Lee County Visitors and Convention Bureau

1
State of the Industry 2005 Year to Date
Presented to Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and
Visitors Bureau By Evans - Klages,
Inc. November 16, 2005
2
Methodology Actionable Strategies
1. Define, profile, and quantify visitor origin
markets and segments. 2. Provide actionable
information to Gulf Shores/Orange Beachs tourism
industry. 3. Quantify and document tourism
trends. 4. Uncover and explore new
markets. 5. Support advertising and promotional
efforts. 6. Assess image, motivational, and media
factors.
3
Methodology

• In-person intercept surveys
• Post visitation interviews
• Hand-out/mail-back surveys
• Visitation intent panel surveys
• Focus group analysis
• Secondary statistics -- normative standards

4
2005Visitor Tracking Statistics
5
Number of Visitors2005
2004 2005 D
Winter 273,786 163,267 -40.4 Spring
267,274 176,376 -34.0 Summer 543,036
375,260 -30.9 Total YTD 1,084,096 714,903 -34.1
6
Total Economic Impact2005
2004 2005 D
Winter 133,650,608 83,289,412 -37.7 Spring
151,416,283 106,813,485 -29.5 Summer
288,471,548 210,645,705 -27.0 Ttl
YTD 573,538,439 400,748,602 -30.1
7
OccupancyDenominator Available Inventory
04/05 D 04/05 D Condo Hotel/Motel
Winter 2.5 pts. 22.8 pts. Spring -0.9 0.2
Summer -14.7 -7.1
8
Room RatesDenominator Available Inventory
Condo Hotel/Motel
Winter 7.1 4.9 Spring 9.1 5.9 Summer 9
.0 5.6
9
Top U.S. Feeder MarketsWinter Season 2004-05
1. Birmingham 9.1 2. Mobile/Pensacol
a 7.8 3. Huntsville/Decatur 4.9 4. Atlanta
4.3 5. Montgomery/Selma 4.1 6. Jackson,
MS 3.9 7. New Orleans 3.8 8. Grand
Rapids/Kalamazoo 3.8 9. Minneapolis/St.
Paul 2.8 10. Baton Rouge 2.5
10
Top U.S. Feeder MarketsSpring Season 2005
1. Birmingham 14.4 2. Mobile/Pensaco
la 6.3 3. New Orleans 4.9 4. Jackson, MS
4.6 5. Huntsville/Decatur 4.5 6. Atlanta
4.4 7. Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo 4.3 8. Memphis
4.1 9. Montgomery/Selma 3.7 10. Nashville
3.6 11. Columbus, GA 3.6
11
Top U.S. Feeder MarketsSummer Season 2005
1. Birmingham 16.1 2. Huntsville/Dec
atur 11.5 3. Atlanta 8.9 4. New Orleans
7.9 5. Mobile/Pensacola 5.2 6. Nashville
3.9 7. Montgomery/Selma 3.5 8. Baton Rouge
3.1 9. Shreveport/Texarkana 3.1 10. Memphis
2.9
12
First Time Visitor to Gulf Shores/Orange Beach
13
Plan to Return to Gulf Shores/ Orange Beach Next
Year
14
Median Household Income
2004 2005 Winter 70,506 71,270 Spring 69,902 7
1,128 Summer 74,127 77,000
15
Planning/Reservation WindowDays to Arrival
85 Days
75 Days
16
Internet
17
Internet Usage
Sum. 04 Sum. 05

• Have Access to the Internet 93.7 94.9
• Seek Out Travel Information On-Line
• (BASE Those with Internet Access) 90.4 88.1
• Booked Reservations for this Trip on Net
• (BASE Those who Seek Travel Info. On-Line)
  24.8 23.4

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Internet Usage (cont.)
Sum. 04 Sum. 05

• Used the Internet to Gather
• Travel Information for this Trip
• (BASE Those who Seek Travel Information
  On-Line) 76.7 80.7
• First Time Visitors 85.0 95.1
• Repeat Visitors 73.8 77.5
• Accessed the Website www.gulfshores.com
• (BASE Those who Seek Travel Information
  On-Line) 38.7 45.1

19
PreliminaryAlabama Gulf Coast Hurricane Panel
Findings
20
Hurricane Panel Methodology

• Panel Conducted September and October 2005 AND
  On-Going
• Panel Composition Travelers who previously
  visited and/or inquired about Alabamas Gulf
  Coast
• Methodology Follow up surveys

21
Results and Findings

• 59.6 had previous visits to Alabamas Gulf
  Coast.
• 69.8 of these traveled to the destination in
  2004 and/or 2005.
• 54.0 reported planning a future trip to Gulf
  Shores/Orange Beach.
• 85.1 of these will visit the area before the
  end of 2006.

22
Results and Findings

• Some 17.4 volunteer that hurricanes/weather
  have had an impact on their future plans to visit
  Gulf Shores/Orange Beach.

23
68.4
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Economic Conditions
26
Disposable Personal IncomeSource Bureau of
Economic Analysis
2003 2004 2005
27
Total U.S. Tourism Related SalesSource Bureau
of Economic Analysis
2001 2002 2003 2004 05
28
U.S. Retail Gas PricesSource Energy
Information Administration
29
Consumer PricesSource Bureau of Labor
Statistics
CPI September 2005 4.7
2002 2003 2004 2005
30
Producer PricesSource Bureau of Labor
Statistics
PPI October 2005 5.9
2002 2003 2004 2005
31
Looking Ahead
32
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