analysis of the oak park travel market

Analysis of the Oak Park Travel Market

April, 2003

Oak Park Convention and Visitors Bureau

Executive Summary

Tourism marketing has changed considerably over the past two years; intense competition, substantial improvements in technology and reduced budgets create a world never imagined. Importantly, the rapid integration of the Internet into American culture as well as the emergence of direct/relationship marketing indicate that these new media effectively compete with more traditional approaches for the “awareness/information space” of potential visitors. Thus, the issue for most DMOs becomes one of developing a new strategy for effectively and efficiently communicating with potential visitors in this new environment. The goal of this study was to obtain information about visitors to the Area and to evaluate the relative effectiveness of various communication media of the Oak Park Area Convention and Visitors Bureau during spring and summer, 2002.

This study was conducted using a mail survey focusing on the nature of travel to/through the Oak Park area from January 1 – September 15, 2002. In total, 1,000 individuals were surveyed based upon the names of persons having contacted the Oak Park Convention and Visitor Bureau directly or through a variety of sources including AAA-Home & Away, Midwest Living, and/or Preprint from January 1 through September 15, 2002. The survey was conducted over a four month period and followed a four step process designed to maximize the return rate. This effort resulted in 351 completed responses (as well as 65 bad addresses and insufficient responses) for a 37.5 percent response rate.

National Laboratory for Tourism & eCommerceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign- 1 -

Executive Summary

The results of the study indicate that:

Almost 47 percent of those surveyed report traveling to the Midwest since requesting travel information about the Oak Park. Of these visitors, 51 percent visited once, 16 percent visited 2 – 3 times and an additional 4.5 percent visited at least 4 times. The average number of trips taken to the Oak Park was 1.1 trips. Thus, the conversion rate was 33.1 percent.

Most of the trips were short, lasting just 1 day (64%); however, twenty percent (20.3%) of the Oak Park Area visits were 3 days or longer. The average length of stay was 1.8 days.

The travel party generally included 2 adults and very few children with many groups comprised of husband/wife (65.3%) and/or friends/relatives (31%).

Chart 5 reports that most trips to the Oak Park Area were considered Weekend Getaways (48%), shopping (25.0%), visiting family/friends (15.2%), and/or festivals or special events (14.3%).

The large majority of visitors to the Oak Park visited using their personal car (84.9.%); 6 percent indicated they used a rental car and an additional 4 percent indicated that an airplane was their primary means of transportation.


Executive Summary

Almost 63 (62.5%) percent of those visiting the Oak Park Area indicated they stayed overnight. As expected, the large majority stayed in a hotel or motel (74%); 26 percent reported staying with family or friends. A significant portion of the overnight visitors stayed in Oak Park (42%) while almost 25 percent indicated they stayed Downtown Chicago. Another group of respondents indicated they stayed somewhere else (31%).

The most popular attractions include restaurants (78%), shops, galleries and boutiques (67%), Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio (41%), Brookfield Zoo (33%) and the Guided Walking Tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright homes.

The average travel party to the Oak Park spent $450 or about $89 per person per day. Of this, about 26 percent ($118) was spent for lodging, 21 percent ($97) for food/restaurants and 33 percent ($151) while shopping. The remaining expenditures were for attractions/festivals ($49) and entertainment ($21).

A majority of visitors to the Oak Park Area indicated they had visited the Area prior to their most recent trip (56.8%). About 33 percent of previous visitors had visited only once while 30 indicated they had visited 2 -3 times over the past 5 years. Importantly, many respondents (11.1%) indicated that they had visited the Oak Park Area 11 or more times over the past 5 years.


Executive Summary

Respondents were asked a series of questions regarding their degree of satisfaction with their most recent trip to the Oak Park. The results indicate that a large majority (91.1%) were very to extremely satisfied with their visit to the Area. The huge majority indicated they plan to visit again (96%) and that they would recommend the Area to their friends (96%).

Almost all (92%) of the respondents indicated they received the information they requested. Sixty-one percent of the respondents contacted the Oak Park Area Convention and Visitors Bureau via reader response, 31 percent through mail, 7 percent used the telephone and 6 percent using its website (www.visitoakpark.com). Midwest Living Magazine was the most popular source for reader response inquiries for travel information.

