SUMMER 2012 CONVERSION STUDY 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page 

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

A. Background/Introduction 1 

B. Methodology 1 

C. Major Research Findings 2 

D. Conclusions/Implications 4 

II. RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS 

A. Age 6 

B. Gender 7 

C. Annual Household Income 9 

III. NEW HAMPSHIRE TRAVEL INFORMATION 

A. Sources of Information Evaluated 10 

B. Most Influential Information Source 12 

C. Type of Information Request 13 

D. Incidence of Accessing DTTD's Website 14 

E. Most Compelling Aspect of Promotional Effort 15 

IV. NEW HAMPSHIRE TRAVEL 

A. Visit New Hampshire? 16 

B. Influence of Promotional Materials 16 

C. Conversion Rate Analysis 18 

D. First Visit? 19 

E. Group Tour? 19 

F. Likelihood of Future Visits 20 

V. CHARACTERISTICS OF OVERNIGHT TRAVEL PARTIES 

A. Party Size/Length of Stay/Expenditures 21 

VI. NON-VISITOR INFORMATION 

A. Reasons for Not Visiting New Hampshire -Summer, 2012 


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 


Background/Introduction 
In a continuing effort to help gauge the effectiveness of its marketing programs, The New 
Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development (DTTD) conducted broad-based 
inquirer research for the Summer 2012 season. Research focused on three geographic markets 
that have been important targets of advertising and promotional efforts – the Designated 
Marketing Areas (DMAs) of Boston, New York and Philadelphia. This research has four main 
objectives: 

. 
Identify the most influential sources of information used by potential visitors when 
evaluating New Hampshire as a possible travel destination. 
. 
Determine the “conversion rate” (percentage of people making inquiries who actually 
visited New Hampshire). 
. 
Document the nature of travel party visits to New Hampshire (party size, incidence of 
group travel/overnight stays, length of trip, and total expenditures). 
. 
Quantify the likelihood of visiting New Hampshire during future seasons. 
Methodology 
A questionnaire was developed to be administered online to a sample of people who had made an 
inquiry and requested a New Hampshire Guidebook during the months of January through June, 
2012, perhaps in anticipation of visiting New Hampshire during the summer months (June, July, 
and August). A total of 4,218 names were selected from those who reside in each of the three 
geographic markets and made an inquiry of some type (calling an 800# in a print, television, or 
newspaper ad; returning a “reader service” card in response to a magazine ad; responding to an 
email newsletter; accessing DTTD’s consumer website; or simply writing/calling DTTD 
independent of seeing/hearing any advertising). While a total of 347 responses were received 


representing an overall response rate of 8.2%, not all respondents indicated their state/zip code. 

Therefore, for purposes of report presentation, only those respondents able to be classified by 

DMA (316) are included. The general process was to ask a) what may have influenced people to 

think about and/or request information about New Hampshire, and b) whether such information 

influenced or reinforced their decision to visit the state. 

Report Format 

This report will present responses to each question for each of the following geographic markets: 

- 
Boston DMA 

- 
New York DMA 

- 
Philadelphia DMA 

- 
New Hampshire: Responses from NH residents (technically included as part of the 

Boston DMA) are of interest and are therefore reported separately. 

Major Research Findings 

Respondent Demographics 

. 
With regard to the age distribution of the respondents, there was very little difference 
observed in the age distributions between travel information requesters and decision 
makers. Those residing in the Philadelphia and Boston DMAs, however, were 
generally younger than their counterparts while those residing in NH and the NY 
DMA were reportedly older. (Tables 1 & 2) 
. 
With regard to gender, travel decisions were made jointly roughly one third to one 
half of the time. Females were more likely than males to be involved in requesting the 
travel information in all geographic areas with the exception of the Boston, where the 
percentages were nearly identical. The role of males as decision makers ranged from 
a low of 11% among NH residents to a high of 27% among those in the New York 
DMA. (Tables 3 & 4) 
. 
Those residing in the Philadelphia DMA reported the highest proportion of incomes 
over $100,000 (a particular target of DTTD marketing efforts) than their counterparts 
in other regions. (Table 5) 
New Hampshire Travel Information 

. 
Across the three DMAs, the most influential source of information cited in 
respondents’ decision to request a New Hampshire Guidebook and/or opt-in for the e-
newsletter was “prior travel to New Hampshire”. DTTD’s website 

