NEW HAMPSHIRE VISITOR SURVEY
Spring, 2008
Background/Methodology
In an effort to continue developing demographic, activity, and expenditure profiles of New Hampshire visitors, the Division of Travel and Tourism Development (DTTD) embarked on collecting such information using new survey research methodologies. Unlike the efforts of previous years which relied on distributing printed survey instruments at various locations across the State and having recipients mail back completed forms, a decision was made to move to an online survey methodology using “panels” developed by an independent research firm - Global Market Insite (GMI).
This report summarizes visitor data for the Spring 2008 season based on visits to New Hampshire during the months of March, April, and May 2008. For survey purposes, a “stratified” sample was employed among residents of the nine (9) Northeast states as follows:
● New England – MA (100), CT (70), RI (70), NH (50), ME (50), VT (50)
● Mid-Atlantic – NY (70), NJ (70), PA (70)
The report format will be to present survey data for each of these two major markets differentiating between Overnight and “Day-Only” visitors (those not staying overnight in New Hampshire). Because of the survey sampling method employed, the reader is cautioned about extrapolating survey results to “all New Hampshire visitors” since the survey included only respondents from a specified number of people in specified states. Readers are also cautioned about the relatively small sample size for day visitors from Mid-Atlantic states (29).
A copy of the survey instrument utilized is included in the Appendix.
Research Highlights
A review of the survey data contained in this report indicates that, compared to their New England counterparts, overnight visitors from the Mid-Atlantic states:
● were more apt to have their trip planned by a male
● reported noticeably higher annual household incomes
● reported much greater incidence of “first-time” visits
● cited “pleasure/vacation” noticeably more as a primary purpose of their visit
● mentioned activities such as “historic sites/museums/galleries”, “state parks/national forests”, and “golfing” more frequently
● reported fewer average number of visits during the Summer 2007 (2.3 vs 3.8)
● were much more likely to be traveling as part of a group tour (10% vs. 3%)
● reported higher incidence of staying overnight (86% vs 57%)
● were more apt to stay in hotels/motels as well as “state/federal campgrounds” and “resort/spas”
● reportedly spent considerably more per travel party or per person/per day in NH (an average of 60-90%)
VISITOR DEMOGRAPHICS
Age Group of Decision Maker
As indicated in Table 1, decision makers for overnight visitors were reportedly somewhat younger than their “day-only” counterparts.
Table 1Distribution of Decision Makers by Age Group
New Engl. / New Engl. / MidAtlant. / MidAtlant.
Overnight / Day-Only / Overnight / Day-Only
Age Group / (n= 238) / (n=177) / (n=182) / (n=29)
18 - 24 / 14.3 / 7.9 / 13.7 / 13.8
25 - 34 / 27.7 / 24.9 / 34.6 / 27.6
35 - 44 / 20.2 / 22.6 / 17.6 / -
45 - 54 / 20.2 / 22.6 / 19.8 / 20.7
55 - 64 / 14.3 / 15.8 / 12.6 / 31.0
65 or older / 3.3 / 6.2 / 1.7 / 6.9
Total / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0
Gender of Decision Maker
Respondents were asked to indicate the gender of the person most responsible for planning their trip to New Hampshire. As can be seen in Table 2, females were more apt to play such a role among New England respondents. Among Mid-Atlantic respondents, however, males reportedly assumed a greater role in trip planning.
Table 2Gender of Decision-Maker
New Engl. / New Engl. / MidAtlant. / MidAtlant.
Overnight / Day-Only / Overnight / Day-Only
Gender / (n=239) / (n=177) / (n=182) / (n=29)
Male / 36.8 / 27.7 / 48.9 / 48.3
Female / 44.4 / 55.4 / 39.0 / 31.0
Joint Decision / 18.8 / 16.9 / 12.1 / 20.7
Total / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0
Income Group
Table 3 presents the distribution of visitors by annual household income groups. As can be seen, incomes are noticeably higher for overnight visitors and those residing in Mid-Atlantic states.
Table 3Distribution of Visitors by Annual Household Income
New Engl. / New Engl. / MidAtlant. / MidAtlant.
Overnight / Day-Only / Overnight / Day-Only
Income Group / (n=238) / (n=177) / (n=181) / (n=29)
Less than $35,000 / 14.7 / 20.8 / 9.9 / -
$35,000 - $49,999 / 19.3 / 23.7 / 13.3 / 21.4
$50,000 - $74,999 / 23.1 / 14.7 / 20.4 / 35.7
$75,000 - $99,999 / 20.2 / 21.5 / 23.2 / 25.0
$100,000 - $149,999 / 18.5 / 15.3 / 24.3 / 10.7
$150,000 or more / 4.2 / 4.0 / 8.7 / 7.2
Total / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0
TRIP CHARACTERISTICS
First Visit?
Respondents were asked if this was their first visit to New Hampshire. As indicated in Table 4, first-visit incidence was much greater for those visiting from Mid-Atlantic states.
Table 4Incidence of First Visit
New Engl. / New Engl. / MidAtlant. / MidAtlant.