Respondents were asked to evaluate the helpfulness of the information they received from the Oak Park Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Most considered the travel information they received very to extremely helpful in planning their trip to the Area. In particular, the travel material was helpful in terms of what to see and do (82%). This material was also considered helpful in deciding where to eat (78%), providing directions (73%), learning about special events, festivals and performances (72%). and where to stay (68%).


http://www.visitoakpark.com/

Executive Summary

Many trips to the Oak Park appear to have been planned within a relatively short time horizon; almost 6 percent were planned during the trip, 11 percent were planned the day of departure and an additional 15 percent were planned 1 – 6 days in advance. However, 32 percent of the visitors to the Oak Park planned their most recent trip 3 - 8 weeks in advance.

The Explore Oak Park brochure was by far the most important information source for planning a trip to the Area (46%). Midwest Living Magazine (36%), the Illinois Adventure Guide (28%), and the AAA – Chicago Motor Club/Home & Away Magazine (22%) also were popular sources for travel information about the Area.

Almost a quarter (23%) of the respondents stopped at the Oak Park Visitor Center during their most recent trip to the Oak Park Area; 93 percent of those visiting the Center indicated they were very/extremely satisfied with the services they received.

Almost 80 percent of the visitors (78.1%) to the Oak Park indicated they had seen/heard or requested travel information prior to their most recent visit to the Area; 33.6 percent indicated they had decided to visit the Oak Park prior before seeing/requesting the travel information. Importantly, 45 percent indicated they decided to visit the Area after seeing/requesting the information.


Executive Summary

Follow-up questions focused on the impact of the advertising and/or travel information they obtained before or during the trip. The results indicate that 59 percent of those having seen/heard/obtained travel information visited an advertised attraction; 51 percent visited an advertised restaurant; 53 percent visited an advertised store or shop; and, 26 percent visited an advertised event. Perhaps most important, 19 percent of the respondents indicated they stayed at an advertised hotel and 18 percent increased their length of stay in the Area by, on average, 2.0 days.

Analyses were conducted to identify the extent to which were influenced by the travel information; specifically, visitors to the Oak Park Area were segmented into three groups: 1. Those persons not influenced by the travel information they received; 2. Those persons slightly influenced; that is, they visited advertised attractions, restaurants, and/or stores and shops; and 3. Those persons highly influenced by the travel information they received; these individuals include staying at an advertised hotel and/or increasing their length of stay in the Area. Chart 18 shows that almost 24 percent of the Oak Park visitors were not influenced by the travel information received. However, 46 percent indicated they were slightly influenced while an additional 30 percent of Oak Park visitors indicated they were highly influenced by the travel information they received.

The three groups were compared in terms of trip planning, trip characteristics, and demographic characteristics. As can be seen, those more highly influenced by travel information tend to have a much longer planning horizon and tend to spend much more time in the Area which, in turn, translates into substantially higher visitor expenditures; on average, those highly influenced by travel information spent $818 as compared to $387 by those not at all influenced.


Executive Summary

These groups also differed substantially in terms of the sources for travel information. Specifically, those highly influenced were much more likely to use the Explore Oak Park Brochure (66.7% for Highly Influenced vs. 17.6% for those Not Influenced), Midwest Living Magazine (56.7% for Highly Influenced vs. 17.6% for those Not Influenced ) and the Visitor Information Center (39.37% for Highly Influenced vs. 5.6% for those Not Influenced 23.3). In large part the groups showed very similar responses for other travel information sources considered in the study. Differences were also found in terms of the satisfaction level with their experiences in the Area. Those highly influenced tend be extremely satisfied with their visit to the Oak Park Area.

As expected, the large majority of visitors to the Oak Park are from Illinois (45%), and neighboring states of Wisconsin (9.7%); Indiana (10.0), Michigan (6%); and Iowa (4%). Almost all of the visitors own a computer (78%) that is connected to the Internet (88%).

The majority of the respondents are female (67%). A relatively low percent (12%) are 21 – 35 years old; 16 percent are 36 – 45 years old; an additional 29 percent are 46 - 55 years old. Last, 25 percent are 56 - 65 years old while 18 percent of Oak Park visitors are over 65 years old.

Most of the Oak Park visitors are married (73%) but have few children 0 – 17 years old and living at home (64%).

