Reports Now Available!
FREE REPORTS:
Arts, Tourism, and Cultural Diplomacy
Excerpted from Arts in America: Arts, Culture, and the Future of America’s Communities
Published by Americans for the Arts. Download HERE
MANDALA RESEARCH REPORTS:
American Travelers’ Interest in Black Heritage and Culture
The African American Traveler Report
As a follow-up to our report in 2010, this study of over 1,700 African American travelers takes a deep dive not only into demographics and trip planning behavior, but also into activities and interests. We also revisit our segmentation analysis analyzing the “cultural” African American traveler, one of the most valuable audiences for travel marketers. In addition we review the dynamic Family Reunion traveler and travelers who also travel for business.
Discounts are available for Universities and partner organizations.
The Role of Sustainability in Travel and Tourism
This 80+ page study of 2292 travelers goes beyond the environmental definition of sustainability to take a closer look at the other three legs of the sustainability stool namely social, economic and governance. The research specifically gauges how significant sustainable practices are to travelers and how travelers perceive sustainability.
The report which segments sustainable travelers from general leisure travelers assesses the value and impact of sustainability on travelers by understanding traveler expectations and their propensity to support destinations and travel companies that implement sustainable practices. The study was undertaken with our partner Sustainable Travel International. The objectives of the study were:
- To examine traveler expectations, definitions of sustainability, and propensity to visit destinations and support travel companies that contribute to the social, environmental and economic well-being of host communities
- To take a closer look at all key components of sustainability, specifically, environmental, social, cultural, economic and governance
- To demonstrate the role of travel and tourism in protecting the environmental, economic and social fabric of destinations globally
- To engage participants in a collaborative approach to generating the most in-depth and insightful analysis on the value, demand for, and return on investment of sustainability.
The 2013 Cultural and Heritage Traveler Report
The 2013 Cultural and Heritage Traveler report identifies the broad range of cultural and heritage travel in the United States, profiles the various segments of cultural travelers, and provides insight into their economic value to travel companies and destinations.
Not only does this report detail all that destination marketers need to know about this high-value segment of travelers, it uses the benchmark data from the first Cultural and Heritage Study to highlight trends and reveal shifts in travel behaviors and preferences since 2009 when that study was conducted.
This study also includes data and insights related to devices travelers use for travel research, booking and finding information while traveling.
Key data and insights in this report include:
- Psychographics & Demographics
- Trip planning and travel behavior
- Devices used to research, book and find information while traveling
- Levels of involvement in cultural activities and overlap across activities
- Traveler’s definition of “cultural” activities and travel and its importance
- Generational differences in cultural travel preferences (Millennial, Gen X, and Boomers)
- Overall economic value of this segment to the marketplace
Click HERE to download a free summary!
The American Culinary Traveler Report
The findings included in this 130 page report enable destination marketers, tourism authorities, CVBs and others to surgically target the right culinary traveler for them. Details include activities, motivators, behaviors, types of culinary traveler, trip related data, spending, information source used of trip planning and booking, and social media usage.
Click HERE to download a free summary!
The Gender Report
The Gender Report will help travel Marketers craft mesages precisely based on distinct differences bewteen men and women when it comes to travel decison-making.
The Gender Report was released January 6, 2014.
Wine and Culinary Traveler Report
Culinary travelers, defined as those who travel for unique and memorable eating or drinking experiences, make up roughly one-fifth of the U.S. leisure traveling population. Compared to the average leisure traveler, wine and culinary travelers are more affluent, better educated, and take part in more activities while traveling, making this a large, active, and lucrative market for destinations and other travel marketers. In addition to providing a detailed demographic profile of these travelers, this report on the wine and culinary traveler provides specific characteristics of the trips they take, including the amount of money they spend, the other activities they engage in while traveling, and the most popular destinations for wine and culinary travel. Sponsored by Gourmet, Edge Research and the International Culinary Tourism Association. Released January 2007.
LGBT Travelers Study
This groundbreaking study examines lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) travelers’ preferences, attitudes, spending patterns, and behaviors on leisure trips (domestic and international), and shows how these diverge from those of heterosexual travelers. This study also identifies the print, online, and broadcast media sources that are influential in LGBT individuals’ leisure travel planning, and examines their awareness and attraction to “gay-friendly” destinations, lodging, cruise lines, airlines, car rental companies, and other travel service providers. Sponsored by Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications. Released December 2006.
