Duluth, MN Duluth 2015 Visitor Final Report.pdfresponded that they were visiting friends and relatives, while 56% said they were on marketable trips. Marketable trips are defined as

Duluth, MN 2015 Visitor Report

Table of Contents

2

Introduction….....………………………………………………………………………………... 3

Methodology….…………………………………………………………………………………. 4

Key Findings……………………………………………………………………………………. 5

Size & Structure of the U.S. Travel Market………………………………………………….. 9

Size & Structure of Duluth’s Travel Market……………………………………………… 13

Overnight Trip Detail…......……………………..……...……………...………………………. 19

Overnight Expenditures…………………………………..……………………………… 20

Overnight Trip Characteristics……………..……………………………………………. 26

Demographic Profile of Overnight Visitors…………………………………………….. 54

Day Trip Detail…......……………………..……............……………...………………………. 65

Day Trip Expenditures………………………..…………..……………………………… 66

Day Trip Characteristics……………..………………………………………….………. 72

Demographic Profile of Day Trip Visitors…………………………………..………….. 86

Appendix: Key Terms Defined…………………………………………...………..…………... 97

Introduction

3

Longwoods International began tracking American travelers in

1985, and has conducted large-scale syndicated visitor research

quarterly since 1990.

In 2007, our proprietary Longwoods Travel USA® program was

migrated from mail to online, with the benefits of rapid

turnaround, enhanced flexibility and interactivity, as well as

greater respondent involvement.

It is currently the largest ongoing study ever conducted of

American travelers, providing our clients with more reliable data

and greater ability to home in on key market segments of interest.

This report provides an overview for Duluth’s domestic tourism

business in 2015.

Methodology

4

Each quarter, a random cross-section of online sample is sent an e-mail

invitation to participate in the survey. A reminder is e-mailed several days

later to non-responders.

For the 2015 travel year, this yielded:

337,164 trips for analysis nationally:

237,555 overnight trips

99,609 day trips

For Duluth, the following sample was achieved in 2015:

462 trips:

308 overnight trips

154 day trips*

For analysis, data were weighted on key demographics to correct for any

differences between the sample and U.S. population targets.

*Caution should be used in interpreting day trip data in this report due to low sample size

Key

Findings

Key Findings

6

In 2015, Duluth had 6.7 million person trips. 34% were overnight trips

and 66% were day trips.

The overnight trips generated $319 million in spending.

When asked about the main purpose of their overnight trip, 39%

responded that they were visiting friends and relatives, while 56% said

they were on marketable trips. Marketable trips are defined as those

trip types that can be influenced by marketing efforts. The most

prevalent marketable trip types were touring through the region and

trips to enjoy outdoor activities.

The average number of nights spent in Duluth on an overnight trip was

2.7 nights and the average travel party size was 3 persons.

Key Findings – (Cont’d)

7

Travelers on overnight trips to Duluth were more likely to arrive in

their own car and less likely to arrive by plane than the national

average.

Travelers on overnight trips to Duluth were most likely to engage

social media by posting photos online, reading travel reviews and

accessing news/promotions.

The top four states of origin for overnight trips were Minnesota,

Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan. The top four DMA’s of origin were

Minneapolis-St. Paul, Duluth, Chicago and Fargo.

The top five activities engaged in by travelers on overnight trips to

Duluth were Shopping, visiting a Landmark/Historic Site, visiting a

National or State Park, Hiking/Backpacking and Fine Dining.

Key Findings – (Cont’d)

8

Overall trip experience and friendliness of the people received the

highest satisfaction ratings for overnight visitors to Duluth.

87% of overnight visitors had visited Duluth before, and 71% said

they had visited in the past year.

62% of overnight trips were planned 2 months or less before the trip,

and 9% did not plan anything in advance.

“Advice from friends and relatives” was the most frequently cited

source of planning information at 18% and the top ranked method of

booking was “Hotel or Resort” at 28%.