Following from the previous results, the typical household annual income ranged between $40,000 - $$59,999 (29%). However, a high percent of Oak Park Area visitors (29%) reported having total household incomes of $80,000 or higher.


Executive Summary

The implications of these findings are substantial and include:

1. The repeat visitors to the Oak Park offers the basis for building/encouraging “new” behavior such as visiting the Area during the “soft/shoulder” seasons, extending stay or exploring new opportunities. Investment in this group of visitors also poses significant challenges to encourage the local tourism industry to consider on-going innovation in the products/experiences they offer, thereby encouraging visitors to “try new things.”

2. The Bureau can effectively use the Internet as a low cost means with which to communicate with existing and potential visitors.

3. The results of the study document the important role the Bureau plays in providing travel information to existing and potential visitors to the Area.

4. The Bureau’s communication efforts should focus to a great degree on the markets of those persons actually using the travel information. Thus, advertising efforts in nearby markets may not be as effective as more distant markets. Further analyses should be conducted to confirm the geographic/demographic aspects of this segment of the visitor market.


Executive Summary

5. The variety of age groups poses an important challenge to designing effective communication material; however, it is clear that this information must be perceived to be relevant to the particular age group. Also, it appears that Oak Park visitors has the financial means and interest to purchase products -experiences that are high quality and offer “high value for their time and money.”


Study Goals

Tourism marketing has changed considerably over the past two years; intense competition, substantial improvements in technology and reduced budgets create a world never imagined. Importantly, the rapid integration of the Internet into American culture as well as the emergence of direct/relationship marketing indicate that these new media effectively compete with more traditional approaches for the “awareness/information space” of potential visitors. Thus, the issue for most DMOs becomes one of developing a new strategy for effectively and efficiently communicating with potential visitors in this new environment. The goal of this study was to obtain information about visitors to the Area and to evaluate the relative effectiveness of various communication media of the Oak Park Convention and Visitors Bureau during spring and summer, 2002.

This study was conducted using a mail survey focusing on the nature of travel to/through the Oak Park area from January 1 – September 15, 2002. In total, 1,000 individuals were surveyed based upon the names of persons having contacted the Oak Park Convention and Visitor Bureau directly or through a variety of sources including AAA-Home & Away, Midwest Living, and/or Preprint from January 1 through September 15, 2002. The survey was conducted over a four month period and followed a four step process designed to maximize the return rate. This effort resulted in 351 completed responses (as well as 65 bad addresses and insufficient responses) for a 37.5 percent response rate.


Oak Park Travel Behavior

Summary of Findings

A substantial portion of the survey focused on the extent and nature of travel within the Oak Park Area. Specifically, respondents were asked if they had visited the Area since first requesting travel information about Oak Park. The following reports the results of those having traveled at least once since this time.

Almost 47 percent of those surveyed report traveling to the Midwest since requesting travel information about the Oak Park. Of these visitors, 51 percent visited once, 16 percent visited 2 – 3 times and an additional 4.5 percent visited at least 4 times. The average number of trips taken to the Oak Park was 1.1 trips (see Chart 1). Thus, the conversion rate was 33.1 percent.

Most of the trips were short, lasting just 1 day (64%); however, twenty percent (20.3%) of the Oak Park visits were 3 days or longer (see Chart 2). The average length of stay was 1.8 days.

The travel party generally included 2 adults and very few children with many groups comprised of husband/wife (653%) and/or friends/relatives (31%). See Charts 3 and 4.

Chart 5 reports that most trips to the Oak Park Area were considered Weekend Getaways (48%), shopping (25.0%), visiting family/friends (15.2%), and/or festivals or special events (14.3%).

The large majority of visitors to the Oak Park visited using their personal car (84.9.%); 6 percent indicated they used a rental car and an additional 4 percent indicated that an airplane was their primary means of transportation (Chart 6).


Summary of Findings

Almost 63 (62.5%) percent of those visiting the Oak Park Area indicated they stayed overnight. As expected, the large majority stayed in a hotel or motel (74%); 26 percent reported staying with family or friends (see Chart 7a). A significant portion of the overnight visitors stayed in Oak Park (42%) while almost 25 percent indicated they stayed Downtown Chicago. Another group of respondents indicated they stayed somewhere else (31%) and others did not specify and 4 percent did not know where they stayed overnight (see Chart 7b).

