2010 DMO Website User Survey

Understanding user behaviors, perceptions and attitudes

2

Participating DMOs

3

Table of Contents

Project Objectives 4

Methodology 5

Respondent Profile 6

The Role of the DMO Website 15

Travel Reviews and Video 27

Destination Information Sources 34

4

To understand the role of the DMO website in the destination travel planning process.

To research and understand DMO user behaviors, perceptions and attitudes toward destination tourism websites.

To identify DMO website user characteristics and demographics.

To analyze and assess the potential for improved DMO website performance.

Project Objectives

5

SMG selected five DMOs to participate in the survey◦ Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority◦ Pismo Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau◦ Solvang Visitors and Convention Bureau◦ Temecula Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau◦ Ventura Visitors and Convention Bureau

Each DMO agreed to email the SMG survey & cover letter to its own email list

The survey was completed during a two week period in March with over 3,000 completed surveys

Methodology

Respondent Profile

61% - Female 58% - Between 41-60 years 58% - Have a college education % 76% - Caucasian 69% - More likely to use Google as their

search engine Were likely to watch surf the Internet daily,

watch TV, email friends and family and listen to AM/FM radio

Respondent Profile Summary

7

8

Overall 61% of survey respondents were female 49%

61%

Male Female

Gender

9

Survey respondents tended to be older with the highest percentage between 51-60 years, followed by the 41-50 age segment under 25

25-30

31-40

41-50

51-60

60+

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

1%

6%

14%

27%

31%

22%

Age Demographic

10

The highest concentration of survey respondents income levels was between $70,000 & $150,000

Fifteen percent had income levels above 16%

$0-$29,999

$30-$39,999

$40-$49,999

$50-$59,999

$60-$69,999

$70-$99,999

$1000-$149,999

$150-$199,999

$200,000+

0% 10% 20% 30%

6%

6%

8%

9%

9%

24%

24%

9%

7%

Income Demographic

11

Overall 58% of survey respondents indicated they completed college, followed by 20% high school and 14% with a masters degree

High

School20%

College58%

Masters14%

PhD3%

Other5%

Education Level

12

White76%

African American2%

Asian/Asian Amer-ican8%

Hispanic/Latino8%

Native American1%

Other3%

N/A2%

Ethnicity

13

Approximately 70% of those surveyed indicated they used Google as their primary search engine

Bing/MSN

Yahoo

Google

Other

8%

18%

69%

5%

Search Engine Use

14

Surf the Internet daily

Watch TV

Email friends/associates

Listen to AM/FM radio

Read a daily paper

Participate in a social network

Read a daily paper online

Watch online video

Post photos online

Listen to satellite radio

Post reviews online

Write a comment or blog

Listen to podcast

Post video online

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

83%82%

74%71%

51%41%

32%26%

19%18%

8%7%6%

3%

Note the online activities of survey respondents

Respondent Media Habits

The Role of the DMO Website

16

The Internet was the primary tool used to plan a personal vacation at 93%

Search engines and DMO sites were most useful for researching a destination

Visitors were most likely to visit a DMO website to obtain vacation information

Survey respondents found general information, area maps and attractions most helpful information

Respondents most frequently use a DMO site when learning about a destination

Website Role Summary

17

Magazine/newspaper ad

TV Commercial

Radio Commercial

Newspaper/magazine article

Referral

Visitor bureau

Brochure

Direct mail

Online ad

Online review

Search engine

Promotional email

Other

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0%

7.4%

2.1%

0.4%

3.5%

4.5%

3.0%

4.6%

2.6%

2.9%

5.1%

48.4%

7.3%

2.9%

28% of respondentsindicated they found about a DMO site via traditional media

How visitors found out about a DMO website?

18

Sources used to plan a personal vacation trip

Note: This result is expected because the survey consisted of DMO email lists.

The Internet is the single largest planning tool among this group!

Approximately 93% of those surveyed indicated they used the Internet to plan a personal vacation trip.

Only 26% indicated they used magazines or TV.

800 Number

Travel Agent

TV

Magazines

Brochure

Family/Friends

Internet

Other

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

16%

11%

4%

22%

34%

33%

93%

6%

19

Not at All

Useful

2 Neutral 4 Very Useful

Top Box

Airline Site 12% 12% 24% 25% 28% 53%

Travel Review Site

10% 12% 29% 28% 31% 59%

Travel Search Engine

7% 10% 27% 33% 24% 57%

Hotel Site 7% 11% 27% 33% 22% 55%

Search Engine

2% 4% 16% 32% 45% 77%

Online TA 35% 23% 28% 10% 4% 14%

DMO Site 7% 8% 22% 32% 30% 62%

Website usefulness for researching a possible destination

20

Visited DMO website

Requested a visitor guide/brochure

Visited an office for information

Sent email request for information

Called office for information

Other

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

82%

75%

38%

36%

18%

5%

Following ways you have used a DMO to obtain vacation

information

21

General information

Area maps & attractions

Specific attractions

Activity information

Special events

Area photos

Package deal information

Online video

Blogs

Other

0% 10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

84%

82%

74%

74%

67%

60%

54%

24%

10%

3%

Types of information you find helpful on a DMO website

Low % of video shows potential of added video content to DMO websites

22

When learning about a destination

Comparing travel products & prices

When booking my trip

After booking but before traveling

During my trip

After my trip

81%

55%

44%

31%

14%

4% Note how users

primarily used a DMO site in the early stages of trip planning and less so during other parts of the trip planning and post trip behavior.