(www.visitnh.gov) and “recommendations from friends and relatives” rounded out 
the top 3 sources. (Table 7) 

. 
The types of information requests varied somewhat by geographic market. Filling out 
a request form on DTTD’s website topped the list for all geographies. Those in the 
Philadelphia DMA reported relatively more mention of “viewing an electronic 
version of the NH Guidebook on DTTD’s website and then requesting a printed 
version” than their counterparts in other geographies. (Table 8) 
. 
The vast majority of all respondents reported accessing DTTD’s website at some time 
during their search for travel information – mostly by “clicking through” from a 
search engine. (Table 9) 
. 
Regarding the “most compelling aspect” of DTTD’s promotional efforts, there were 
noticeable differences by geographic market. Those residing in the Boston DMA 
were more responsive to the notion that New Hampshire offers a variety of activities 
for the whole family and outdoor activities/adventures. Those residing in the more 
distant markets reported higher incidences of associating New Hampshire as a “good 
place to vacation.” (Table 10) 
New Hampshire Visitation 

. 
While the “conversion rate” (the percentage of those making an inquiry who actually 
visited New Hampshire during the Summer of 2012) was quite high among Boston 
DMA respondents (88%), the percentage dropped off noticeably for those in more 
distant markets of NY (69%) and Philadelphia (59%). (Table 11) 
. 
Across the three DMAs, the incidence of first-time visitors increased in direct relation 
to distance from New Hampshire. Percentages ranged from a low of 3.2% among 
Boston DMA visitors to a high of 36% among visitors from the Philadelphia DMA. 
(Table 15) 
. 
Regarding future travel to New Hampshire over the next year, respondents reported 
the greatest likelihood of visiting during the summer months. Aside from NH 
residents, those residing in the Boston DMA were more likely to visit during any 
season (summer, fall, winter, spring) than those residing in the more distant markets. 
(Table 17) 
. 
The three reasons most frequently cited for not visiting New Hampshire during the 
Summer of 2012 were: personal/family reasons, economic reasons, and the choosing 
of another destination. (Table 19) 
Influence of Advertising/Promotion 

. 
The vast majority (76% to 82%) of visitors residing in all geographic markets 
reported that DTTD’s advertising and promotional materials either “influenced” or 
“reinforced” their decision to visit New Hampshire during the Summer of 2012. 
(Table 12) 

. 
With regard to specific advertising/promotional materials, the greatest influence of 
the NH Guidebook was reported by those residing in the Philadelphia DMA, followed 
by those in the Boston DMA. Comparatively greater influence of the DTTD website 
(www.visitnh.gov) was reported by those in Philadelphia and Boston DMAs. (Table 
13) 
Travel Party Characteristics 

. 
In terms of overnight travel party characteristics, the average travel party size was 
noticeably larger (4.2) for those visiting from the Boston DMA than for those visiting 
from the more distant markets. The number of NH days generally ranged from 6.6 to 
7.5 with the exception of Philadelphia DMA (5.4). Aside from NH residents, the 
average total spending per person/per day was lowest for visitors from the Boston 
DMA ($58) and highest Philadelphia area visitors ($80). (Table 18) 
Conclusions/Implications 

A review of the research findings in this report confirms findings from previous conversion 

studies: 

. 
Conversion rates are highly correlated with distance – generally, the greater the 
distance from New Hampshire, the lower the incidence of visiting. 
. 
DTTD’s website (www.visitnh.com) continues to be a leading generator of inquiries 
and plays a very influential role in the decision-making process regarding visitation. 
The vast majority of such inquirers reportedly “clicked through” from a search 
engine. 
. 
There appears to be opportunity for growth in visitation during the “other” seasons 
(Fall, Winter, Spring) – particularly from those residing outside New England. 
Insight into the perception of DTTD’s collective advertising and promotional efforts continues to 

be obtained from a question about its “most compelling aspect”. It was noticeable, that while 

respondents from all markets seemed to share the perception that New Hampshire is a good place 

to vacation, with many opportunities for family or outdoor activities, other differences are 

noticeable by geographic market. These findings provide an indication of which 

images/messages seem to “resonate” best with visitors and may be useful in targeting 

advertising/promotion to these geographic markets in the future. 


