Tourism Research Centre reports on differences between first-time and repeat visitors to PEI
UPEI's Tourism Research Centre has released a new report profiling differences and similarities between first-time and repeat visitors to PEI. This report is one of many based on Exit Survey results collected between July 2007 and June 2008.
'This report is important as most travel parties to PEI are comprised of visitors who have visited PEI previously,' states Dr. Paul Lewis, Research Director at the TRC. 'In fact, only 21 per cent of our guests are on their first visit.'
Where visitors come from has a strong bearing on the likelihood that they will be repeat visitors. Visitors from New Brunswick or Nova Scotia are extremely unlikely to be visiting for the first time, whereas those from international countries outside the US are almost certainly on their first visit to PEI.
Reasons for visiting the Island vary. Most first-time travel parties came primarily for a holiday, vacation or a short getaway, whereas repeat travel parties indicated a variety of other reasons as being the primary purpose of their trip. For example, only 3 per cent of first-time travel parties came to visit friends/relatives, but 26 per cent of repeat travel parties came for this reason. Not only was visiting friends/relatives a much more prevalent reason for visiting PEI, it was also a much more common activity for repeat travel parties (54 per cent) than first-time travel parties (14 per cent).
First-time travel parties were more likely to participate in typical tourist activities than repeat visitors. They went sightseeing, went to the beach, visited National and Provincial parks and visited tourist attractions at rates well above those of repeat visitors. This was especially the case for visiting Anne of Green Gables attractions (51 per cent of first-time visitors took in Anne attractions compared to only 10 per cent of returning visitors). The types of activities that are more popular among repeat travel parties are generally activities with overall low participation rates. For example, only 15 per cent of repeat visitors participated in outdoor sports and activities but even fewer first-time visitors did so (11 per cent).
Repeat travel parties stay slightly longer in PEI (an average of 4.3 nights versus 3.8 nights for first-time travel parties) but they spend less per night ($95 per-person-per-night for repeat travel parties versus $109 for first-time visitors). Accommodations are the largest per-person-per-night expense for both groups, but the figure is notably higher for first-time visitors. In addition, first-time travel parties also spend more at restaurants and less on groceries than repeat visitors do. Both these findings would suggest that many repeat visitors have discovered, through previous travel to PEI, either cheaper accommodations with cooking facilities or else they stay with families or friends at no cost and contribute toward the grocery bill.
'Overall, first-time visitors are high-yield visitors. They spend more, stay in the most expensive types of accommodations and they see and do a lot while visiting,' elaborates Dr. Lewis. 'The challenge with this group of visitors is that almost 40 per cent do not consider Prince Edward Island to be their main destination. They have other places to go. In many respects, repeat visitors are the opposite. They stay longer but they stay in less expensive accommodations, and see and do less.' Nevertheless, repeat travel parties don't just settle in and relax; they are more active in terms of recreational and even community-based activities than first-time travel parties.
The full report is available on the exit survey section of the TRC's website: www.trc.upei.ca/exitsurvey. More information about the report can be obtained from the Tourism Research Centre, School of Business, University of PEI, at (902) 566-6096 or trc@upei.ca.
The Tourism Research Centre (TRC) was created out of a vital need for independent, high-quality research on the PEI tourism industry. Housed in the UPEI School of Business, the TRC is dedicated to significantly expanding the tourism research capacity on the Island. An independent body established in 2006, it studies, develops, analyzes and recommends tourism research processes, frameworks, models, strategies, insights and other research offerings to the tourism industry. Generating PEI-specific reports for industry and government, as well academic papers, the TRC distributes value-added information to enhance the Province's tourism competitiveness.
