Understanding user behaviors,
perceptions and attitudes
2
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Project Objectives
4
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Methodology
5
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Respondent Profile
6
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The Role of the DMO Website
15
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Travel Reviews and Video
27

Destination Information Sources 34
3
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To understand the role of the DMO website in
the destination travel planning process.
To research and understand DMO user
behaviors, perceptions and attitudes toward
destination tourism websites.
To identify DMO website user characteristics
and demographics.
To analyze and assess the potential for
improved DMO website performance.
4
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SMG selected five DMOs to participate in the
survey
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Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority
Pismo Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau
Solvang Visitors and Convention Bureau
Temecula Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau
Ventura Visitors and Convention Bureau
Each DMO agreed to email the SMG survey &
cover letter to its own email list
The survey was completed during a two week
period in March with over 3,000 completed
surveys
5
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61% - Female
58% - Between 41-60 years
58% - Have a college education %
76% - Caucasian
69% - More likely to use Google as their
search engine
Were likely to watch surf the Internet daily,
watch TV, email friends and family and listen
to AM/FM radio
7
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Overall 61% of
survey respondents
were female
49%
61%
Male
Female
8
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Survey respondents
tended to be older
with the highest
percentage between
51-60 years,
followed by the 4150 age segment
22%
60+
31%
51-60
27%
41-50
14%
31-40
6%
25-30
under 25
1%
0%
20%
40%
9
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The highest
concentration of
survey respondents
income levels was
between $70,000 &
$150,000
Fifteen percent had
income levels above
16%
7%
$200,000+
9%
$150-$199,999
$1000-$149,999
24%
$70-$99,999
24%
$60-$69,999
9%
$50-$59,999
9%
8%
$40-$49,999
$30-$39,999
6%
$0-$29,999
6%
0%
10% 20% 30%
10
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Overall 58% of
survey respondents
indicated they
completed college,
followed by 20%
high school and
14% with a masters
degree
PhD
3%
Masters
14%
Other
5%
High
School
20%
College
58%
11
Hispanic/Latino Native American
8%
1%
Other
N/A
3%
2%
Asian/Asian
American
8%
African American
2%
White
76%
12
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Approximately 70%
of those surveyed
indicated they used
Google as their
primary search
engine
Other
5%
Google
69%
Yahoo
18%
Bing/MSN
8%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
13
3%
6%
7%
8%
Post video online
Listen to podcast
Write a comment or blog
Post reviews online
Note the online
activities of survey
respondents
18%
19%
26%
32%
Listen to satellite radio
Post photos online
Watch online video
Read a daily paper online
41%
Participate in a social network
51%
Read a daily paper
71%
74%
Listen to AM/FM radio
Email friends/associates
82%
83%
Watch TV
Surf the Internet daily
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
14
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The Internet was the primary tool used to plan a
personal vacation at 93%
Search engines and DMO sites were most useful for
researching a destination
Visitors were most likely to visit a DMO website to
obtain vacation information
Survey respondents found general information,
area maps and attractions most helpful information
Respondents most frequently use a DMO site when
learning about a destination
16
Other
2.9%
Promotional email
7.3%
Search engine
48.4%
Online review
5.1%
Online ad
2.9%
Direct mail
2.6%
Brochure
4.6%
Visitor bureau
3.0%
Referral
4.5%
Newspaper/magazine article
Radio Commercial
28% of respondents
indicated they found
about a DMO site
via traditional media
3.5%
0.4%
TV Commercial
2.1%
Magazine/newspaper ad
7.4%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
17
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Approximately 93% of
those surveyed
indicated they used the
Internet to plan a
personal vacation trip.
Only 26% indicated
they used magazines
or TV.
Other
6%
Internet
93%
Family/Friends
33%
Brochure
34%
Magazines
22%
TV
4%
Travel Agent
11%
800 Number
16%
0%
Note: This result is expected because the
survey consisted of DMO email lists.
20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
The Internet is the single largest
planning tool among this group!
18
Not at All
Useful
2
Neutral
4
Very
Useful
Top
Box
Airline Site
12%
12%
24%
25%
28%
53%
Travel Review
Site
10%
12%
29%
28%
31%
59%
Travel Search
Engine
7%
10%
27%
33%
24%
57%
Hotel Site
7%
11%
27%
33%
22%
55%
Search
Engine
2%
4%
16%
32%
45%
77%
Online TA
35%
23%
28%
10%
4%
14%
DMO Site
7%
8%
22%
32%
30%
62%
19
Other
5%
Called office for information
18%
Sent email request for information
36%
Visited an office for information
38%
Requested a visitor guide/brochure
75%
Visited DMO website
82%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
20
Other
3%
Blogs
Low % of video shows
potential of added
video content to DMO
websites
10%
Online video
24%
Package deal information
54%
Area photos
60%
Special events
67%
Activity information
74%
Specific attractions
74%
Area maps & attractions
82%
General information
84%
0%
50%
100%
21
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4%
After my trip
14%
During my trip
After booking but
31%
before traveling
44%
When booking my trip
Comparing travel
Note how users
primarily used a
DMO site in the early
stages of trip
planning and less so
during other parts of
the trip planning and
post trip behavior.