. 
Those residing in the Philadelphia DMA (where income was highest) were reportedly 
much more responsive to the notion that New Hampshire was quaint and authentic. 
These same respondents, however, reported noticeably lower incidences of 
associating “a variety of family activities” with New Hampshire than respondents 
from either the New York or Boston DMAs. 
. 
This same analysis indicates that across all geographies, neither New Hampshire’s 
State Parks and Campgrounds, its Wine and Cheese Trail, nor its attraction as a 
Romantic Getaway register highly as a “compelling reason” to visit. 
Given the great importance of “prior travel to New Hampshire” as a factor in deciding to visit 
that has been documented by numerous research studies and given the knowledge that it is 
considerably less expensive to retain a customer than to obtain a new one, the importance of 
visitor satisfaction is paramount. While it appears that New Hampshire “scores” well in this 
regard, it is recommended that specific research be conducted to gauge visitor satisfaction with 
regard to various aspects of the visitor experience that might affect the willingness of the 
significant base of first-time visitors to make a return visit. 


RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS 

Age Distribution 
Respondents were asked to indicate the age of the person in their travel party who requested 
travel information as well as the age of the person considered the decision maker. Tables 1 and 2 
summarize the responses, which indicate that while there was little difference observed in the 
age distributions between information requesters and decision makers, respondents residing in 
the Philadelphia DMA were generally younger than their counterparts from the other 
geographies. 

Table 1 
Distribution of Travel Information Requesters by Age Group 


Age Group 
Boston 
(n=71) 
New York 
(n=146) 
Philadelphia 
(n=40) 
New 
Hampshire 
(n=54) 
18 – 24 2.8 ---
25 – 34 5.6 2.1 12.5 7.4 
35 – 44 12.7 13.7 12.5 7.4 
45 – 54 25.4 25.3 17.5 14.8 
55 – 64 36.6 35.6 35.0 42.6 
65 or more 16.9 23.3 22.5 27.8 
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 


Table 2 
Age Distribution of Travel Decision-Makers 


Age Group 
Boston 
(n=66) 
New York 
(n=129) 
Philadelphia 
(n=37) 
New 
Hampshire 
(n=46) 
18 – 24 3.0 ---
25 – 34 6.1 1.6 10.8 8.7 
35 – 44 15.2 14.7 10.8 6.5 
45 – 54 27.3 23.3 18.9 19.6 
55 -64 31.8 34.9 37.8 39.1 
65 or more 16.6 25.5 21.7 26.1 
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 

Gender Distribution 
Respondents were also asked to indicate the gender of the person responsible for requesting 
travel information as well as the gender of the person considered the travel decision maker. 
Tables 3 and 4 summarize the responses, which indicate that while actual travel decisions were 
often made “jointly”, females were more apt to be involved in requesting the travel information. 
The one exception is the Boston DMA, where the percentage of females and males requesting 
travel information was nearly equal. The role of males as decision maker ranged from a low of 
11% among New Hampshire respondents to 22% for those in the Philadelphia DMA. 


Table 3 
Gender of Travel Information Requesters 


Gender 
Boston 
(n=71) 
New York 
(n=145) 
Philadelphia 
(n=41) 
New 
Hampshire 
(n=54) 
Male 46.5 37.2 26.8 18.5 
Female 45.1 49.7 53.7 57.4 
Joint 
Decision 8.4 13.1 19.5 24.1 
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 

Table 4 
Gender of Travel Decision-Makers 


Gender 
Boston 
(n=65) 
New York 
(n=132) 
Philadelphia 
(n=36) 
New 
Hampshire 
(n=46) 
Male 26.2 26.5 22.2 10.9 
Female 35.4 37.9 30.6 30.4 
Joint 
Decision 38.4 35.6 47.2 58.7 
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 


Annual Household Income 
Respondents were asked about their total annual household income before taxes. As indicated in 
Table 5, those from the Philadelphia DMA reported the highest proportion of incomes over 
$100,000 (a particular target of DTTD marketing efforts) than their counterparts in other regions. 