Place in the travel planning process you typically visit a DMO website

23

No2%

Maybe

13%

Some

what

54%

Def-inite-ly8%

Note the influence a DMO website has on a decision to take a trip to a specific area.

DMO Site Influence

24

Helped learn more about a destination

Helped to make a decision to visit a destination

Prompted me to book a trip to a destination

83%

61%

28%

Impact of the DMO site on last trip

25

Extremely helpful40%

Somewhat helpful56%

Not very helpful3%

Not at all helpful1%

Overall helpfulness of DMO site in your decision to visit an area

26

Not at All

Reliable

2 Neutral 4 Very Reliabl

e

Top BoxTotal

Airline Website

4% 6% 28% 31% 30% 61%

Travel Review Site

4% 9% 36% 38% 13% 51%

Hotel Site 4% 8% 30% 39% 19% 58%

Search Engine

1% 4% 23% 45% 27% 72%

Online TA 9% 10% 34% 33% 13% 46%

DMO Site 2% 4% 21% 43% 30% 73%

Reliability of Travel Sites

27

Travel Reviews and Video

28

Travel reviews are influential Respondents are more likely to believe

reviews by people like them Many have viewed a travel destination

video online Find destination travel videos helpful Travel videos were much more helpful when

thinking about or planning a trip than for specific activities

Travel Reviews/Video Summary

29

78% of survey respondents indicated that reviews and travel experiences by others did have an influence on their travel plans.

Yes made plans; 78%

No influence; 22%

Influence of your travel plans based on reviews and experiences of others

30

Survey respondents indicated they tended to believe reviews done by people like them as opposed to travel experts.

72%

28%

People Like Me Travel Experts

Whose reviews do you tend to believe?

31

Fifty-four percent of survey respondents indicated that they had viewed a travel destination video online

54%

46%

Yes have viewedNo have not

Have you viewed a travel destination video online?

32

Fully 81% of survey respondents indicated online videos were helpful in considering a destination to visit.

81%

19%

Yes helpfulNo Not Helpful

Helpfulness of online video in considering a destination

33

Note the importance of online video when thinking about taking a trip and choosing a destination

Videos were viewed much less frequently when considering activity ideas, lodging decisions and when booking a trip

When thinking about taking a trip

When choosing a destination

When looking for activity ideas

When deciding on lodging

When booking a destination trip

0% 50%

42%

28%

14%

11%

5%

When planning a trip when are you most likely to watch an online video?

34

Destination Information Sources

35

One quarter of survey respondents have “friended” or become fans of a destination

16% have accessed a destination website on a mobile hand held device

Overall respondents tend to use a computer to access a destination website while on a vacation

47% have booked either part of all of a vacation online.

Destination Information Sources Summary

36

Twenty-seven percent of survey respondents indicated they had become a friend of a specific destination on Facebook or MySpace in the past 12 months

27%

73%

Yes No

Friend of a specific destination on MySpace or Facebook

37

Sixteen percent of survey respondents indicated they had accessed a destination website with a handheld phone or device in the past 12 months

16%

84%

Yes No

Accessed a destination website with a handheld phone or device

38

The overwhelming majority of survey respondents indicated they used their computer or laptop to find information online

Website via your phone

Website via laptop or computer

Local information center

Ask a local resident

Other

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

15%

73%

48%

32%

9%

How do you find information when you are already visiting a destination?

39

Forty-seven percent of survey respondents indicated they booked a part or all of a trip online

47%53%

Yes No

Booked all or part of trip on a destination website

40

The DMO website is a key link in the destination choice process

The Role of the DMO Site

Consumer awareness about

site

DMO website links vacation concept

to reality

Vacation Booking

41

• Planning tool

Internet

• Search engine

• Traditional media

Find a DMO Site • Useful• Influential• Reliable

DMO site

• Decision to visit

Book a trip

The Role of the DMO Site

The DMO website plays an integral role in a visitor’s decision to visit; users view it as useful, influential and reliable in providing information with which to make a vacation destination decision.

42

Finding the DMO website

OnlineSEO

Social

TraditionalMedia

DMO Site

43

SEO strategy Information content strategy

◦ General Information◦ Area maps◦ Specific attractions◦ Activity information (recreation, cultural,

historical)◦ Special events/event calendar◦ Area photos (in the moment, scenic, people)◦ Blog◦ Video◦ Social

DMO Site Relevance

44

DMO websites play a critical role in the destination planning process in educating consumers about a destination

The DMO website is the link between consumers’ interest in taking a vacation and booking a vacation

The highest value of a DMO website is its usefulness, reliability, and influence

Summary