55%
products & prices
When learning about a
81%
destination
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
22
Definite
No Maybe
2% 13% 
-ly
8%
Note the influence a
DMO website has on a
decision to take a trip
to a specific area.
Some
what
54%
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Prompted me to book a trip to a
28%
destination
Helped to make a decision to
61%
visit a destination
Helped learn more about a
83%
destination
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
24
Not very
Not at all
helpful
helpful
3%
1%
Extremely
helpful
40%
Somewhat
helpful
56%
25
Not at
All
Reliable
2
Neutral
4
Very
Reliable
Top Box
Total
Airline
Website
4%
6%
28%
31%
30%
61%
Travel
Review
Site
4%
9%
36%
38%
13%
51%
Hotel Site
4%
8%
30%
39%
19%
58%
Search
Engine
1%
4%
23%
45%
27%
72%
Online TA
9%
10%
34%
33%
13%
46%
DMO Site
2%
4%
21%
43%
30%
73%
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27
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Travel reviews are influential
Respondents are more likely to believe
reviews by people like them
Many have viewed a travel destination video
online
Find destination travel videos helpful
Travel videos were much more helpful when
thinking about or planning a trip than for
specific activities
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78% of survey
respondents
indicated that
reviews and
travel
experiences by
others did have
an influence on
their travel
plans.
No
influence,
22%
Yes made
plans,
78%
29
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Survey respondents
indicated they
tended to believe
reviews done by
people like them as
opposed to travel
experts.
28%
72%
People Like Me
Travel Experts
30
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Fifty-four percent
of survey
respondents
indicated that they
had viewed a travel
destination video
online
46%
54%
Yes have viewed
No have not
31
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Fully 81% of survey
respondents
indicated online
videos were helpful
in considering a
destination to visit.
19%
81%
Yes helpful
No Not Helpful
32
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Note the importance of
online video when
thinking about taking a
trip and choosing a
destination
Videos were viewed
much less frequently
when considering
activity ideas, lodging
decisions and when
booking a trip
When booking a
destination trip
When deciding on
lodging
When looking for
activity ideas
When choosing a
destination
When thinking
about taking a trip
5%
11%
14%
28%
42%
0% 20% 40% 60%
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34
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One quarter of survey respondents have
“friended” or become fans of a destination
16% have accessed a destination website on
a mobile hand held device
Overall respondents tend to use a computer
to access a destination website while on a
vacation
47% have booked either part of all of a
vacation online.
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Twenty-seven
percent of survey
respondents
indicated they had
become a friend of
a specific
destination on
Facebook or
MySpace in the past
12 months
27%
73%
Yes
No
36
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Sixteen percent of
survey respondents
indicated they had
accessed a
destination website
with a handheld
phone or device in
the past 12 months
16%
84%
Yes
No
37
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The
overwhelming
majority of
survey
respondents
indicated they
used their
computer or
laptop to find
information
online
9%
Other
32%
Ask a local resident
48%
Local information center
Website via laptop or
73%
computer
15%
Website via your phone
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
38
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Forty-seven percent
of survey
respondents
indicated they
booked a part or all
of a trip online
47%
53%
Yes
No
39
The DMO website is a key link in the
destination choice process
Consumer
awareness about
site
DMO website
links vacation
concept to reality
Vacation
Booking
40
• Planning tool
Internet
Find a DMO Site
• Useful
• Search engine
• Influential
• Traditional
media
• Reliable
Book a trip
• Decision to
visit
DMO site
The DMO website plays an integral role in a visitor’s decision to visit;
users view it as useful, influential and reliable in providing
information with which to make a vacation destination decision.
41
Online
SEO
Social
DMO
Site
Traditional
Media
42
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SEO strategy
Information content strategy
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General Information
Area maps
Specific attractions
Activity information (recreation, cultural, historical)
Special events/event calendar
Area photos (in the moment, scenic, people)
Blog
Video
Social
43
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DMO websites play a critical role in the
destination planning process in educating
consumers about a destination
The DMO website is the link between
consumers’ interest in taking a vacation and
booking a vacation
The highest value of a DMO website is its
usefulness, reliability, and influence
44