Table 5 
Distribution of Respondents by Annual Household Income 


Income Group 
Boston 
(n=64) 
New York 
(n=127) 
Philadelphia 
(n=36) 
New 
Hampshire 
(n=48) 
< $35,000 10.9 4.7 8.3 10.4 
$35-$49,999 7.8 6.3 8.3 16.7 
$50-$74,999 34.4 26.0 16.7 27.1 
$75-$99,999 15.6 20.5 22.2 20.8 
$100-$149,999 26.6 26.0 27.8 14.6 
$150,000 + 4.7 16.5 16.7 10.4 
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 


NEW HAMPSHIRE TRAVEL INFORMATION 


Sources of Information Evaluated 
Respondents were provided a list of information sources and asked to indicate which ones helped 
them to consider New Hampshire as a possible travel destination during the Summer of 2012. 
The responses, presented in Table 6, indicate that: 


. 
“Prior travel to New Hampshire” topped the list for the closer geographies (Boston, 
New Hampshire, New York). For respondents from the Philadelphia DMA, DTTD’s 
website was the top source of information. 
. 
“Web searches” and “Recommendations from friends/relatives” rounded out the top 
four sources. 
. 
“Individual Attractions and Lodgings” were cited much more frequently by those in 
the Boston DMA while “Activity-specific organizations” were cited much more 
frequently by those in New Hampshire. 
. 
“Magazine ads and stories” were cited noticeably more frequently by those in New 
Hampshire. 
. 
The “Social media” category did not score particularly high in any of the three DMA 
categories. 

Table 6 
Sources of Information Helping to Consider 
New Hampshire as Travel Destination 


Information Source 
Boston 
(n=72) 
New York 
(n=146) 
Philadelphia 
(n=41) 
New 
Hampshire 
(n=56) 
Prior travel to NH 91.7 61 51.2 76.8 
Visited ww.visitnh.gov 48.6 52.1 63.4 53.6 
Searched the web 33.3 35.6 31.7 26.8 
Recomm. from friends/rel. 29.2 28.8 31.7 37.5 
Travel Guides 29.2 37 36.6 30.4 
NH email newsletter 19.4 13 9.8 16.1 
Magazine ad 19.4 14.4 19.5 25.0 
Indiv. attr./lodging 16.7 7.5 9.8 5.4 
Activity-specific org. 15.3 6.8 4.9 25.0 
Saw ad on websites 15.3 6.2 7.3 12.5 
Magazine story 11.1 6.8 14.6 17.9 
Television story 8.3 2.7 -19.6 
Newspaper story 5.6 4.1 -10.7 
Social Media 5.6 1.4 7.3 8.9 
Television ad 4.2 2.7 2.4 8.9 
Newspaper ad 2.8 3.4 -14.3 
Transit poster 1.4 1.4 1.8 -
Radio Story ---3.6 

Note: Percentages add to more than 100% due to multiple mentions. 


Most Influential Information Source 
Respondents were asked to indicate the ONE source of information that was the most influential 
in leading them to request a New Hampshire Guidebook and/or opt-in for the e-newsletter. 
Table 7 summarizes the responses, which indicate that “prior travel to New Hampshire” topped 
the list for respondents from the Boston, New York, and Philadelphia DMAs. While DTTD’s 
website (www.visitnh.gov) was the most influential source for respondents from NH, it also 
played a noticeably more influential role for those in the Philadelphia DMA. 

Table 7 
Most Influential Information Source 
When Requesting NH Guidebook 


Information Source 
Boston 
(n=72) 
New York 
(n=145) 
Philadelphia 
(n=41) 
New 
Hampshire 
(n=56) 
Prior travel to NH 44.4 26.2 36.6 17.9 
Visited ww.visitnh.gov 22.2 23.4 31.7 26.8 
Recomm. from friends/rel. 6.9 15.2 9.8 1.8 
Travel Guides 4.2 7.6 4.9 7.1 
Activity-specific org. 4.2 4.1 2.4 3.6 
Searched the web 2.8 6.9 4.9 3.6 
Magazine ad 2.8 4.1 4.9 8.9 
NH email newsletter 2.8 3.4 2.4 5.4 
Social Media 1.4 0.7 --
Television ad 1.4 1.4 --
Magazine story 1.4 0.7 -7.1 
Newspaper story 1.4 --3.6 
Saw ad on websites -0.7 -3.6 
Newspaper ad ---1.8 
Television story ---3.6 
Radio story ----
Transit poster ----
Indiv. attr./lodging ----
Other 4.1 5.6 2.4 5.2 
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 


Type of Information Request 

Respondents were provided a list of means by which they may have requested a New Hampshire 

Guidebook and/or opt-in for the e-newsletter and asked to indicate which ONE they actually 

used. Results are presented in Table 8 and are summarized below: 

