Hotel Online Special Report 
The Connecticut River Valley Shoreline Visitors Council Using Scientific Market Research to Monitor Tourism Growth MIDDLETOWN, Conn., March 29, 2000 – The Connecticut River Valley Shoreline Visitors Council has become the fastest-growing tourism district in the State of Connecticut and is looking forward to a great tourism season in 2000, Executive Director Jackie LaBella announced today.
“Several years ago, The Nature Conservancy named us ‘one of the last great places,’” said LaBella. “Today, unprecedented numbers of people are discovering the truth in that statement.” LaBella and community leaders throughout the District held a press conference Wednesday to release financial figures and market research results, and talk about the economic benefits of tourism.
Projected revenues for the district for the 1999-2000 fiscal year are expected to top $780,000, an increase of 62 percent from 1997-98, and a 111 percent increase from 1995-96, LaBella said. Statewide tourism growth has been strong in this same period, averaging between 10 and 11 percent annually. The district is now the sixth largest of the State’s 11 districts, moving up two spots from its 1997-98 ranking.
In an effort to better understand why the district has become such a popular tourism spot, the Visitors Council conducted its first round of scientific market research this fall. According to the district’s first scientific market research study, 83 percent of those polled gave the area a positive rating as a vacation or travel destination. Among visitors, the rating was even higher at 89 percent. Overall, 98.9 percent of those who visited said their visit was good or very good.
The survey was conducted by the Center for Research and Public Policy, a national polling firm based in New Haven. Larry McHugh, president of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce, said the rise in tourism’s popularity is a boon to business. “Tourism generates a great return to the local economy,” McHugh said. “Of every dollar spent at a tourism business, 82 cents is returned to the local economy in wages, purchasing and other economic activity.”
Henry Thorpe, President of Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, noted that the district’s appeal as a unique experience was catching on with visitors. “We have seen an amazing response from people who want to go out on the River and see nature,” Thorpe said. “Our region’s essential qualities are its scenery, its natural resources and its people, and the Visitors Council has done a great job of getting that message across to tourists.” The top reasons cited by respondents to the market research survey for visiting the area include:
- Beautiful scenery
- Enjoyable experience of driving through it
- District’s ambiance
- Being treated with courtesy
- Convenience
- Abundance of restaurants
The survey polled a nationwide sample of people who had contacted the tourism district for information in the last three years. As a result of the survey’s findings, the district is launching a new print advertising campaign with a greater emphasis on the region’s magnificent views, to convey the perceived strengths of the district to prospective travelers. In addition, the campaign seeks to promote the district’s web site, because research showed that people are increasingly using the Internet as a medium for researching travel plans.
“We are thrilled by the results of the survey and excited to see our numbers growing,” said LaBella. “This district has so much to offer travelers, as well as residents of Connecticut.”
Contact: Jackie LaBella, Executive Director 860-347-0028 Connecticut River Valley Shoreline Visitors Council http://www.visitctriver.com Also See: Foxwoods’ November ‘99 Slot Revenues Continue Upward Trend; Contributions to State Approach $1 Billion / Sept 1999 The Heritage in Southbury, CT Completes $3.5 Million Renovation / July 1999