Page 8
November 20 - December 3, 2020
wilmingtonbiz.com
Greater Wilmington Business Journal
| HOSPITALITY |
Survey: Visitors come back for more BY LAURA MOORE t is not news that tourism is an essential part of the local area economy, but the true impact of the tourism and hospitality industry is clearly reflected in the results of the latest Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Visitor Profile and Expenditure Research Study. Ninety-five percent of surveyed visitors to Wilmington and area beaches reported being satisfied with their experience. Feedback provided will guide decisions in coming months as the tourist destination hopes to rally from a setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study to research target visitor markets, prepared on behalf of the Wilmington and Beaches CVB by Destination Analysts, a market research company that specializes in travel and tourism research, aims to serve as a compass for the CVB’s newly adopted three-year Strategic Destination Plan. A total of 2,157 completed responses were collected between
I
PHOTO BY CECE NUNN
Parking pass: The local CVB is developing a new tourism website that will, among other things, help direct visitors to available parking areas.
April 6 and May 3 this year, of which 1,227, or 57%, were from recent visitors who took a trip to the Wilmington area and its beaches during the 12-month period between March 2019 and March 2020. “The data gathered from this study indicates that the vast majority of recent visitors are highly engaged, loyal and mostly repeat visitors, with 91.5% of them having taken 14.1 trips to Wilmington and its beaches. The value of repeat visitors to a destination cannot be overstated, and retaining this strong base is vital to growth,” said Kim Hufham, president/CEO of the New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority, which does business as Wilmington and Beaches CVB. Aligning with the timeframe of the Visitor Profile and Expenditure Research Study, Wilmington and local beaches experienced record visitor spending and tourism employment during 2019. County-
WE’RE MORE THAN HOMES. we build communities.
For more than 55 years, we have served as the voice of the building & development industries in Southeastern NC Learn more about the value of a 3-in-1 membership
910-799-2611 | www.wcfhba.com
3801-5 Wrightsville Avenue | Wilmington, NC 28403