Size & Structure of the

U.S. Travel Market

Total Size of the U.S. Travel Market— 2011-2015

1,413 1,451 1,480 1,532 1,568

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Mill

ion

s o

f Tr

ips

10

Base: Total Overnight Person-Trips

2.4%

Structure of the U.S. Travel Market —2015 Overnight Trips

11

Visiting Friends/Relatives

44%

Marketable43%

Business10%

Business-Leisure3%


U.S. Market Trends for Overnight Trips— 2015 vs. 2014

2

3

1

4

2

-10 -5 0 5 10

All Overnight Trips

Visiting Friends/Relatives

Marketable Trips

Business-Leisure Trips

Business Trips

Percent Change


12

Size & Structure of

Duluth’s Travel Market

Total Size of the DuluthTravel Market in 2015

14

Total Person-Trips = 6.7 Million

Day Trips66%

Overnight Trips34%

2.3 Million4.4 Million

Size of Duluth’s Overnight Travel Market— Adults vs. Children

15

Total Overnight Person-Trips = 2.3 Million

Adults73%

Children27%

0.6 Million

1.7 Million

Duluth’s Overnight Travel Market —by Trip Purpose

16

Visits to Friends/Relatives

39%

Marketable56%

Business3%

Business-Leisure2%

Adult Overnight Person-Trips = 1.7 Million

0.7 Million

0.9 Million0.04 Million

0.04 Million

Size of Duluth’s Day Travel Market — Adults vs. Children

17

Total Day Person-Trips = 4.4 Million

Adults76%

Children24%

1 Million

3.4 Million

Duluth’s Day Travel Market— by Trip Purpose

18

Visits to Friends/Relatives

24%

Marketable69%

Business4%

Business-Leisure3%

Adult Day Person-Trips = 3.4 Million

0.8 Million

2.3 Million

0.2 Million

0.1 Million

Overnight Trip Detail

Overnight Expenditures

Total Overnight Spending — by Sector

21

Total Spending = $319 Million

Lodging42%

Restaurant Food &

Beverage25%

Retail13%

Recreation10%

Transportation10%

$133 Million

$32 Million

$32 Million

$42 Million

$80 Million

Average Per Person Expenditures on Overnight Trips — By Sector

22

$58

$35

$18$14 $14

0

20

40

60

Lodging RestaurantFood &

Beverage

RetailPurchases

Recreation/Sightseeing/

Entertainment

Transportationat Destination

Do

llars

Average Per Person Expenditures on Overnight Trips — by Trip Purpose

23

$135

$00

50

100

150

Leisure Business*

Do

llars

*Low Business Base

Average Per Party Expenditures on Overnight Trips — By Sector

24

$161

$97

$50$39 $38

0

50

100

150

200

Lodging RestaurantFood &

Beverage

RetailPurchases


Entertainment

Transportationat Destination

Do

llars

Average Per Party Expenditures on Overnight Trips — by Trip Purpose

25

$382

$00

100

200

300

400

Leisure Business*

Do

llars

*Low Business Base

Overnight Trip Characteristics

27

Main Purpose of Trip

39

17

13

8

7

6

2

1

2

1

2

0 10 20 30 40 50

Visiting friends/relatives

Touring

Outdoors

Special event

City trip

Casino

Skiing/Snowboarding

Resort

Other business trip

Conference/Convention

Business-leisure

Percent

Marketable

Trips

56%


Main Purpose of Leisure Trip —Duluth vs. National Norm

28

39

17

13

8

7

6

2

1

44

8

6

7

5

4

1

5

0 10 20 30 40 50


Touring

Outdoors

Special event

City trip

Casino

Skiing/Snowboarding

Resort

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Main Purpose of Business Trip —Duluth vs. National Norm

