Montgomery 3.4 1 Most sample sizes are between 20 and 100. Use caution in interpreting results.
Percentage of 1 st Time Visitors 1 Market % 1st time visitors Chicago 50% Columbus, OH 42% Oklahoma City 41% Austin 33% Houston 33% Indianapolis 32% Washington DC-Baltimore 29% Dallas-Ft. Worth 28% Baton Rouge 26% Cincinnati 23% Knoxville 20% St. Louis 19% Atlanta 18% New Orleans 17% Huntsville 17% Jackson 16% Chattanooga 15% Little Rock 15% Nashville 13% Louisville 12% Montgomery 11% Fayetteville, AR 11% Pensacola-Mobile 9% Memphis 9% Birmingham 8% 1 Most sample sizes are between 20 and 100. Use caution in interpreting results.
Percentage of Loyal Visitors (10+ Visits) 1 Market 10+ visits Montgomery 67% Birmingham 53% Memphis 52% Huntsville 50% Pensacola-Mobile 46% Nashville 45% Baton Rouge 45% Knoxville 42% New Orleans 41% Atlanta 39% Chattanooga 35% Jackson 34% Little Rock 34% Fayetteville, AR 26% Cincinnati 24% Louisville 21% St. Louis 18% Dallas-Ft. Worth 17% Indianapolis 16% Houston 15% Washington DC-Baltimore 14% Chicago 14% Austin 11% Columbus, OH 11% Oklahoma City 8% 1 Most sample sizes are between 20 and 100. Use caution in interpreting results.
Percentage of Visitors who Flew 1 Market Fly Washington DC-Baltimore 52% Chicago 27% Dallas-Ft. Worth 23% Oklahoma City 16% Houston 15% Austin 14% Nashville 14% Fayetteville, AR 11% Columbus, OH 11% Louisville 9% St. Louis 9% Knoxville 7% Little Rock 7% Cincinnati 6% Indianapolis 5% Huntsville 4% Chattanooga 4% Jackson 3% Atlanta 2% Memphis 1% New Orleans 1% Birmingham 0% Baton Rouge 0% Pensacola-Mobile 0% Montgomery 0% 1 Most sample sizes are between 20 and 100. Use caution in interpreting results.
% of Visitors who travel with Children 1 Market % traveling with children Cincinnati 92% Austin 91% Houston 89% Oklahoma City 88% St. Louis 88% Columbus, OH 88% Fayetteville, AR 84% Dallas-Ft. Worth 82% Nashville 78% Huntsville 75% Louisville 74% Indianapolis 73% Little Rock 72% Knoxville 70% Washington DC-Baltimore 70% Baton Rouge 67% Atlanta 66% Memphis 65% Jackson 65% Chattanooga 65% New Orleans 62% Chicago 59% Birmingham 58% Montgomery 44% Pensacola-Mobile 42% 1 Most sample sizes are between 20 and 100. Use caution in interpreting results.
Median Visitor Income 1 Market Median Income Austin $204,500 Dallas-Ft. Worth $180,600 Washington DC-Baltimore $162,500 Memphis $159,600 Knoxville $158,300 Houston $157,700 Baton Rouge $156,900 Fayetteville, AR $156,300 Atlanta $156,000 Nashville $156,000 Little Rock $151,500 Chicago $150,000 Birmingham $146,000 New Orleans $144,000 Louisville $141,700 Huntsville $140,000 Indianapolis $138,900 Pensacola-Mobile $133,300 St. Louis $126,700 Chattanooga $125,200 Cincinnati $125,000 Oklahoma City $125,000 Jackson $122,100 Montgomery $112,500 Columbus, OH $104,300 1 Most sample sizes are between 20 and 100. Use caution in interpreting results.
Visit South Walton Summer 2016 Visitor Tracking Study Jay Tusa, CDME, CTIS, TMP Executive Director, Visit South Walton (850) 622-7801 Jay@visitsouthwalton.com Joseph St. Germain, Ph.D., President, joseph@dsg-research.com Phillip Downs, Ph.D., Senior Partner, pd@dsg-research.com Rachael Anglin, Project Director, rachael@dsg-research.com Downs & St. Germain Research 1-800-564-3182: dsg-research.com 37