1. Travel and Tourism In Maine The 2003 Visitor Study Maine Lakes and Mountains Prepared for the: Maine Office of Tourism June 2004

2. 2 Size & Structure of the Lakes & Mountains Travel Market  The Maine Lakes & Mountain region is visited on approximately one-in-five of all Maine Day and Overnight trips.  It receives 6.0 million Day trips, 1.4 million Overnight trips on which 1+ nights are spent in the region itself, and another 0.5 million Overnight trips to the state on which the traveler spends some time or passes through the Lakes & Mountains.  This means that a majority three-quarters of those who spend time in the region are also prompted to overnight in the region.

3. 3 Trips to Maine Lakes & Mountains Total: 8.0 Million Pass-Through 0.5 Million (6.2%) Day Trips 6.0 Million (75.8%) Stayed Overnight 1.4 Million (18.0%)

4. 4 Key Market Segments  Overnight trips, though smaller in number than day trips, typically generate more traveler revenue for the state because they are longer and often involve spending for commercial accommodation.  Vacation or Marketable trips are worthy of particular attention for similar reasons and because the choice of destination on them is discretionary and open, therefore, to the influence of destination marketing activities.  This segment is, however, underdeveloped for the Lakes & Mountain region. It accounts for only three-in-ten overnight trips, leaving the region largely dependent on Visits to Friends & Relatives

5. 5 Purpose of Overnight Trips to Maine Lakes & Mountains 1+ Nights in Region: 1.4 Million Visit Friends/Relatives 0.9 Million (65%) Marketable Pleasure 0.4 Million (28%) Business 0.1 Million (7%)

6. 6 Types of Marketable Trips  The types of Marketable trips taken to Maine Lakes & Mountain region are very focused. Day trips are most often Outdoors and Beach trips and more than half of all the Marketable Overnight trips are Outdoors trips. Ski trips follow in a distant second rank.  Outdoors are taken to experience the natural environment and engage in outdoor activities such as camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, or rafting.  All other trip types are correspondingly underdeveloped and, most notably, the Touring type that is so important to the state overall.  A Touring trip is a trip by car, bus, or train through areas of scenic beauty, cultural or general interest.

7. 7 Marketable Day Trip Mix Base: Marketable Day Trips

8. 8 Overnight Marketable Trip Mix Base: Overnight Marketable Trips <1%

9. 9 Making the Trip  The visitors come from New England predominantly and especially Massachusetts.

10. 10 Sources of Business Base: Total Overnight Trips

11. 11 Making the Trip  They come mostly in the winter and summer seasons which fits with the region’s strong Outdoors and Ski trip segments.

12. 12 Season of Trip Base: Total Overnight Trips

13. 13 Making the Trip cont’d  They stay an average of 4.5 nights in Maine and 3.6 nights of these nights are spent in the region itself.

14. 14 Number of Nights in Maine Total in Maine: 4.5 Nights Maine Lakes & Mountains 3.6 Nights Other Regions 0.9 Nights Base: Total Overnight Trips

15. 15 The Lakes & Mountain Visitor  The travel party profile of visitors to Maine Lakes & Mountain looks much like the typical state visitor. They also plan and book their trips similarly and use similar information sources. The internet is the leading source other than personal experience and friendly advice.

16. 16 Travel Party Composition Base: Total Overnight Trips

17. 17 Planning Cycle Base: Total Overnight Trips

18. 18 Booking Cycle Base: Total Overnight Trips Note: On 46% of Total Overnight Trips there was no advance booking.

19. 19 Information Sources Used Base: Total Overnight Trips

20. 20 The Lakes & Mountains Experience  Not surprisingly, the large majority of visitors to the region come to savor its unique ‘lakes and rivers’ and wilderness experience. They nonetheless also partake of the state’s diverse offering of tourism experiences and especially exploring small towns and villages and shopping.

21. 21 Things Experienced on Trip Base: Total Overnight Trips

22. 22 The Lakes & Mountains Experience cont’d  Among the specific destinations within the region, Sebago receives the greater number of visitors … but even then, only a quarter of them.

23. 23 Regional Destinations Visited Base: Total Overnight Trips

24. 24 Product Delivery  Maine impresses the Lakes & Mountain visitors very much and they rate their experience well beyond the U.S. Norm. It provides a superior and unique experience for adults and children, in a worry-free atmosphere, with a bounty of Sports & Recreation opportunities.

25. 25 Product Delivery Base: Total Overnight Trips

26. 26 Product Delivery cont’d  Indeed, as many as six-in-ten of the Lakes & Mountain visitors strongly agree that the state has excellent opportunities for Sports & Recreation. The list includes both cold and warm weather activities and those engaged in on land and water.

27. 27 Top Strengths Base: Total Overnight Trips

28. 28 The Bottom Line  The Maine Lakes & Mountains region remains an important Maine destination in terms of the number of trips it receives and the unique ‘lakes and mountains’ outdoors experience that it provides.  The most important marketing challenge is to leverage its position by increasing the number of Maine visitors who spend at least some time in the region and especially on touring trips.

29. 29 Research Background  This report was prepared for the Maine Office of Tourism by Longwoods International.  Visitor volume and travel profile data come from:  Travel USA ®, Longwoods' syndicated survey of the U.S. travel market that contacts a representative sample of 200,000 U.S. households annually,  the follow-up survey of Maine overnight visitors identified through Travel USA ® and,  the Maine Day Visitor Study.