. 
“Filling out a request form on DTTD’s website (www.visitnh.gov)” topped the list for 
all geographies, but less so in New Hampshire. 
. 
Responding to magazines (either by calling the 800# in an advertisement or returning 
a reader service card) was mentioned noticeably more by New Hampshire 
respondents. 
. 
Searching the internet and clicking on the NH Guidebook website was reported 
noticeably less by those in the Philadelphia DMA. 
. 
“Viewing an electronic version of the NH Guidebook on DTTD’s website 
(www.visitnh.gov) and then requesting a printed version” was mentioned noticeably 
more by respondents from New Hampshire and less so by those in the New York 
DMA. 
Table 8 
Means of Requesting NH Guidebook/Opt-in for E-Newsletter 


Request Type 
Boston 
(n=72) 
New York 
(n=146) 
Philadelphia 
(n=41) 
New 
Hampshire 
(n=56) 
Filled out online request form 41.7 41.1 43.9 33.9 
Internet search 15.3 15.1 4.9 7.1 
View online/req. print version 11.1 9.6 14.6 25.0 
E-mail newsletter 9.7 8.9 9.8 5.4 
Magazine reader service card 8.3 6.8 9.8 10.7 
800# in magazine ad 5.6 2.1 4.9 5.4 
Req. DTTD/no advertising 2.8 8.9 4.8 7.1 
Travelinfomation.com 1.4 2.7 4.9 5.4 
800# in newspaper ad 1.4 2.1 --
Clicked on website ad 1.4 1.4 --
800# in television ad 1.3 1.3 --
Clicked on social media ad --2.4 -
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 


Incidence of Accessing NH Travel Office Website 
Respondents were asked if they at any time accessed the NH Travel Office (DTTD) website 
(www.visitnh.gov) during their search for travel information and if so, how they got to the site. 
Table 9 summarizes the responses, which indicate that the vast majority of respondents did in 
fact access the website. In New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, half to two-thirds of respondents 
accessed the site by “clicking through” from a search engine, while in New Hampshire the means 
of access was evenly divided between clicking through and directly entering the URL. In the 
other geographies, the percentage of respondents entering the site name directly ranged from 
15% for respondents in the Philadelphia DMA to 33% for those residing in Boston. 

Table 9 
Incidence of Accessing NH Travel Office Website (www.visitnh.gov) 

Boston 
(n=72) 
New York 
(n=146) 
Philadelphia 
(n=41) 
New 
Hampshire 
(n=56) 
% Reported accessing 81.9 84.9 85.4 80.4 
Means of accessing (n=72) (n=146) (n=49) (n=56) 
“Clicked through” 
from search engine 50.0% 50% 68.3% 37.5% 
Entered site directly 
into web browser 33.3% 27.4% 14.6% 35.7% 
“Clicked through” 
from ad on Internet 2.8% 8.9% 2.4% 5.4% 

Note: Percentages add to more/less than 100% due to multiple/no mentions 


Most Compelling Aspect of Promotional Efforts 
Respondents were provided with several different phrases and asked, “What do you remember as 
being particularly compelling about the advertisement, website, or promotional materials that 
prompted you to make an inquiry about visiting New Hampshire”? The idea behind this 
question was to determine which images/messages “resonated” the most with potential visitors. 
Table 10 summarizes the responses which indicate some noticeable differences by DMA: 

. 
Those residing in the Boston DMA were more responsive to the idea that New 
Hampshire offers a variety of activities for the entire family and outdoor activities/ 
adventures. 
. 
Those residing in the more distant markets reported higher incidences of associating 
“an authentic New England experience” with New Hampshire. 
. 
Respondents in the Philadelphia DMA reported the highest incidence of associating 
the phrase “Good place to vacation” with New Hampshire. 
Table 10 
Most Compelling Aspect of Promotional Efforts 


Compelling Aspect 
Boston 
(n=72) 
New York 
(n=146) 
Philadelphia 
(n=41) 
New 
Hampshire 
(n=56) 
Variety of family activities 30.6 21.9 9.8 21.4 
Outdoor activities/advent. 23.6 17.1 24.4 14.3 
Authentic NE experience 5.6 13.7 12.2 17.9 
Quaint cities & towns 15.3 14.4 17.1 14.3 
Good place to vacation 11.1 22.6 29.3 16.1 
State Parks/campgrounds 8.3 4.8 7.2 14.3 
Romantic Getaway 4.2 2.7 --
Wine & Cheese Trail 1.3 2.8 -1.7 
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 


NEW HAMPSHIRE TRAVEL 

Visit New Hampshire? 
All respondents were asked, “Did you or members of your household travel to New Hampshire 
during the summer months (June, July, August) of 2012?” The responses (Table 11) show how 
“conversion rates” (the percentage of people making an inquiry that actually visited New 
Hampshire) varied by geographic region and type of inquiry. 