The most popular attractions include restaurants (78%), shops, galleries and boutiques (67%), Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio (41%), Brookfield Zoo (33%) and the Guided Walking Tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright homes (see Chart 8).

The average travel party to the Oak Park spent $450 or about $89 per person per day. Of this, about 26 percent ($118) was spent for lodging, 21 percent ($97) for food/restaurants and 33 percent ($151) while shopping. The remaining expenditures were for attractions/festivals ($49) and entertainment ($21) (see Chart 9).

A majority of visitors to the Oak Park Area indicated they had visited the Area prior to their most recent trip (56.8%). About 33 percent of previous visitors had visited only once while 30 indicated they had visited 2 -3 times over the past 5 years. Importantly, many respondents (11.1%) indicated that they had visited the Oak Park Area 11 or more times over the past 5 years (see Chart 10).


Summary of Findings

Respondents were asked a series of questions regarding their degree of satisfaction with their most recent trip to the Oak Park. The results indicate that a large majority (91.1%) were very to extremely satisfied with their visit to the Area. The huge majority indicated they plan to visit again (96%) and that they would recommend the Area to their friends (96%).


Chart 1. Visits to or through the Oak Park Area

4.5

3.1

13.1

50.6

28.8

-5 5 15 25 35 45 55 65

Percent of trips to the Oak Park Area

4 or more visits

3 visits

2 visits

1 visit

None

How many trips included travel to/through theOak Park Area?

Have you taken any pleasure vacation (1 day or longer) since requesting travel information about the

Oak Park Area?

Yes46.5%No

53.5%

Mean Trips = 1.1


Raw Conversion Rate = 33.1%

Source: Oak Park Visitor Survey, 2002 - 2003

63.7

13.4

15.0

5.3

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0

One day

2 days

3 - 4 days

5 days or more

Chart 2. Length of most recent trip to the Oak Park Area

Percent of Visitors to the Oak Park

National Laboratory for Tourism & eCommerceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign

Mean length of stay = 1.8 days

- 16 - Source: Oak Park Visitor Survey, 2002 - 2003

7.2

64.9

27.9

30.6

1.8

0.9

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Traveled alone

Spouse

Children

Friends/relatives

Business associates

Part of a tour group

Chart 3. Party composition during most recent tripto the Oak Park Area

Percent of Visitors to the Oak Park Area



2.0

1.0

11.0

62.0

12.0

15.0

81.4

9.8

5.9

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

ADULTS

1 adult

2 adults

3 adults

4 or more adults

CHILDREN

No chilren

1 child

2 kids

3 kids

4 or more kids

Chart 4. Number of adults and children during most recent trip to the Oak Park Area



Av. number of adults = 2.5 adults

Av. number of children = 0.3 children


48.2

14.3

15.2

3.6

25.0

6.3

1.8

4.5

18.8

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0

Vacation/w eekend getaw ay

Festivals or special event

Visit family or friends

Sports event/tournamemt

Shopping

Convention or trade show

Business meeting

Individual business

Other

Chart 5. Nature of most recent trip to the Oak Park Area




84.9

5.7

1.9

1.9

3.8

0.9

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0

Personal car

Rental car

CTA/Pace

Train

Airplane

Other

Chart 6. Means of arrival into the Oak Park Area


National Laboratory for Tourism & eCommerceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign- 20 - Source: Oak Park Visitor Survey, 2002 - 2003

73.8

3.0

26.2

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Hotel/motel

Bed & Breakfast

Family/friends

Chart 7a. Type of overnight accommodation during most recent trip to the Oak Park Area

Percent of Overnight Visitors to Oak Park


62.5% stayed overnight during trip to the Oak

Park Area


41.5

24.6

30.8

3.9

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Oak Park Area

Chicago/Dow ntow n

Other

Not specif ied/Don't know

Chart 7b. Location of overnight accommodation during most recent trip to the Oak Park Area

Percent of Overnight Visitors to the Oak Park Area


4.0

4.0

67.0

78.0

9.1

41.0

23.0

17.0

13.0

13.0

3.0

13.0

33.0

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Did not visit any Area attractions

Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio

Guided w alking tour of FLW homes

Unity Temple

Hemingw ay Museum

Hemingw ay Birthplace

Pleasant Home/Historical Society

Oak Park Conseratory

Brookfield Zoo

Cernan Earth & Space Museum

Oak Park Visitors Center Walking Tour

Shops, galleries, boutiques

Restaurants

Chart 8. Most popular attractions visited during most recent trip to the Oak Park Area



