Winter 2013/14 Visitor Profile Alabama Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau Prepared for: Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau Prepared by: Evans - Klages, Inc. www.researchdatallc.com June 2014
Winter 10 Winter 11 Winter 12 Winter 13 12-13 Number of Visitors 241,900 252,300 266,700 283,500 +6.3 Visitor Expenditures $102,739,800 $111,504,000 $122,562,000 $136,666,800 +11.5 2013/14 Regional Distribution of Visitors Regional Visitor Distribution Winter 10 Winter 11 Winter 12 Winter 13 Alabama 39.4 37.9 39.1 38.5 Southeast (excl. Alabama) 25.9 28.8 28.5 32.0 Northeast 2.0 1.8 1.9 1.5 Midwest 27.5 25.0 24.8 22.3 Southwest 2.7 3.7 3.3 3.1 Markets of Opportunity 2.5 2.8 2.4 2.6 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Winter 2010 Winter 2011 Winter 2012 Winter 2013 Lodging Occupancy Occ. Rm. Nights Occ. Rm. Nights Occ. Rm. Nights Occ. Rm. Nights Condominium Market 16.4 92,279 15.9 95,678 15.6 93,881 17.7 108,291 Hotel/Motel Market 28.5 66,416 27.7 70,486 30.3 76,465 30.6 77,222 Average Daily Rate Winter 2010 Winter 2011 Winter 2012 Winter 2013 Condominium Market $67.04 $76.04 $79.66 $77.07 Hotel/Motel Market 80.47 81.16 87.61 85.35 Evans - Klages, Inc. - 1 - Winter 2013/14
TOP U.S. FEEDER MARKETS Winter Season (November, December, January, February) Core Origin Markets Winter 2010 Winter 2011 Winter 2012 Winter 2013 13 Rank 10 Rank 11 Rank 12 Rank 1. Birmingham 19.1 1 18.5 1 17.6 1 16.4 2. Mobile/Pensacola (excluding Baldwin County) 7.5 2 8.1 2 8.4 2 8.7 3. Huntsville/Decatur 5.4 3 5.0 3 5.4 3 5.8 4. New Orleans 3.6 5 4.6 4 5.0 4 5.7 5. Montgomery/Selma 4.1 4 3.7 5 4.3 5 4.6 6. Atlanta 3.3 6 3.6 6 3.8 6 4.1 7. Baton Rouge 2.6 9 3.1 8 3.6 7 3.9 8. Tuscaloosa ** ** 2.1 10 2.2 10 3.5 9. Jackson, MS 2.7 8 2.9 9 3.4 8 2.8 10. Nashville 3.1 7 3.3 7 2.8 9 2.7 ** Please Note: Not in Top Ten Listing Evans - Klages, Inc. - 2 - Winter 2013/14
TOP U.S. STATES Winter Season (November, December, January, February) Core Origin States Winter 2010 Winter 2011 Winter 2012 Winter 2013 13 Rank 10 Rank 11 Rank 12 Rank 1. Alabama 39.4 1 37.9 1 39.1 1 38.5 2. Louisiana 6.8 2 7.1 3 8.8 2 10.0 3. Mississippi 6.2 3 7.3 2 6.5 3 6.2 4. Georgia 4.3 8 4.8 6 5.1 5 5.7 5. Tennessee 5.2 4 5.7 4 5.2 4 4.9 6. Michigan 4.9 6 5.0 5 4.6 6 3.9 7. Florida ** ** ** ** ** ** 3.6 8. Illinois 4.4 7 3.1 9 3.6 9 3.5 9. Indiana 3.7 9 3.6 8 3.9 8 3.2 10. Missouri 2.9 11 2.8 10 3.2 10 3.0 ** Please Note: Not in Top Ten Listing Evans - Klages, Inc. - 3 - Winter 2013/14
Transportation Mode (Self-Reported Multiple Response) Personal Car/RV 95.4 93.9 93.5 91.5 Rental Car 3.8 5.4 6.5 8.5 Plane 2.5 3.3 3.5 5.3 Transportation Major Highways Used to Reach Area (Self-Reported Multiple Response) Interstate 65 63.9 60.5 59.1 60.0 Interstate 10 29.9 31.1 30.0 28.1 U.S. Highway 98 10.6 10.1 9.6 9.8 From Pensacola 4.2 3.7 5.4 7.6 Interstate 85 7.7 6.4 5.7 4.8 Major Highways Used to Reach Area Purpose of Trip (Primary Reason) Vacation 77.6 75.9 77.4 78.6 Visit with Friends/Relatives 9.9 10.8 11.2 12.0 Business/Meeting/Conference 5.2 6.0 4.9 3.9 Golfing 3.0 2.7 2.4 1.9 Fishing 2.5 2.0 1.4 1.6 Purpose of Trip First Visit to Gulf Shores/Orange Beach 33.5 34.8 35.1 33.9 Evans - Klages, Inc. - 4 - Winter 2013/14
