E-Visitor study aids local CVB promotion efforts

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The 2001 E-Visitor Profile study was released in January by the Convention & Visitors Bureau.|ret||ret||tab|

The survey provides information useful in the bureau's efforts to encourage overnight travel in Springfield, said CVB Executive Director Tracy Kimberlin.|ret||ret||tab|

"For one thing, it helps us identify publications in which to place advertisements," Kimberlin said. "It also helps shape the message of our advertisements and other marketing efforts and the im-age we try to create for the city."|ret||ret||tab|

The Springfield CVB is one of the first in the nation to conduct visitor profile research using the Internet, said Jerry Henry, market research consultant for the CVB.|ret||ret||tab|

Instead of asking visitors to fill out surveys when they were in the city, e-mail addresses were collected quarterly at area attractions and hotels. Short e-mail notes with a link to the survey were later sent to the addresses. Of the 2,876 e-mail addresses collected, 739 responses were received providing a maximum margin of error of 3.6 percent at a 95 percent confidence interval. |ret||ret||tab|

Face-to-face interviews showed little statistically significant difference with the e-mail survey results, Henry said. Because of the parallel study, Henry and the CVB are confident the survey results are representative of the majority of the market, so Internet surveys will be conducted in 2002 on a monthly basis to provide year-round rather than quarterly data. |ret||ret||tab|

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Survey results|ret||ret||tab|

Overall, Springfield received good ratings from its visitors in 2001, with 81.8 percent agreeing that the city is safe. Also, 78.4 percent said it's affordable, 76.2 percent said it's a good place for children and 68.1 percent said the city offers a variety of activities. |ret||ret||tab|

Nearly half of the city's visitors have four-year college degrees and 57 percent have incomes of more than $55,000. Families (adults with children) account for 36 percent of Springfield's visitors; 22 percent are couples and 11 percent are single. The largest age segment 37 percent is baby boomers, while only 6 percent are 65 or older. |ret||ret||tab|

"We can target the baby boomers and encourage them to continue visiting, and we can determine strategies on reaching younger and older visitors to ensure growth in those markets," Kimberlin said.|ret||ret||tab|

Traveling for pleasure accounts for 57.1 percent of the city's visitors; 13.8 percent are en route to or from Branson, 11.8 percent are on vacation and 8.6 percent visit the city for its attractions.|ret||ret||tab|

Business brings 27.1 percent of visitors to Springfield. Six percent of all trips are for sales calls, 4.8 percent are attending conferences and 7.8 percent are visiting the local office.|ret||ret||tab|

Personal reasons bring 15.6 percent of visitors to the city.|ret||ret||tab|

Nearly 80 percent of the city's visitors arrive by car and only 10 percent by air.|ret||ret||tab|

The average size group is 3.83 people who stay 2.4 nights 87 percent in a hotel or motel and spend an average of $72.80 per person per day.|ret||ret||tab|

The top attractions people visit are Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Battle-field Mall and Silver Dollar City.|ret||ret||tab|

Top activities are shopping, sightseeing, swimming, amusement parks, visiting a lake or waterfront, museums and visiting historic sites.|ret||ret||tab|

"The type of information the survey provides helps us better understand what makes Springfield appealing," Kimberlin said. "We know which attributes to accentuate when we're marketing the city."|ret||ret||tab|

(Susan Wade is public relations manager for the Springfield Conven-tion & Visitors Bureau.)[[In-content Ad]]