$118

$97

$49

$21

$151

$4

$17

$450

$- $50 $100 $150 $200 $250 $300 $350 $400 $450 $500

Lodging

Meals/restaurants

Attractions/festivals

Entertainment

Shopping (other than food)

Local Transportation

Other

Total Trip Expenditure

Chart 9. Average travel party expenditures during most recent trip to the Oak Park Area


Av. Immediate party size = 2.8 persons

Av. Length of stay = 1.8 days


Chart 10. Previous visits to the Oak Park Area

11.1

15.8

9.5

30.2

33.3

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Percent of Previous Visitors to the Oak Park Area

11 or more visits

6 - 10 visits

4 - 5 visits

2 - 3 visits

1 visit

How many trips in past 5 years?

Have you visited the Oak Park Area before this trip?

Yes56.8%

No43.2%

Mean Visits = 4.7


3.8

96.2

1.0

7.8

52.9

38.2

96.3

3.7

0 20 40 60 80 100

LEVEL OF SATISFACTION

Not at all satisfied

Somew hat satisfied

Moderately satisfied

Extremely satisfied

PLAN TO VISIT AGAIN

Yes

No

ENCOURAGE OTHERS?

Yes

No

Chart 11. Satisfaction with most recent trip to the Oak Park Area



Oak Park Advertising/travel Information Effectiveness

Summary of Findings

A important goal of the study was to assess the impact of the advertising/promotional material provided by the Oak Park Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. The following summarizes the results of this effort.

As expected, almost all (92%) of the respondents indicated they received the information they requested. Sixty-one percent of the respondents contacted the Oak Park Area Convention and Visitors Bureau via reader response, 31 percent through mail, 7 percent used the telephone and 6 percent using its website www.visitoakpark.com; 8 percent indicated they used some other means for contacting the Bureau (see Chart 12a). Midwest Living Magazine was the most popular source for inquiries for travel information (see Chart 12b).

Respondents were asked to evaluate the helpfulness of the information they received from the Oak Park Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Most considered the travel information they received very to extremely helpful in planning their trip to the Area. In particular, the travel material was helpful in terms of what to see and do (82%). This material was also considered helpful in deciding where to eat (78%), providing directions (73%), learning about special events, festivals and performances (72%). and where to stay (68%) (see Chart 13).

Many trips to the Oak Park appear to have been planned within a relatively short time horizon; almost 6 percent were planned during the trip, 11 percent were planned the day of departure and an additional 15 percent were planned 1 – 6 days in advance. However, 32 percent of the visitors to the Oak Park planned their most recent trip 3 - 8 weeks in advance (see Chart 14).


http://www.visitoakpark.com/

Summary of Findings

The Explore Oak Park brochure was by far the most important information source for planning a trip to the Area (46%). Midwest Living Magazine (36%), the Illinois Adventure Guide (28%), and the AAA – Chicago Motor Club/Home & Away Magazine (22%) also were popular sources for travel information about the Area (see Chart 15a).

Almost a quarter (23%) of the respondents stopped at the Oak Park Visitor Center during their most recent trip to the Oak Park Area; 93 percent of those visiting the Center indicated they were very/extremely satisfied with the services they received (see Chart 15b).

Almost 80 percent of the visitors (78.1%) to the Oak Park indicated they had seen/heard or requested travel information prior to their most recent visit to the Area; 33.6 percent indicated they had decided to visit the Oak Park prior before seeing/requesting the travel information. Importantly, 45 percent indicated they decided to visit the Area after seeing/requesting the information (see Chart 16).

Follow-up questions focused on the impact of the advertising and/or travel information they obtained before or during the trip. The results indicate that 59 percent of those having seen/heard/obtained travel information visited an advertised attraction; 51 percent visited an advertised restaurant; 53 percent visited an advertised store or shop; and, 26 percent visited an advertised event. Perhaps most important, 19 percent of the respondents indicated they stayed at an advertised hotel and 18 percent increased their length of stay in the Area by, on average, 2.0 days (see Chart 17).