29

2

1

6

4

0 2 4 6 8

Other business trip


Percent

Duluth US Norm


State Origin Of Trip

30

Base: Overnight Person-Trips to Duluth

60

6

6

3

3

2

2

2

2

2

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Minnesota

Illinois

Wisconsin

Michigan

Arizona

Alaska

Washington

California

South Dakota

Nebraska

Percent

DMA Origin Of Trip

31

Base: Overnight Person-Trips to Duluth

52

8

5

4

2

2

2

2

2

0 20 40 60

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN

Duluth-Superior, MN/WI

Chicago, IL

Fargo-Valley City, ND

Phoenix, AZ

Seattle-Tacoma, WA

New York, NY/NJ/PA/CT

Omaha, NE/IA

Los Angeles, CA

Percent

Season of Trip

32

20

25

33

22

0 10 20 30 40

January-March

April-June

July-September

October-December

Percent


33

Satisfaction with Trip% Very Satisfied

80

71

67

66

56

55

38

75

66

57

64

66

51

43

0 20 40 60 80 100

Overal trip experience

Friendliness of people

Sightseeing and attractions

Quality of food

Quality of accommodations

Value for money

Music/nightlife/entertainment

Percent

Duluth U.S. Norm


87

71

87

75

0 20 40 60 80 100

Ever

Past Year

Percent

Duluth U.S. Norm 34

Past Visitation


Length of Trip Planning

35

3

10

16

19

43

9

3

13

18

17

35

14

0 10 20 30 40 50

More than 1 year in advance

6-12 months

3-5 months

2 months

1 month or less

Did not plan anything in advance

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Trip Planning Information Sources

36

18

17

14

10

10

8

8

6

5

15

15

16

9

9

7

9

12

3

0 5 10 15 20

Advice from relatives or friends

Online travel agencies

Hotel or resort

Social Media

Destination websites

Auto club/AAA

Travel company websites

Airline/commercial carrier

Lodging sharing websites

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Trip Planning Information Sources (Cont’d)

37

4

3

3

2

2

1

1

1

1

5

3

6

2

3

2

2

1

1

0 5 10 15 20

Travel guide/other books

800/888 number

Travel agent/company

Newspaper articles/ad

Visitors' bureau/gov tourism office

TV program/ad

Magazine articles/ad

Radio show/ad

Travel/ski show or exhibition

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Method of Booking Trip

38

28

14

7

6

6

5

5

4

4

18

15

13

8

4

7

4

4

2

0 10 20 30

Hotel or resort

Online travel agencies

Airline/commercial carrier

Travel company websites

800/888 number

Advice from relatives or friends

Destination websites

Auto club/AAA

Lodging sharing websites

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Method of Booking Trip (Cont’d)

39

3

2

1

1

1

1

0

0

6

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

0 10 20 30

Travel agent/company

Visitors' bureau/gov tourism office

Newspaper articles/ad

Magazine articles/ad

TV program/ad

Radio show/ad

Travel guide/other books

Travel/ski show or exhibition

Percent

Duluth US Norm


40

Devices Used for Trip Planning

52

43

30

18

13

45

41

27

17

16

0 20 40 60

Laptop

Home (desktop) computer

Smartphone

Tablet

None of these

Percent

Duluth U.S. Norm


41

Devices Used During Trip

69

37

29

18

65

28

33

22

0 20 40 60 80

Smartphone

Tablet

Laptop

None of these

Percent

Duluth U.S. Norm


Total Nights Away on Trip

42

19

34

23

13

10

2

21

26

26

12

11

4

0 10 20 30 40

1 night

2 nights

3-4 nights

5-6 nights

7-13 nights

14 + nights

Percent

Duluth US Norm

Average

Duluth

= 3.7 Nights

Average

US Norm

= 4 Nights


Number of Nights Spent in Duluth

43

Average Nights Spent in Duluth = 2.7

28

36

24

8

4

0 10 20 30 40

1 night

2 nights

3-4 nights

5-6 nights

7 + nights

Percent

Base: Total Overnight Person-Trips with 1+ nights spent in Duluth

Size of Travel Party

44

2.3

2.3

0.7

0.6

0 1 2 3 4

Duluth

US Norm

Average No. of People

Adults Children

Total = 3

Total = 2.9


Transportation

45

84

12

11

6

5

3

3

3

2

2

65

26

19

9

2

5

1

6

5

3

0 20 40 60 80 100

Own car/truck

Plane

Rental car

Traditional Taxi

Camper, R.V

Train

Motorcycle

Bus

Online Taxi Svc

Ship/Boat

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Accommodations

46

53

29

7

7

7

5

3

2

1

1

4

54

28

4

3

3

5

4

4

4

2

6

0 20 40 60

Hotel/Motel

Friends/relatives' dwelling (not paid for)