Average Repeat Visits to GSH/ORB over past 5 years (Base: Repeat Visitors) 4.4 trips 4.6 trips 4.8 trips 5.0 trips Information Sources (Self-Reported Multiple Response) Internet 65.9 68.8 70.0 72.6 Previous Visit 58.7 57.9 56.6 58.6 Recommendation by Friend/Relative 24.7 27.1 25.8 26.6 Vacation/Travel Guides 14.4 13.5 12.1 12.8 Brochures 11.9 10.6 9.2 11.7 Convention and Visitors Bureau 9.8 7.4 5.5 5.7 Assisted by Travel Professional 3.5 4.3 2.4 2.6 Reservations Before Arriving in Area 84.9 89.5 91.7 90.4 None 15.1 10.5 8.3 9.6 Information Sources (Top Five) Reservations Length of Stay in GSH/ORB (days) Vacation Trips 7.3 7.2 7.0 6.8 Get-away Trips 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.4 Party Size (Immediate Travel Party) 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.3 Party Composition (Self-Reported Multiple Response) Couple 59.6 61.4 60.2 56.6 Family 31.2 29.1 32.8 36.5 Group of Couples/Friends 9.9 12.1 15.0 14.4 Single 2.0 4.1 4.3 4.7 Traveling with Children Yes 24.0 21.7 25.5 28.5 No 76.0 78.3 74.5 71.5 Other Beach Areas Considered (Self-Reported Multiple Response) None 38.8 42.3 39.5 42.2 Florida 52.3 50.3 51.1 49.5 Mississippi 6.0 6.9 7.4 8.4 South Carolina 12.4 9.0 8.4 7.1 Texas 4.9 6.0 6.8 7.2 Evans - Klages, Inc. - 5 - Winter 2013/14 Party Composition
Who First Suggested Our Area for this Trip (Self-Reported Multiple Response) Self 41.8 44.8 46.4 46.1 Family 21.8 23.1 27.5 29.9 Spouse/Companion 19.9 20.8 22.7 26.3 Friend 16.2 15.4 17.3 16.9 Female Suggesting 50.5 51.4 53.5 56.2 Why Choose GSH/ORB (Self-Reported Multiple Response) Nice Beaches 39.4 44.2 46.8 50.2 Weather 27.9 30.1 37.1 40.5 Familiar/Previous Visit 34.0 36.3 38.5 39.7 Close to Home/Convenient Location 34.9 33.5 37.5 38.3 Quiet/Laid Back 31.2 34.2 36.1 37.7 Reasonable Rates 25.7 32.5 35.4 37.6 Food/Restaurants 23.1 25.7 29.7 33.9 Not Crowded/Commercial 22.2 23.4 27.1 31.1 Safe Area 24.2 24.6 28.2 29.6 Beautiful 20.7 22.7 24.6 26.1 Accommodations 23.4 24.5 26.4 25.5 Recommended by Friend/Relative 18.9 22.4 23.4 22.6 Family Oriented 15.8 15.0 16.6 20.6 Nature 13.1 14.2 16.1 19.9 Friends/Relatives in Area 11.5 15.7 15.9 17.7 Shopping 8.2 13.7 16.0 16.7 Brochures/Websites 8.2 13.0 16.5 15.8 Never Been 10.8 13.4 14.6 11.6 Golfing 14.4 14.6 12.5 10.8 Attractions Visited (Self-Reported Multiple Response) Tanger Outlets 43.9 45.0 48.8 45.5 Gulf State Park 33.1 28.6 31.3 29.2 The Wharf 28.6 30.7 28.7 29.1 Fort Morgan 25.9 21.6 19.8 19.7 Dauphin Island 15.3 14.2 14.9 10.5 Mobile Bay Ferry 13.8 12.0 11.1 9.9 Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo 10.5 11.6 10.4 9.6 National Naval Aviation Museum 16.5 14.7 12.4 9.4 Battleship USS Alabama 12.2 12.6 11.2 8.7 Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge 12.8 11.5 9.9 7.0 None 16.6 17.0 14.9 12.5 Evans - Klages, Inc. - 6 - Winter 2013/14 Who First Suggested Our Area for this Trip Why Choose Gulf Shores/Orange Beach (Top Five) Attractions Visited (Top Five)
Satisfaction with GSH/ORB Very Satisfied 72.9 72.1 73.0 71.8 Satisfied 24.1 23.9 22.1 23.9 Satisfaction Level 97.0 96.0 95.1 95.7 Satisfaction/Recommend Gulf Shores/Orange Beach Activities Enjoyed in GSH/ORB (Self-Reported Multiple Response) Beaches 92.4 92.1 93.7 94.2 Relaxing 81.2 79.4 79.6 81.9 Dining Out 76.3 78.4 79.6 80.7 Shopping 61.9 58.9 62.1 62.6 Sight Seeing 53.7 52.1 53.4 49.0 Wildlife/Environment 26.6 27.9 28.6 33.2 Attractions 26.7 25.5 29.9 31.6 Pool 20.7 24.3 25.9 30.2 Visiting with Friends/Relatives 22.1 26.9 27.9 25.3 Photography 20.0 19.0 20.6 20.8 Bars/Night Life 12.9 14.0 16.7 18.2 Fishing 19.4 21.0 17.8 16.8 Golfing 21.3 20.4 16.9 15.6 Miniature Golf 10.5 11.4 13.2 11.9 Seafood 9.8 7.6 12.3 11.4 Movies 7.6 8.6 7.8 10.8 Cultural Events 11.2 10.3 9.2 10.1 Trip to Mississippi Casino 10.1 9.2 8.3 8.0 Bird Watching 8.9 8.7 7.1 7.8 Activities Enjoyed (Top Four) Recommend GSH/ORB to Friends/Relatives ( yes) 94.2 93.8 94.1 94.9 Plan to Return ( yes) To Local Area 89.5 91.0 88.7 90.5 Median Age Head of Household (years) 49.6 48.5 48.9 47.7 Median Annual Household Income * $72,410 $75,467 $76,131 $75,549 * Please Note: Median Household Income After Taxes Plan to Return Evans - Klages, Inc. - 7 - Winter 2013/14