Summary of Findings

Analyses were conducted to identify the extent to which were influenced by the travel information; specifically, visitors to the Oak Park Area were segmented into three groups: 1. Those persons not influenced by the travel information they received; 2. Those persons slightly influenced; that is, they visited advertised attractions, restaurants, and/or stores and shops; and 3. Those persons highly influenced by the travel information they received; these individuals include staying at an advertised hotel and/or increasing their length of stay in the Area. Chart 18 shows that almost 24 percent of the Oak Park visitors were not influenced by the travel information received. However, 46 percent indicated they were slightly influenced while an additional 30 percent of Oak Park visitors indicated they were highly influenced by the travel information they received.

The three groups were compared in terms of trip planning, trip characteristics, and demographic characteristics. The results of these analyses are reported in Charts 19 – 23. As can be seen, those more highly influenced by travel information tend to have a much longer planning horizon (Chart 19) and tend to spend much more time in the Area (see Chart 20) which, in turn, translates into substantially higher visitor expenditures (see Chart 21); on average, those highly influenced by travel information spent $818 as compared to $387 by those not at all influenced.


Summary of Findings

These groups also differed substantially in terms of the sources for travel information. Specifically, those highly influenced were much more likely to use the Explore Oak Park Brochure (66.7% for Highly Influenced vs. 17.6% for those Not Influenced), Midwest Living Magazine (56.7% for Highly Influenced vs. 17.6% for those Not Influenced ) and the Visitor Information Center (39.37% for Highly Influenced vs. 5.6% for those Not Influenced 23.3). In large part the groups showed very similar responses for other travel information sources considered in the study (see Chart 22).

Differences were also found in terms of the satisfaction level with their experiences in the Area. As shown in Chart 23, those highly influenced tend be extremely satisfied with their visit to the Oak Park Area.


6.3

2.8

8.2

92.2

7.8

7.6

30.6

60.9

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

RECEIPT OF TRAVEL INFORMATION?

Yes

No

MEANS OF ACCESS TO TOURISM OFFICE?

Telephone

Mail

Publications

Website

Email

Other

Chart 12a. Receipt of travel information about Oak Park

Percent of Persons Receiving Oak Park Travel Information


55.4

5.7

25.9

6.2

13.5

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Midwest Living

Holiday Guide

Illinois Adventure Guide

Ladies Home Journal

Better Home & Gardens

Chart 12b. Publications used to requesttravel information about Oak Park



82.2

68.4

72.5

73

72.8

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0

HOW HELPFUL WAS THE INFO.IN TERMS OF THE FOLLOWING...

What to see and do?

Where to stay?

Special events, festivals, orperformances?

Where to eat?

Local map for directions?

Chart 13. Percent Considering Oak Park travel information Moderately/Extremely Helpful



5.7

11.4

15.2

13.3

32.4

16.2

4.8

1.0

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0

Planned during the trip

Day of departure

1 - 6 days

1 - 2 weeks

3 - 8 weeks

2 - 3 months

4 - 6 months

More than 6 months

Chart 14. Planning horizon for most recent tripto the Oak Park Area



13.6

3.6

3.6

46.4

10.9

28.2

36.4

2.7

12.7

21.8

16.4

13.6

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Explore Oak Park Brochure

Ad in newspaper insert

Illinois Adventure Guide

Midwest Living Magazine

Midwest Living/Best Vacations

Chicagoland Travel Ideas

AAA - Chicago Motor Club/Home & Away

Chicago Offical Visitor Guide

Internet (www.visitoakpark.com)

Chicagoland call center (1-877 Chicago)

McCormick Place/Navy Pier

Other

Chart 15a. Sources for information to plan/guide most recent trip to the Oak Park Area



10.0

22.9

77.1

43.3

40.0

3.3

3.3

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

DID YOU STOP AT OAK PARK VISITOR CENTER?

Yes

No

HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH THE SERVICES YOU RECEIVED?

Extremely Satisfied

Very Satisfied

Somewhat Satisfied

Not Satisfied

Not at all Satisfied

Chart 15b. Visitation at Oak Park Visitor Center during recent trip to the Oak Park Area



78.1

21.9

33.6

44.5

21.9

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

DID YOU SEE/HEAR OR OBTAINTRAVEL INFORMATION?