Campground/trailer park/RV park

Country Inn/Lodge

Rented cottage/cabin

Bed & Breakfast

Own home/condo/apt/second home

Rented home/condo/apartment

Time Share

Boat/cruise ship

Other

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Activities and Experiences

47

38

25

23

21

19

17

17

14

13

11

10

9

35

14

10

7

23

16

11

16

10

11

5

5

0 10 20 30 40

Shopping

Landmark/Historic Site

National/State Park

Hiking/Backpacking

Fine Dining

Beach

Museum

Swimming

Casino

Bar/Disco

Fishing

Camping

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Activities and Experiences (Cont’d)

48

7

7

6

5

5

4

4

4

4

3

3

5

5

5

5

5

5

8

2

3

1

4

0 10 20 30 40

Boating/Sailing

Art Gallery

Zoo

Brewery

Fair/Exhibition/Festival

Dance

Theme Park

Birding

Biking

Skiing/Snowboarding

Golf

Percent

Duluth US Norm



49

3

3

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

4

1

5

4

2

7

2

6

3

2

2

0 10 20 30 40


Glamping

Spa

Winery

Mountain Climbing

Theater

Trade Show

Business Meeting

Pro/College Sports

Watch Amateur/Youth Sports

Participate in Adult Sports Event

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Activities of Special Interest

50

32

19

18

8

7

6

4

3

3

2

2

21

22

17

5

11

5

5

4

5

3

2

0 10 20 30 40

Historic places

Family Reunion

Cultural activities/attractions

Wedding

Exceptional culinary experiences

Brewery Tours/Beer Tasting

Winery tours/Wine tasting

Eco-Tourism

Traveling with grandchildren

Religious Travel

Medical Tourism

PercentDuluth US Norm


Online Social Media Use by Travelers

51

68

34

27

20

19

17

13

11

68

34

28

21

22

13

11

11

0 20 40 60 80

Used any social media for travel

Posted travel photos/video online

Read travel reviews

Accessed travel news/events/deals/promotions

Looked at travel photos/video online

Connected with others interested in travel

Got travel advice

Contributed travel reviews

Percent

Duluth US Norm


68

10

9

7

6

5

5

68

13

9

9

6

9

5

0 20 40 60 80


Read a travel blog

"Followed" a destination/attraction

Gave travel advice

Subscribed to a travel e-newsletter

Tweeted about a trip

Blogged about a trip

Percent

Duluth US Norm

Online Social Media Use by Travelers (Cont’d)

52


Organization Membership

53

31

18

3

3

43

22

4

2

0 10 20 30 40 50

AAA

AARP

National Motor Club

Better World Club

Percent

Duluth U.S. Norm


Demographic Profile of Overnight Visitors to Duluth

Gender

55

44

56

48

52

0 20 40 60

Male

Female

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Age

56

14

42

31

13

13

40

30

17

0 10 20 30 40 50

18-24

25-44

45-64

65 or older

Percent

Duluth US Norm

Duluth Average = 43 US Average = 45


Household Size

57

23

32

20

14

11

20

36

18

15

11

0 10 20 30 40

1 member

2 members

3 members

4 members

5+ members

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Duluth Average = 2.7 US Average = 2.7