Visitor Party Budget (GSH/ORB Stay: Food/Lodging/Entertainment) Total $1,316.62 $1,414.24 $1,516.50 $1,590.83 Per Person/Trip 424.72 441.95 459.55 482.07 Per Person/Day 70.79 73.66 76.59 81.71 $ Budget Breakout Visitor Party Budget Breakout (GSH/ORB Stay) Accommodations $435.96 $469.26 $499.38 $475.07 Food/Entertainment 422.33 449.81 486.26 514.49 Retail/Grocery 264.16 279.20 288.76 285.77 Miscellaneous Exp. 163.10 178.43 190.98 218.27 Winter 2013 2010 2011 2012 Total First Time Repeat See/Read/Hear GSH/ORB Beach Message 61.9 59.9 63.5 64.1 80.0 56.0 See/Hear/Read Message Influenced by Message Influenced by GSH/ORB Message (Base: Respondents Reporting See/Read/Hear Message) 41.8 43.2 44.3 45.1 67.4 28.8 Occupation Professional/Technical 30.7 30.1 29.5 27.7 Retired 22.9 22.0 19.0 18.5 Executive/Managerial 13.9 12.2 13.3 12.8 Self-Employed 7.9 9.6 10.2 9.8 Craft/Factory 7.5 7.2 7.6 7.7 Salesman/Buyer 7.8 8.1 6.3 7.2 Occupation (Top Four) Evans - Klages, Inc. - 8 - Winter 2013/14
Influential Factors in Choosing Gulf Shores/Orange Beach Influential Factors (Top Five) White, Sandy Beaches 86.3 85.5 87.4 85.5 Complete Relaxation 81.7 81.5 83.1 83.8 Safe Destination 81.3 82.3 83.8 81.5 Warm Weather 74.0 75.3 78.1 79.3 Good Value for the Money 78.4 80.3 80.6 78.3 I Can Drive There With My Family 77.9 79.7 77.8 76.4 Reasonably Priced Lodging 75.1 77.5 76.7 74.4 Clean, Unspoiled Environment 71.2 70.8 73.3 72.3 Good Restaurants/Dining Out 72.5 71.7 72.7 67.1 Family Atmosphere 65.5 64.0 60.6 60.7 Uncommercialized Beaches 60.6 60.2 57.3 54.8 Sunning on the Beach 48.8 47.8 50.4 52.3 Upscale Accommodations 49.4 50.4 48.7 46.4 Safe Beaches for Children 43.0 40.8 43.2 44.0 Romantic Place 40.8 41.1 38.3 39.6 Shopping 41.6 43.0 39.3 36.0 Good Golfing 24.2 24.4 21.2 19.4 Good Fishing 21.3 23.7 18.2 16.5 Good Boating 17.4 18.5 16.4 14.2 Evans - Klages, Inc. - 9 - Winter 2013/14
2012 2013 Requested Additional Information About Area for Trip (Self-Reported Multiple Response) Did not request information 19.2 23.2 Accessed individual hotel/motel/condominium website 40.1 37.0 Accessed www.gulfshores.com 37.9 35.7 Accessed destination sites for Gulf Shores/Orange Beach 28.0 30.0 Accessed an Internet travel website 25.8 26.9 Called a hotel/motel/condominium toll-free number 10.1 10.5 Called the CVB toll-free number 3.3 2.9 Seek Out Travel Information On-Line (BASE: Those with Internet Access) 95.8 95.6 Used the Internet to Gather Travel Information for this Trip (BASE: Those who Seek Travel Information On-Line) 96.1 96.5 First Time 98.2 100.0 Repeat 95.0 94.6 Booked Reservations for this Trip on the Internet (BASE: Those who Seek Travel Information On-Line) 58.5 59.2 Accessed the Website www.gulfshores.com (BASE: Those who Seek Travel Information On-Line) 54.1 53.5 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 Planning/Reservation Window Analysis Days to Arrival Reservation Started Talking 43 days 42 days 6 6 Decided Total 7 5 31 30 10 5 0 Winter 2012 Winter 2013 Evans - Klages, Inc. - 10 - Winter 2013/14