Overnight / Day-Only / Overnight / Day-Only
(n=239) / (n=178) / (n=182) / (n=29)
% Responding "Yes" / 7.9 / 2.8 / 34.1 / 13.8
Type of Transportation
As noted in Table 5, the vast majority of visitors reportedly arrived by automobile. The only noticeable evidence of other modes of transportation (airplane) was observed amongst visitors from Mid-Atlantic states.
Table 5Primary Mode of Transportation
New Engl. / New Engl. / MidAtlant. / MidAtlant.
Overnight / Day-Only / Overnight / Day-Only
Transportation Mode / (n=239) / (n=178) / (n=182) / (n=29)
Automobile / 95.8 / 97.2 / 82.4 / 86.3
Airplane / .8 / .6 / 9.3 / 6.9
Bus / 1.3 / 1.1 / 6.0 / 3.4
Other / 2.1 / 1.1 / 2.2 / 3.4
Total / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0
Primary Purpose of Trip
Respondents were provided a list and asked to indicate the primary purpose of their trip to New Hampshire. Table 6 summarizes the responses which indicate that “pleasure (vacation)” and “visit friends/relatives” top the list.
Table 6Primary Purpose of Trip
New Engl. / New Engl. / MidAtlant. / MidAtlant.
Overnight / Day-Only / Overnight / Day-Only
Primary Purpose / (n=239) / (n=178) / (n=182) / (n=29)
Pleasure (vacation) / 29.7 / 12.4 / 45.1 / 27.6
Visit friends/relatives / 35.1 / 26.4 / 32.4 / 31.0
Outdoor recreation / 10.9 / 9.6 / 2.7 / 6.9
Event (fair/festival, sports/concert) / 8.8 / 4.5 / 1.6 / 10.3
Business / 6.3 / 11.8 / 8.8 / 17.2
Personal (graduation/wedding/medical) / 4.6 / 10.7 / 7.7 / -
Other* / 4.6 / 24.6 / 1.7 / 6.9
Total / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0
* Primarily “shopping”
Activities
Respondents were provided a list of activities and asked to check all that they may have participated in while on their trip. Table 7 presents the specifics indicating that those activities most-often reported were “sightseeing”, “shopping”, and “scenic drives”. It was noticeable that “historic sites/museums/galleries”, “state parks/national forests”, and “golfing” were mentioned noticeably more frequently by overnight visitors from Mid-Atlantic states than their counterparts from New England.
Table 7Activities Reported
New Engl. / New Engl. / MidAtlant. / MidAtlant.
Overnight / Day-Only / Overnight / Day-Only
Activity / (n=239) / (n=178) / (n=182) / (n=29)
Sightseeing / 51.5 / 20.8 / 70.9 / 51.7
Shopping / 67.4 / 65.7 / 63.2 / 44.8
Scenic Drives / 46.0 / 20.8 / 48.9 / 44.8
Beaches (lake, ocean) / 27.2 / 16.3 / 25.8 / 17.2
State Park/National Forest / 26.4 / 5.6 / 39.6 / 10.3
Camping/hiking / 24.7 / 6.2 / 22.5 / 6.9
Theme/amusement park / 10.0 / 2.8 / 14.8 / 3.4
Wildlife watching / 14.6 / 3.4 / 19.2 / 13.8
Boating / 11.3 / 1.7 / 15.4 / -
Historic sites/museums/galleries / 14.6 / - / 31.3 / 17.2
Concerts/fairs/festivals / 15.1 / 1.7 / 20.3 / -
Other outdoor recreation / 11.3 / 6.2 / 9.3 / 3.4
Sporting event / 8.8 / 3.4 / 12.1 / 10.3
Ski/snowboarding / 8.4 / 1.1 / 13.2 / 6.9
Hunting/fishing / 5.4 / 1.7 / 10.4 / -
Business/convention/seminar / 7.5 / 6.7 / 9.9 / 10.3
Golfing / 6.7 / 1.1 / 13.7 / -
Other* / 7.5 / 20.2 / 6.6 / 20.7
Note: Percentages add to more than 100% due to multiple mentions
* Primarily “visiting family/friends”, “eating/dining”, and “weddings”
Number of Trips to NH During Spring 2008
Respondents were asked, “How many trips for business or pleasure did you make to/within New Hampshire during the months of March, April, or May 2008”? Table 8 presents the specifics which indicate that, on average, New England day-trippers made more trips than their overnight counterparts (6.5 vs. 3.8). This larger average is attributed to the one-quarter of day-trippers making 7 or more visits during the summer season. By comparison, the average number of visits from those residing in Mid-Atlantic states was noticeably lower although almost half (47.3%) of these overnight visitors reported making more than one trip during the summer.
Table 8Number of Trips to New Hampshire During Spring 2008
New Engl. / New Engl. / MidAtlant. / MidAtlant.