Social Media Usage Among Leisure Travelers
Learn what social networking sites leisure travelers in the US are using for travel and how they share information following their trips. This nationally representative study of 1,000 leisure travelers includes usage of social networking sites, attitudes toward social networking and the group sharing experience, data on trip planning behavior, the process of choosing a destination, hotel brand usage, leisure activities, business travel. Other topic areas covered in the report include:
- Use of traditional media (publications)
- Trip planning behavior
- Booking mechanisms
- Number of business and leisure trips in the past 12 months
- Number of international trips
- Travel party composition
- States and cities visited on last leisure trip
- Accommodations
- Transportation
- Hotel brands used
- Activities participated in during travel
- Trip spending
- Economic impact
- and More!
A full list of topics is available upon request.
Project 85 – The Drive Market
According to the US Travel Association, the drive market represents 85% of the one billion overnight trips taken in the U.S.
This report provides travel, tourism, location-based content, mapping and navigation organizations with the data they need to better understand the travel behavior of this increasingly important segment of the marketplace. From planning and booking tools to hotel preferences, this study provides comprehensive information for addressing these travelers’ needs increasing your market share, and increasing travel spend.
This study has both a consumer and industry component, to provide readers with a comprehensive view of the drive market and how industry is responding.
Component I - Consumer Survey
This is an online survey with 1,000 consumers who have taken one or more leisure trips 50+ miles from home OR requiring an overnight stay in the past 12 months. Some component of the trip included a car. The survey is a nationally representative sampling of adults 18 years or older.
The general areas of study in the consumer survey includes:
- Planning behavior, including websites, blogs, photos/videos, other social media, as well as offline tools, such as maps, guidebooks, etc.;
- Frequency of trips with air as the primary mode of transportation, but with a drive component on the destination end;
- Use of mapping, content, online travel sites, ticketing sites, etc.;
- Booking behavior; channel choice and preferences, plus booking window by length of trip;
- Satisfaction with planning and booking tools; are they meeting travelers’ needs?;
- Destination preferences for drive trips;
- Preferences that vary by type of trip and mode of transportation;
- Use of mobile devices, including GPS and smartphone;
- Hotel brand preference;
- Vacation rental ownership and usage;
- Responsiveness to various offers and discounts;
- Demographics; with a section focused on the differences for the 50+ market
- Overall economic value of the drive market
Component II - Industry Survey
This component of the research will include online surveys among executives from a wide range of segments of the travel industry.
This component of the research provides insight into:
- Marketing and advertising strategies they use to reach the drive market;
- Their assessment of the success of their strategies;
- Online tools they have used to reach this market;
- Their assessment of the value of the drive market to their business.
The 2009 Cultural & Heritage Traveler Study
- Psychographics & Demographics
- Travel behavior
- Levels of involvement in cultural activities and overlap across activities
- Traveler’s definition of “cultural” activities and travel and its importance
- Trip planning behavior
- Generational differences in cultural travel preferences (Millennial, Gen X, and Boomers)
- Overall economic value of this segment to the marketplace
A bound printed report is available upon request for an additional $95 per copy.
The International Emerging Market Report 2011
The study polled inbound travelers to the US who had visited within the past twelve months on their overall itineraries and specifically on their shopping plans. The initial findings detail key trends amongst the Top 5 emerging/growth markets as identified by the DOC including visitors from Australia, Brazil, China, India, and Korea where DOC projects arrivals growth from 15 percent to 40 percent within the next three years.
Shopping is a key driver for these travelers in their choice of the U.S. as a destination, with a majority (56%) saying shopping was the key reason they took the trip or it helped them choose among destinations. In addition, these travelers purchased more than the twice the amount they had planned to purchase while shopping in the U.S.
Additional Key Findings:
• Key Activities.
• Brand Awareness.
• Top Retailer.
• What are they buying?
• Use of Technology
According to Laura Mandala, travel industry consultant and former executive with the U.S. Travel Association, “The findings support the thesis that travel barriers to the U.S. should be eliminated in order for the economy to benefit from the infusion these travelers can have on the U.S. marketplace.”
African American Traveler Report
This study examines African American traveller preferences, motivations, attitudes, spending patterns, and behaviors on leisure trips in the United States and shows how these diverge from the total leisure travel population. Segmentation of the market into three distinct groups provides further insight into this lucrative yet largely untapped traveller market. This study also identifies the print, online, and broadcast media sources that are influential in African American individuals’ leisure travel planning, and examines topics of interest, awareness and attraction to African American culture and heritage destinations, lodging, and other travel service providers. Sponsored by US Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council, Shop America Alliance, the state of Louisiana, Texas A&M, the City of Baltimore, The Henry Ford Museum, and the Museum Store Association.