. 
While the incidence of visitation from respondents residing in Massachusetts was 
quite high (88%), the percentage dropped off to 59% for those residing in more 
distant markets. In fact, the Philadelphia DMA experienced a 8% drop from the 
Summer 2010 survey (67% conversion rate). 
Table 11 
Visit New Hampshire, Summer 2012 


Boston 
(n=72) 
New York 
(n=146) 
Philadelphia 
(n=41) 
New 
Hampshire 
(n=56) 
% Indicating “Yes” 87.5 68.5 58.5 92.9 

Influence of Promotional Materials 

Visitors to New Hampshire were asked to think back to the time when they requested travel 
information and to indicate the relative role that the advertising and promotional material 
(broadcast, print, or web-based) played in their decision to visit. Tables 12 and 13 indicate: 

. 
The incidence of “influencing” or “reinforcing” a decision to visit ranged from 76% 
in the Philadelphia DMA to 82% in the New York DMA. 

. 
Those residing in the Philadelphia DMA reported comparatively greater influence of 
the Official NH Guidebook. 
. 
Comparatively greater influence of DTTD’s website (www.visitnh.gov) was reported 
by those residing in the Philadelphia and Boston DMAs. 
Table 12 
Relative Influence of Promotional Materials 
On Decision to Visit NH, Summer 2012 


Relative Influence 
Boston 
(n=63) 
New York 
(n=100) 
Philadelphia 
(n=25) 
New 
Hampshire 
(n=52) 
Influenced decision to visit 17.5 17.0 12.0 17.3 
Reinforced feelings about 
visiting 63.5 65.0 64.0 61.5 
Already decided/ 
no influence 19.0 18.0 24.0 21.2 
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 

Table 13 
Most Influential Advertising/Promotional 
Materials on Decision to Visit NH, Summer 2012 


Most Influential 
Boston 
(n=63) 
New 
York 
(n=100) 
Philadelphia 
(n=25) 
New 
Hampshire 
(n=52) 
Official NH 
Guidebook 
52.4 52.0 56.0 46.2 
Website 
(www.visitnh.gov) 
34.9 32.0 36.0 32.7 
Advertising 12.7 16.0 8.0 21.2 
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 


Conversion Rate Analysis 
Using the survey statistics from the two previous tables, Table 14 provides a more complete 
conversion rate analysis for the Summer of 2012: 

(1) the percentage of people who made an inquiry and visited New Hampshire (“gross 
conversion” 
(2) the percentage of people who were “influenced” to visit by the advertising/ 
promotional materials or whose decision was “reinforced” by the materials 
(3) the percentage of people who made an inquiry and were influenced by the advertising 
and promotional materials to visit, or whose decision was “reinforced” by the 
materials (“net conversion” 
Table 14 
Conversion Rate Analysis 


Boston New York Philadelphia 
New 
Hampshire 
(1) “Gross” conversion rate 87.5 68.5 58.5 92.9 
(2) % influenced/reinforced 81.0 82.0 76.0 78.8 
(3) “Net” conversion rate 70.9 56.2 44.5 73.2 

As noted above and in previous research, distance appears to have affected the net conversion 
rates as evidenced by the lower percentages for the New York and Philadelphia DMAs. It is 
important to realize that the calculated conversion rates are estimates that, on the one hand, may 
overestimate the true incidence of visitation since those who actually visited are thought to have 
been more likely to participate in the survey. Conversely, these statistics may under-estimate the 
true incidence of visitation since a number of respondents indicated they expected to visit in the 
Fall season, despite not visiting during the Summer. It should be noted again that only those 


who requested a Guidebook were surveyed and that there are other DTTD promotional activities 
that may have convinced people to visit. 

