Tourism Profile
How do we know that tourists are going to visit Indian Country?
Tourism
is Montana’s 2nd Largest Industry, Generating $1.7 Billion per Year
History & Culture are
the #1 Attraction: 65% of all U.S. travelers include heritage/cultural
experiences on their vacations; segment is more educated/affluent than average
traveler
Rural
places are Appealing: 62% of all U.S. adults visited small town/village; 33%
took kids
Festivals Attract 1/5 of all Travelers, esp. Young Families: most popular
events are music, ethnic/folk/heritage, county/state fairs, parades, food
festivals and religious festivals
(Source: Big Sky
Value…Montana Tourism & Recreation Strategic Plan 2003-2007)
What can we expect from tourists?
Most
tourists are non-residents of Montana; approximately 9.6 million nonresident
visitors came to Montana in 2001
Nonresidents spent
$1.7 billion in Montana in 2001; $1.2 billion for retail items, restaurant &
beverage, and gas and groceries
Tourists
ate 110,000,000 meals in Montana, or 2.1 million week in 2001
Tourists Shop ‘Til
They Drop: #1 activity of leisure travelers (63% shop), 1-in-5 spend $500+
Packaged
Niche Products are Key to Success: travelers want experiences tailored to
their tastes
Women Make the
Decisions: women make 75% of all travel decisions; top concerns are safety,
hygiene, “creature comforts,” shopping, convenience (“one call,” all-inclusive
packages)
Family
Values are Back (Families are Blended & Multi-Generational): family travel is
up; seek value for the money, variety of things to do, activities designed
(and packaged) for kids
Europeans Spend Five
Times More Time & Money: $1,530/trip; like rural places, off-peak times
(Source: Big Sky Value…Montana Tourism & Recreation Strategic Plan 2003-2007)
What kinds of experiences do Tourists want?
Most
tourists want to play it safe. We live in an unstable world, they want a
stable and reassuring experience.
Many tourists are
middle/upper class, they have acquired much material wealth; however their
lives may lack real meaning, they are looking for meaningful, non-material,
important experiences.
On the
flip side, these affluent tourists are very willing to spend money on the
little pleasures in life and high quality amenities.
Tourists are looking
for an authentic product or service; they often use the internet to research a
product to ensure reliability and authenticity.
Good
Service is the #1 Expectation of Tourists: They have high expectations and
will not tolerate bad service.
Flexibility. There
are many different types of tourists. One size does not fit all.
Simplicity. Tourists want experiences that are low stress, but not boring,
time effective, but not hurried.
(Source: The Power of Packaging, Trends, Tools & Techniques by The Opportunity
Guy)
