Summer, 2007
Background/Methodology
In an effort to continue developing demographic, activity, and expenditure profiles of New Hampshire visitors, the Division of Travel and Tourism Development (DTTD) embarked on collecting such information using new survey research methodologies. Unlike the efforts of previous years which relied on distributing printed survey instruments at various locations across the State and having recipients mail back completed forms, a decision was made to move to an online survey methodology using “panels” developed by an independent research firm - Global Market Insite (GMI).
This report summarizes visitor data for the Summer 2007 season based on visits to New Hampshire during the months of June, July, and August, 2007. For survey purposes, a “stratified” sample was employed among residents of the nine (9) Northeast states as follows:
● New England – MA (100), CT (70), RI (70), NH (50), ME (50), VT (50)
● Mid-Atlantic – NY (70), NJ (70), PA (70)
The report format will be to present survey data for each of these two major markets differentiating between Overnight and “Day-Only” visitors (those not staying overnight in New Hampshire). Because of the survey sampling method employed, the reader is cautioned about extrapolating survey results to “all New Hampshire visitors” since the survey included only respondents from a specified number of people in specified states. Readers are also cautioned about the relatively small sample size for day visitors from Mid-Atlantic states (29).
A copy of the survey instrument utilized is included in the Appendix.
A review of the survey data contained in this report indicates that, compared to their New England counterparts, overnight visitors from the Mid-Atlantic states:
● were somewhat older
● were more apt to have their trip planned by a male
● reported noticeably higher annual household incomes
● reported much greater incidence of “first-time” visits
● cited “business” noticeably more as a primary purpose of their visit
● mentioned activities such as “historic sites/museums/galleries”, “concerts/fairs/festivals”, “golfing”, and “business/convention/seminar” more frequently
● reported fewer average number of visits during the Summer 2007 (2.9 vs 4.7)
● were much more likely to be traveling as part of a group tour (11% vs. 2%)
● reported higher incidence of staying overnight (86% vs 66%)
● were more apt to stay in “chain” hotels/motels as well as “bed & breakfast/small inns” and “resort/spas”
● reportedly spent an average of 15-17% more per travel party or per person/per day in NH
VISITOR DEMOGRAPHICS
Age Group of Decision Maker
As indicated in Table 1, decision makers for overnight visitors were reportedly somewhat younger than their “day-only” counterparts. Overnight visitors from the Mid-Atlantic market were reportedly somewhat older than those from New England states
Table 1
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Distribution of Decision Makers by Age Group
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New Engl.
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New Engl.
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MidAtlant.
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MidAtlant.
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Overnight
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Day-Only
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Overnight
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Day-Only
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Age Group
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(n= 258)
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(n=132)
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(n=182)
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(n=29)
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18 - 24
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5.8
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6.8
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3.8
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6.9
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25 - 34
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25.2
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21.2
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34.6
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27.6
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35 - 44
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27.5
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19.7
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22.5
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13.8
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45 - 54
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24.8
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24.2
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14.8
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20.7
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55 - 64
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14.3
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22.7
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18.7
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20.7
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65 or older
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2.4
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5.4
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5.6
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10.3
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Total
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100.0
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100.0
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100.0
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100.0
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Gender of Decision Maker
Respondents were asked to indicate the gender of the person most responsible for planning their trip to New Hampshire. As can be seen in Table 2, females were more apt to play such a role among New England respondents. Among Mid-Atlantic respondents, however, males reportedly assumed a greater role in trip planning.
Table 2
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Gender of Decision-Maker
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New Engl.
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New Engl.
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MidAtlant.
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MidAtlant.
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Overnight
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Day-Only
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Overnight
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Day-Only
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Gender
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(n=257)
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(n=132)
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(n=181)
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(n=29)
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Male
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35.8
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34.8
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50.8
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41.4
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Female
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41.2
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45.5
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34.8
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34.5
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Joint Decision
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23.0
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19.7
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14.4
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24.1
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Total
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100.0
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100.0
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100.0
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100.0
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