First Visit? 
Those who indicated they did visit New Hampshire during the summer months of 2012 were 
asked if this had been their first visit to the state. Table 15 indicates: 


. 
With regard to geographic markets, the incidence of first-time visitation increased in 
direct relation to distance from New Hampshire as visitors from the Philadelphia 
DMA reported 36% while those from the Boston DMA reported 3.2%. 
Table 15 
First Visit to New Hampshire? 


Boston 
(n=63) 
New York 
(n=100) 
Philadelphia 
(n=25) 
New 
Hampshire 
(n=52) 
% Indicating “Yes” 3.2 28.0 36.0 5.8 

Member of Group Tour? 
As indicated in Table 16, there was minimal incidence of visitors being a member of a group 
tour. 


Table 16 
Member of Group Tour? 


Boston 
(n=63) 
New York 
(n=99) 
Philadelphia 
(n=24) 
New 
Hampshire 
(n=52) 
% Indicating “Yes” -1.0 -1.9 


Likelihood of Future Visits 

Using a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = “Not at all Likely” and 5 = “Very Likely”, all respondents 
were asked to indicate the likelihood they will visit New Hampshire during each of the four 
upcoming seasons. The data in Table 17 indicate that Summer is the most popular season for 
visiting and (aside from NH residents) those residing in the Boston DMA were more likely to 
visit in future seasons than those residing in the more distant markets. 

Table 17 
Likelihood of Future Visits to New Hampshire by Season 
Scale: 1 to 5, where 5 = "Very Likely" 


Season 
Boston 
(n=72) 
New 
York 
(n=146) 
Philadelphia 
(n=41) 
New 
Hampshire 
(n=56) 
Fall 2012 3.7 2.5 2.5 4.4 
Winter 2012/13 3.1 1.8 1.9 3.6 
Spring 2013 3.5 2.5 2.8 4.2 
Summer 2013 4.4 3.6 3.6 4.6 


CHARACTERISTICS OF OVERNIGHT TRAVEL PARTIES 


Party Size/Length of Stay/Expenditures 

Since a major DTTD marketing objective is to encourage overnight visits, and the vast majority 

of visitors during the Summer of 2012 reportedly did stay overnight in New Hampshire, further 

analysis of travel party characteristics will focus on overnight visitors. Specifics are presented in 

Table 18. 

. 
The average travel party size was reportedly noticeably larger (4.2) for those visiting 
from the Boston DMA than for those visiting from the more distant markets. This 
seemed primarily attributable to the inclusion of more children. The same is true of 
New Hampshire. 
. 
With respect to the number of days spent in New Hampshire, the average was 
generally 7.5 -6.6 with the exception of those in the New York DMA (5.4). 
. 
Aside from NH residents, the average total spending per person/per day was lowest 
for visitors from the Boston DMA ($58) and highest for Philadelphia area visitors 
($80). 
Table 18 
Characteristics of Overnight Travel Parties 


Boston New York Philadelphia 
New 
Hampshire 
Average Size of Travel Party 
# Adults 2.8 3.1 2.6 2.8 
# Children 1.4 .8 .4 1.4 
Total 4.2 3.9 3.0 4.2 
Average Length of Trip 
# NH Days 7.5 5.4 7.0 6.6 
# Days Other States 1.2 2.1 1.8 1.1 
Total 8.7 7.5 8.8 7.7 
Average total spending – NH $1829.04 $1389.17 $1685.29 $1211.11 
Average total spending – NH 
Per person/per day $58.06 $65.96 $80.25 $43.69 


NON-VISITOR INFORMATION 

Reasons for Not Visiting New Hampshire – Summer, 2012 

Those who indicated they did not visit New Hampshire during the Summer of 2012 were 
provided a list of possible reasons and asked which ones applied to their decision. As indicated 
in Table 19, the most frequently mentioned reasons were: 

. 
Personal/family reasons 
. 
Choose other destination 
. 
Economic reasons 
Table 19 
Reasons for Not Visiting New Hampshire, Summer 2012 
(# Mentions) 


Reason Boston New 
York 
Philadelphia 
New 
Hampshire 
Personal/family reasons 3 12 5 -
Lack of vacation time 2 5 --
Economic reasons 1 10 2 2 
Chose other destination 3 10 2 -
Vacationed closer to 
home 
1 1 2 -
Lack of accommod. 
Desired 
-2 --
Information rec’d too late 1 1 --

Other reasons mentioned: Plan to visit in Fall (10).