Household Income

58

3

13

18

25

41

6

15

16

22

41

0 10 20 30 40 50

$150K+

$100-$149.9K

$75K-$99.9K

$50K-$74.9K

Under $49.9K

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Marital Status

59

66

21

13

62

24

14

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Married/ with partner

Single/Never Married

Separated/Divorced/Widowed

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Children in Household

60

53

22

24

20

56

20

22

18

0 20 40 60

No Children Under 18

Any child between 13-17


Any child under 6

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Education

61

18

47

25

10

1

22

40

23

14

1

0 10 20 30 40 50

Post-graduate

College graduate

Some college

High school or less

Other

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Employment

62

50

13

37

51

10

39

0 20 40 60

Full-time/Self-employed

Part-time

Not employed/Retired/Student/Other

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Race

63

88

3

9

82

8

10

0 20 40 60 80 100

White

African-American

Other

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Hispanic Background

64

96

4

91

9

0 20 40 60 80 100

No

Yes

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Day Trip Detail

Day Trip Expenditures

Total Day Trip Spending — by Sector

67

Total Spending = $298 Million

Restaurant Food &

Beverage34%

Retail40%

Transportation13%

Recreation13%

$102 Million

$38 Million $39 Million

$119 Million

Average Per Person Expenditures on Day Trip — By Sector

68

$27

$23

$9 $9

0

10

20

30

Retail Purchases Restaurant Food &Beverage

Transportation atDestination


Entertainment

Do

llars

Average Per Person Expenditures on Day Trip — by Trip Purpose

69

$66

$00

20

40

60

80

Leisure Business*

Do

llars

*Low Business Base

Average Per Party Expenditures on Day Trip — By Sector

70

$73$63

$24 $23

0

20

40

60

80

Retail Purchases Restaurant Food &Beverage

Transportation atDestination


Entertainment

Do

llars

Average Per Party Expenditures on Day Trip — by Trip Purpose

71

$180

$00

50

100

150

200

Leisure Business*

Do

llars

Base: Total Day Person-Trips

*Low Business Base

Day Trip Characteristics

73

Main Purpose of Trip

24

24

15

9

7

6

4

3

4

<1

3

0 10 20 30


Touring

Shopping

City trip

Special event

Outdoors

Ski/Snowboarding

Casino

Other business trip

Conference/convention

Business-leisure

Percent

Marketable

Trips

69%


Main Purpose of Day Leisure Trip— Duluth vs. National Norm

74

24

24

15

9

7

6

4

3

37

11

8

8

8

7

<1

4

0 10 20 30 40


Touring

Shopping

City trip

Special event

Outdoors

Ski/Snowboarding

Casino

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Main Purpose of Day Business Trip — Duluth vs. National Norm

75

4

<1

6

2

0 2 4 6

Other business trip


Percent

Duluth US Norm


State Origin Of Trip

76

70

14

5

2

2

2

0 20 40 60 80

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Michigan

Virginia

Illinois

Massachusetts

Percent


DMA Origin Of Trip

77

57

25

3

0 20 40 60

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN

Duluth-Superior, MN/WI

Marquette, MI

Percent


Season of Trip

78

19

22

30

29

0 10 20 30 40

January-March

April-June

July-September

October-December

Percent


Size of Travel Party

79

2.1

2.1

0.7

0.7

0 1 2 3 4

Duluth

US Norm

Average No. of People

Adults Children

Total = 2.8

Total = 2.8


44

23

21

20

19

13

10

9

8

8

7

7

5

5

29

9

6

12

8

7

8

5

3

7

4

2

4

4

0 10 20 30 40 50

Shopping

Landmark/Historic Site

Hiking/Backpacking

Fine Dining

Beach

National/State Park

Museum

Zoo

Brewery

Swimming

Fair/Exhibition/Festival

Boating/Sailing

Fishing

Bar/Disco

Percent

Duluth US Norm

Activities and Experiences

80



81

5

4

4

4

4

3

3

3

3

3

2

2

2

2

4

3

1

2

1

6

3

2

4

7

2

2

1

1

0 10 20 30 40 50

Business Meeting

Winery

Skiing

Biking

Symphony

Theme Park

Art Gallery

Camping

Theater

Casino


Dance

Opera

Hunting

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Activities of Special Interest

82

36

20

11

5

5

4

4

4

3

2

2

17

14

16

8

3

4

4

4

2

3

2

0 10 20 30 40

Historic places

Cultural activities/attractions

Family Reunion

Exceptional culinary experiences

Traveling with grandchildren

Eco-Tourism

Brewery tours/Beer tasting

Winery tours/Wine tasting

Religious Travel

Wedding

Medical Tourism

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Social Media Use by Travelers