Overnight / Day-Only / Overnight / Day-Only
Number of Trips / (n=239) / (n=176) / (n=182) / (n=29)
One / 38.9 / 27.0 / 52.7 / 65.5
Two/Three / 38.5 / 33.2 / 35.1 / 34.5
Four to Six / 11.7 / 15.7 / 7.7 / -
Seven to Ten / 5.0 / 11.8 / 1.6 / -
Eleven or more / 5.9 / 12.3 / 2.9 / -
Total / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0
Average # trips / 3.8 / 6.5 / 2.3 / 1.4
Travel Party Size
As indicated in Table 9, the average travel party size for overnight visitors (3.3) was larger than “day-only” travel parties (2.1-2.7). This increase was primarily attributable to the inclusion of more children in the travel party.
Table 9Average Travel Party Size
New Engl. / New Engl. / MidAtlant. / MidAtlant.
Overnight / Day-Only / Overnight / Day-Only
Party Size / (n=239) / (n=178) / (n=182) / (n=29)
Number of Adults / 2.5 / 2.2 / 2.4 / 2.0
Number of Children / 0.8 / 0.5 / 0.9 / 0.1
Total Party Size / 3.3 / 2.7 / 3.3 / 2.1
Member of Group Tour?
As indicated in Table 10, the only noticeable incidence of visitors traveling as part of a group tour was associated with overnight visitors from Mid-Atlantic states.
Table 10Member of Group Tour?
New Engl. / New Engl. / MidAtlant. / MidAtlant.
Overnight / Day-Only / Overnight / Day-Only
(n=239) / (n=178) / (n=182) / (n=29)
% Responding "Yes" / 3.3 / 1.7 / 10.4 / -
Length of Trip
As would be expected, overnight visitors reported longer average stays in New Hampshire, while “day-only” visitors were more apt to be “passing through” as evidenced by their reporting of spending more days in other states. Again, as would be expected, those overnight visitors residing in states outside of New England reported noticeably longer stays than their counterparts residing within New England.
Table 11Average Length of Trip
New Engl. / New Engl. / MidAtlant. / MidAtlant.
Overnight / Day-Only / Overnight / Day-Only
(n=239) / (n=178) / (n=182) / (n=29)
# NH Days / 4.1 / 1.0 / 4.8 / 1.0
# Days Other States / 1.5 / 1.0 / 2.6 / 3.1
Total # Days / 5.6 / 2.0 / 7.4 / 4.1
Stay Overnight?
As indicated in Table 12, a noticeably higher percentage of Mid-Atlantic visitors reported staying overnight.compared to their New England counterparts (86% vs 57%).
Table 12Stay Overnight?
New / Mid-
England / Atlantic
(n=417) / (n=211)
% Responding "Yes" / 57.3 / 86.3
Accommodations
Those who reported staying overnight in New Hampshire were asked about the types of accommodations used and the number of nights spent at each type. Visitors often reported using a combination of different accommodations as indicated in Tables 13 & 14.
The most frequently mentioned types of accommodation were:
● Hotel/Motel (chain) – moreso by Mid-Atlantic visitors
● Home of friends/relatives
Accommodations categorized as Hotel/Motel (Independent) and Resort/Spa were mentioned noticeably more by visitors from Mid-Atlantic states than their New England counterparts.
In terms of average length of stay, however, visitors reported noticeably longer stays at Private/
Commercial Campgrounds (New England) , Condominiums/timeshare/2nd homes, and homes of friends/relatives.
Table 13Incidence of Accommodations Used
Overnight Visitors
New / Mid-
England / Atlantic
Type of Accommodations / (n=239) / (n=182)
Hotel/motel (chain) / 33.9 / 58.2
Home of friend/relative / 42.7 / 33.0
Hotel/motel (independent) / 10.9 / 15.4
Priv/Comc'l Campground / 10.5 / 6.0
Bed & Breakfast/Small Inn / 12.1 / 12.6
Condo/timeshare/2nd home / 6.3 / 6.0
State/Federal campground / 4.6 / 8.2
Resort/spa / 5.4 / 9.3
Other* / 5.4 / 6.0
Note: Percentages add to more than 100% due to multiple mentions
* Indicates NH residents living at home, rented camps/cottages
Table 14Average # Nights by Accommodation Type
Overnight Visitors
New / Mid-
Type of Accommodations /
England
/Atlantic
Hotel/motel (chain) / 2.8 / 3.2Home of friend/relative / 3.1 / 3.4
Hotel/motel (independent) / 1.8 / 2.4
Priv/Comc’l campground / 4.5 / 1.8
Bed & Breakfast/Small Inn / 2.0 / 2.3
Condo/timeshare/2nd home / 3.2 / 2.9
State/Federal campground / 2.4 / 2.3
Resort/spa / 2.3 / 2.6
Other* / 9.2 / 6.7
Note: Percentages add to more than 100% due to multiple mentions
* Indicates NH residents living at home, rented camps/cottages
TRAVEL EXPENDITURES
Visitors were asked to indicate their estimate of TOTAL expenditures for their entire travel party during their most recent visit to/within New Hampshire. Table 15 presents the results in terms of average expenditures. It can be seen that overnight Mid-Atlantic visitors reportedly spent noticeably more per travel party and per person/per day than their New England counterparts.