Yes

No

Before seeing/requestinginformation

After seeing/requesting travelinformation

Did not see or request travelinformation

Chart 16. Timing of decision to visit the Oak Park Area



18.3

58.9

51.4

25.7

52.8

19.2

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Increase length of stay

Visit an advertised attraction

Visit an advertised restaurant

Attend an advertised event

Visit an advertised store or shop

Stay in an advertised hotel

Chart 17. Aspects of most recent trip to the Oak Park Area Influenced by travel information

Percent of Visitors to Oak Park having seen/heard or obtained travel information


24.3

45.9

29.7

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Not influenced

Slightly Influenced: Visitedadvertised attractions,restaurants, event, or

store/shop

Highly Influenced: Visitedadvertised attractions,

increased stay and stayed atadvertised hotel

Chart 18. Levels of influence of most recent tripto the Oak Park Area



16.0

28.0

14.0

2.0

0.0

3.7

3.7

14.8

37.0

25.9

0.0

0.0

18.8

18.8

0.0

12.5

18.8

12.5

12.5

6.3

20.0

16.0

4.0

14.8

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0

P lanned during trip

Day of departure

1 - 6 days

1 - 2 weeks

3 - 8 weeks

2 - 3 months

4 - 6 months

More than 6 months

Not Influenced

Somewhat Influenced

Highly Influenced

Chart 19. Comparing levels of influence: Planning Horizon

Percent of Visitors to Oak Park


68.0

2.0

27.6

13.8

13.5

83.3

0.0

11.0

5.6

12.0

16.0

31.0

0 20 40 60 80 100

1 day

2 days

3 days

4 days or longer

Not Influenced

Somewhat Influenced

Highly Influenced

Chart 20. Comparing levels of influence: Length of Visit to the Oak Park Area



$387

$290

$818

$- $100 $200 $300 $400 $500 $600 $700 $800 $900

Not influenced

Somewhat Influenced: Visitedadvertised attractions,restaurants, event, or

store/shop

Highly Influenced: Visitedadvertised attractions,

increased stay and stayed atadvertised hotel

Chart 21. Comparing levels of influence: Average total expenditures during most recent trip

to the Oak Park Area

Average Total Expenditure by Visitors to Oak Park


20.0

17.6

17.6

5.9

34.0

48.0

39.3

56.7

66.7

0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0

Explore Oak P arkBrochure

Midwest LivingMagazine

Visitor InformationCenter

Not Influenced

Somewhat Influenced

Highly Influenced

Chart 22. Comparing levels of influence: Sources for Travel Information to Plan Trip to Oak Park Area



0.0

4.2

0.0

10.0

43.3

6.7

6.7

66.7

20.0

39.6

56.3

46.7

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0

Not at all satisfied

Somewhat satisfied

Moderately satisfied

Extremely satisfied

Not Influenced

Somewhat Influenced

Highly Influenced

Chart 23. Comparing levels of influence: Satisfaction with Visit to Oak Park Area



Demographic Characteristics of Visitors to the Oak Park

Summary of Findings

An important secondary goal of the study was to identify the demographic characteristics of visitors to the Oak Park Area. The following summarizes the results of this aspect of the study.

As expected, the large majority of visitors to the Oak Park are from Illinois (45%), and neighboring states of Wisconsin (9.7%); Indiana (10.0), Michigan (6%); and Iowa (4%) (See Chart 24). Almost all of the visitors own a computer (78%) that is connected to the Internet (88%).

The majority of the respondents are female (67%). Chart 26 shows a large range in age among the visitors; 12 percent are 21 – 35 years old; 16 percent are 36 – 45 years old; an additional 29 percent are 46 - 55 years old. Last, 25 percent are 56 - 65 years old while 18 percent of Oak Park visitors are over 65 years old.

Most of the Oak Park visitors are married (73%) but have few children 0 – 17 years old and living at home (64%) (See Chart 27).

Following from the previous results, the typical household annual income ranged between $40,000 - $$59,999 (29%). However, a high percent of Oak Park Area visitors (29%) reported having total household incomes of $80,000 or higher (see Chart 28).


