Lake Placid, NY (June 16, 2023) – The Regional Workplace of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) has launched outcomes of its latest sustainability survey, developed to evaluate the significance of social, financial and environmental initiatives undertaken throughout the Adirondack area to vacationers. ROOST additionally shared the outcomes of its annual leisure journey research, undertaken throughout the identical time interval, which uncovers customer demographics and details about their journey expenditures whereas within the area.
Each surveys analyze non-business journey to Lake Placid, Essex and Hamilton counties, together with the adjoining communities of Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake. ROOST conducts analysis all year long to determine customer preferences and business developments, whereas additionally assessing the affect of its advertising initiatives over time.
Sustainability Survey
Outcomes of the sustainability survey indicated that roughly half of the respondents traveled from inside New York state, 21 % from throughout the Northeast US and others from areas farther away. Roughly 80 % of survey respondents traveled from inside a day’s drive of the area.
Survey respondents had been requested how necessary sustainability components are when planning a visit. A considerable majority (86 %) of this group really feel that sustainability is a minimum of a average consideration and 26 % really feel it’s a “crucial” consideration.
Key findings embrace:
- A couple of in 4 respondents state that sustainability is a “crucial” consideration when making journey plans.
- Over half of respondents point out sustainability is an influential issue a minimum of “usually.”
- Vacationers usually search out companies and organizations that help different native companies and communities.
ROOST’s sustainability survey respondents consider that the Adirondack area is making vital efforts, particularly contemplating the environmental facet of sustainability. This discovering is necessary, contemplating that 91 % of respondents really feel positively influenced by sustainability practices when making buy selections; greater than half of respondents indicated that that is “usually” a consideration.
Respondents had been additionally requested about native sustainability practices they search for when planning a trip. 20 % indicated that eating places and companies that help native farms, suppliers and artisans affect their determination to frequent these institutions. Group involvement can be important. Enterprise’ donations to charities and nonprofits, together with native possession of companies, positively affect vacationers’ selection of visitation.
Seventeen % of respondents indicated that regional plans to look after, handle and restrict damaging impacts on the world’s mountaineering trails additionally factored into their determination about visiting a area. Environmental emissions practices comparable to public transportation choices and the power to drive quite than fly to an space additionally affect their determination making.
In response to Michelle Clement, director of promoting at ROOST, whereas sustainability has been a spotlight inside ROOST for a few years, that is the primary yr {that a} survey was performed to gauge customer perceptions. “Understanding the significance of sustainability practices to vacationers, and the way these practices affect their habits, may also help us proceed to advance how we place the area. Contemplating that vacationers search for proof of sustainability initiatives when making journey selections, investing in inexperienced initiatives isn’t solely good for the setting and our total high quality of life, additionally it is good for enterprise,” she defined. “Sharing details about sustainable practices is one other advertising alternative we are going to proceed to give attention to within the years forward.”
2022 Leisure Journey Research
At the side of the sustainability research, ROOST has additionally launched the outcomes of its 2022 Leisure Journey Research. “We base advertising initiatives on information and business developments to optimize the affect of our efforts,” mentioned Clement. “These two surveys present necessary insights, permitting us to raised perceive leisure vacationers, their pursuits and preferences.”
Key findings embrace:
- Visitation from the Northeast states exterior of New York stays constant at 18 % of respondents; visitation from exterior the Northeast US elevated barely to eight %.
- Canadian visitation is rebounding with 2 % of respondents from Quebec and a couple of % from Ontario.
- Elevated expenditure ranges had been reported by 2022 guests, in comparison with 2021.
- Twenty-three % of respondents who visited Essex County reported visiting Olympic websites as an attraction, a large bounce from the 17 % reporting such curiosity in 2021.
Outcomes from the 2022 Leisure Journey Research noticed a return to typical actions for guests following two closely impacted pandemic years. Through the top of the pandemic, 80 % of holiday makers got here from inside New York state, since out-of-state journey was restricted. Throughout 2022, journey to the area from inside New York returned to the pre-pandemic degree (70 %). Reported fall visitation inside Essex County in September and October (29 %) exceeded reported summer season visitation in July/August (23 %), for the second consecutive yr.
Those that go to the area from July via October proceed to quote outside actions as a big motive for visiting. Mountain climbing stays probably the most common actions (79 %) throughout all seasons. Of these, 71 % had been occupied with day hikes, 31 % had been occupied with leisure or arduous floor mountaineering, together with 24 % occupied with household mountaineering. Mountain climbing throughout the area’s highest peaks or as a part of a more difficult journey skilled a surge in recognition from 12 % in 2021 to 21 % in 2022. Paddling was one other necessary exercise for about 35 % of vacationers, a slight enhance from 2021.
Different vital findings embrace that almost all of individuals (38 %) proceed to decide on to remain in a resort, motel or resort, versus tenting (12 %), personal rental or with household/associates. Whole expenditure per journey in 2022 was roughly $1,697, with lodging, meals and buying making up nearly all of that quantity. Lodging expenditure ($787) represents a 23 % enhance from 2021.
Hamilton County outcomes echoed these of Essex County, with mountaineering and paddling as the preferred actions, nearly all of guests hailing from inside New York and from the Northeast US, a rise in common expenditure, and a marked enhance in fall visitation. Hamilton County welcomed the next proportion of campers than Essex County.
The 2022 Sustainability Survey Evaluation and the 2022 Leisure Journey Research might be discovered at RoostADK.com.
The Regional Workplace of Sustainable Tourism is the vacation spot advertising and administration group for Essex and Hamilton Counties, which incorporates the Lake Placid area, together with the communities of Lake Placid, Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake, all positioned throughout the Adirondacks in New York state.
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Pictures: https://media.roostadk.com/?c=2803&ok=9c46d02b7d
Contact:
Jane Hooper, communications supervisor
Regional Workplace of Sustainable Tourism
518-621-3662 518-578-6328 (cell)
[email protected]