83

71

41

32

31

23

19

14

14

67

32

27

23

22

13

11

9

0 20 40 60 80


Posted travel photos/video online

Read travel reviews

Looked at travel photos/video online

Accessed travel news/events/deals/promotions

Read a travel blog

Got travel advice

"Followed" a destination/attraction

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Social Media Use by Travelers (Cont’d)

84

71

13

9

9

9

8

6

67

9

8

12

8

5

4

0 20 40 60 80


Contributed travel reviews

Tweeted about a trip

Connected with others interested in travel

Gave travel advice

Subscribed to a travel e-newsletter

Blogged about a trip

Percent

Duluth US Norm


Organization Membership

85

28

25

6

2

37

19

3

2

0 10 20 30 40

AAA

AARP

National Motor Club

Better World Club

Percent

Duluth U.S. Norm


Demographic Profile of

Day Visitors to Duluth

Gender

87

29

71

46

54

0 20 40 60 80

Male

Female

Percent

Duluth U.S. Norm


Age

88

11

44

29

16

13

40

33

14

0 10 20 30 40 50

18-24

25-44

45-64

65 or older

Percent

Duluth U.S. Norm

Duluth Average = 44 U.S. Average = 44


Household Size

89

19

37

21

14

9

19

34

19

16

12

0 10 20 30 40

1 member

2 members

3 members

4 members

5+ members

Percent

Duluth U.S. Norm


Duluth Average = 2.6 U.S. Average = 2.8

Household Income

90

3

9

18

32

38

4

12

14

22

48

0 10 20 30 40 50

$150K+

$100-$149.9K

$75K-$99.9K

$50K-$74.9K

Under $49.9K

Percent

Duluth U.S. Norm


Marital Status

91

66

21

13

61

24

15

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Married/ with partner

Single/Never Married

Separated/Divorced/Widowed

Percent

Duluth U.S. Norm


Children in Household

92

53

17

19

21

52

21

23

20

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

No Children Under 18



Any child under 6

Percent

Duluth U.S. Norm


Education

93

13

48

23

16

<1

19

38

25

17

1

0 10 20 30 40 50

Post-graduate

College graduate

Some college

High school or less

Other

Percent

Duluth U.S. Norm


Employment

94

56

10

34

49

10

41

0 20 40 60

Full-time/Self-employed

Part-time

Not employed/Retired/Student/Other

Percent

Duluth U.S. Norm


Race

95

86

5

9

82

8

10

0 20 40 60 80 100

White

African-American

Other

Percent

Duluth U.S. Norm


Hispanic Background

96

97

3

91

9

0 20 40 60 80 100

No

Yes

Percent

Duluth U.S. Norm


Appendix A: Key Terms Defined

Key Terms Defined

98

An Overnight Trip is any journey for business or pleasure, outside

your community and not part of your normal routine, where you spent

one more nights away from home.

A Day Trip is any journey for business or pleasure, outside your

community and not part of your normal routine, that did not include

an overnight stay. Day trips involve travel of more than 50 miles from

home.

A Person-Trip is one trip taken by one visitor.

Person-trips are the key unit of measure for this report.

Trip-Type Segments

99

Leisure Trips: includes all trips where the main purpose was one of the following:


Touring through a region to experience its scenic beauty, history and culture

Outdoors trip to enjoy activities such as camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, and boating

Special event, such as a fair, festival, or sports event

City trip

Cruise

Casino

Theme park

Resort (ocean beach, inland or mountain resort)

Skiing/snowboarding

Golf

Business Trips: includes

Conference/convention

Other business trip

Business-Leisure: a trip for business where, on the same trip, the visitor stayed for at least one

additional day to experience the same place or nearby area simply for leisure.

Marketable

Trips:

Includes all

leisure trips,

with the

exception of

visits to

friends/relatives

Total Trips = Leisure + Business + Business-Leisure

Duluth, MN Duluth 2015 Visitor Final Report.pdfresponded that they were visiting friends and relatives, while 56% said they were on marketable trips. Marketable trips are defined as

Documents