45.3

9.7

4.8

10.0

4.0

7.7

3.7

2.6

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Illinois

Wisconsin

Michigan

Indiana

Iowa

Ohio

Minnesota

Missouri

Chart 24. State of Residence of visitorsto the Oak Park Area



77.8

22.3

87.7

12.3

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

OWNERSHIP OF COMPUTER

Yes

No

CONNECTION TO INTERNET

Yes

No

Chart 25. Computer ownership and Internet access of visitors to the Oak Park Area



25.0

17.5

67.3

32.7

0.6

12.3

15.7

28.9

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

GENDER

Female

Male

AGE

Under 21 years

21 - 35 years

36 - 45 years

46 - 55 years

56 - 65 years

Over 65 years

Chart 26. Gender and Age of visitorsto the Oak Park Area



1.2

72.8

27.2

72.4

11.5

12.4

2.5

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

MARITAL STATUS

Married

Not married

NUMBER OF CHILDREN (0-17)

0

1

2

3

4 or more

Chart 27. Marital status and number of children at home of visitors to the Oak Park Area



9.3

16.1

28.7

16.5

13.3

16.1

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Less than $20,000

$20,000 - $39,999

$40,000 - $59,999

$60,000 - $79,999

$80,000 - $99,999

$100,000 and above

Chart 28. Total annual household income of visitorsto the Oak Park Area



Implications

Implications

The central goal of this study was to assess the nature of the Oak Park Area visitor market and to evaluate, in part, the effectiveness of its communication efforts so that the Bureau can develop a more effective marketing program. The following summarizes the important findings of the study and interprets these results within the context of these goals.

Finding #1

A large proportion of the Oak Park Area visitor market is very knowledgeable of the Oak Park Area and very satisfied with travel experiences in the Area.

Implications

Repeat visitors to the Oak Park Area offer the basis for building/encouraging “new” behavior such as visiting the Area during the “soft/shoulder” seasons, extending stay or exploring new opportunities. Investment in this group of visitors also poses significant challenges to encourage the local tourism industry to consider on-going innovation in the products/experiences they offer, thereby encouraging visitors to “try new things.”


Implications

Finding #2

Almost all of the visitors have access to the Internet and many use it for travel planning activities.

Implications

This finding suggests that the Bureau can use the Internet as a low cost means with which to communicate with existing and potential visitors.

Finding #3

Many of the visitors to the Oak Park were significantly influenced by the travel information they received and those who use Bureau information have greater economic impact on the Area.

Implications

This finding documents the important role the Bureau plays in providing travel information to existing and potential visitors to the Area.


Implications

Finding #4

Segmenting the Oak Park visitor market by Information Impact indicates that those persons actively using travel information is potentially a very important target market in that they actually use the information provided by the Bureau to make their travel plans.

Implications

The Bureau’s communication efforts should focus to a great degree on the markets of those persons more likely to actively use travel information. Further analyses should be conducted to confirm the geographic/demographic aspects of this segment of the visitor market.

Finding #5

The demographics of the Oak Park visitor market suggest that there is not a “typical visitor.” That is, there is a wide range in the ages of the visitors. However, most do not have children at home and most have moderate to high annual household incomes.

Implications

The variety of age groups poses an important challenge to designing effective communication material; however, it is clear that the Bureau must seek to develop informational programs and destination-related products to attract the various groups.


Methodology

Methodology

Survey design and implementation was directed by Dr. Daniel R. Fesenmaier in cooperation with the Oak Park Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. The study was conducted using a mail survey. The survey consisted of 29 questions which focused on the nature of travel to/through Illinois from January 1 – September 15, 2002 by all members of the household; the potential impact of travel related information on travel to/through the Area; and the demographic characteristics of the Oak Park Area visitors.

A sample of 1,000 inquiries were surveyed to evaluate the traveler response to the promotion program of the Oak Park Area Convention and Visitors Bureau; this information will provide the basis for the conversion analysis. The survey was conducted over a four month period; the initial mail out was on October 18, 2002 and responses were accepted through February 15, 2003. The survey methodology followed a four step process designed to maximize the return rate. First, 1,000 persons were mailed a survey kit which included a cover letter, a survey and a postage paid return envelope. One week later all respondents were mailed a postcard to remind them to complete and return the survey and/or to thank them for participating in the study. Third, all non-respondents were sent a survey kit two weeks later. Finally, non-respondents were sent another survey kit following the Christmas Holiday Season (January 8, 2003). Respondents were offered an incentive to participate in the study. This effort resulted in 351 completed responses (as well as 65 bad addresses and insufficient responses) for a 37.5 percent response rate.


analysis of the oak park travel market

Documents