Consumer Mindset Update Travel in Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada Agreement on Tourism - Actionable Insights for the Tourism Industry
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Consumer Mindset Update
Travel in Atlantic Canada
Actionable Insights for the Tourism Industry
Atlantic Canada
Agreement on Tourism
1
OUR GROUP OF COMPANIES
▪ MQO Research is a leading Atlantic Canadian Market
Insights company. We believe that market research is a
powerful tool when used to inform business and
organizational strategies and decisions.
▪ MQO is part of the m5 Group of companies, which also
includes m5 Marketing Communications - a full-service,
integrated marketing agency with over 35 years of
experience and more than 120 employees, making it the
region’s largest marketing agency.
2
Share insights on the mindset of Atlantic and
SESSION GOAL Central Canadians on travel to suggest areas of
opportunity for future planning.
3
INTRODUCTION
4
BACKGROUND
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on Atlantic Canadian economies
and the tourism sector in particular.
What do we need to know and understand about consumers to help
navigate the coming tourism season?
5
METHODOLOGY
n=2,127 residents of Atlantic Canada
completed the survey
Data was collected between April 26th
and May 16th.
Survey was conducted online
6
SUMMER & FALL TRAVEL PLANS
7
CURRENT TRAVEL PLANS
Over half of Atlantic Canadians have current plans for summer/fall travel during 2021, those who do
not have plans cite self-isolation protocols as a large part of this decision.
55% Of Atlantic Canadians currently have plans to take a
pleasure trip between May and October 2021
58% Of those with travel plans will travel within their home province
71%
Say that self-isolation protocols for out-of-region travel have
had a “significant impact” on decisions to not make plans.
.
ATLANTIC CANADA TOURISM STUDY 8
CURRENT TRAVEL PLANS
Travel Within My Home Province
76%
Among those who currently have plans,
Newfoundland and Labrador residents were far
more likely to be travelling within their home
province this coming summer or fall.
43%
49%
55%
.
ATLANTIC CANADA TOURISM STUDY 9
CURRENT TRAVEL PLANS:
Current travel plans are concentrated primarily in
Atlantic Canada in the months of July and August
0%
0% 0%
26% 28%
23% 14% 13%
2% 9%
5%
2%
0% 1%
2%
4% 12% MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT
29% Current Travel Plans by Month
Outside of Canada
Other International Destination 2%
United States 2% 21%
ATLANTIC CANADA TOURISM STUDY
10CURRENT TRAVEL PLANS
Atlantic Canadians plan to take a small number of shorter trips this tourism season.
.
25% of travelers will not stay in paid accommodations for all or part of their trip.
Number of Planned Trips Nights Planned for Paid Accommodation
44% 57%
33% 48%
29%
12% 21%
10% 14%
6%
1 2 3 4+ 1-3 4-7 8+
Current Travel Plans Nights Travelling
Nights in Paid Accommodations
ATLANTIC CANADA TOURISM STUDY 11CURRENT TRAVEL PLANS
The majority of those who may be required to self-isolate upon returning to Atlantic Canada from out-
of-region travel still plan to take a trip this coming summer or fall.
Intentions if Self-Isolation is Required for Out-of-Region Travel
Would not impact travel plans 31%
Postpone travel to later in the summer or fall 27%
Cancel travel plans altogether 22%
Among those who indicated
they would change
Postpone travel until next year 20% destinations, 28% said they
would travel within their
Change travel destinations 10% home province instead
DK 4%
12CURRENT TRAVEL PLANS
35% Of those who have travel plans within Atlantic Canada had originally
planned to travel to destinations outside of Atlantic Canada.
64%
35%
2%
Yes No DK
Those who would normally travel outside of Atlantic Canada
between May and October
13TRAVELLER SENTIMENT
14COMFORT WITH TRAVEL
Atlantic Canadians are largely comfortable with travel in their community now and are waiting for self-isolation
protocols to be lifted for travel within Atlantic Canada but require more vaccination progress for other locations.
Comfortable with this now
Communities within home province 58% 12% 7% 9% 6%
3% 4%
Once I can travel without having to
self-isolate on arrival/return
Other AC provinces 13% 36% 9% 13% 8% 16%
Once the destination has gone two
5% weeks with no cases
Other Canadian provinces outside of AC 9% 20% 8% 20% 11% 30% Following first dose of the vaccine
3%
5% Following second dose of the vaccine
The United States 8% 15% 17% 9% 42%
4%
Once most residents of destination
have been vaccinated at least once
3%
Other international destinations 8% 15% 6% 16% 9% 43%
Once the destination has achieved
herd immunity
15DECISION-MAKING AROUND TRAVEL
% rated 8
Importance of Factors in Decision-Making for Travel
or higher
The number of active COVID-19 cases at destination 85%
Health and safety standards at destination 82%
Atlantic Canadians see factors Full ticket refund policies for events/activities 76%
around health and safety as being Free cancellations for accommodations/transportation 75%
most important in their decision- The number of active COVID-19 cases where I live 74%
making around travel, “Safe and clean” designation for businesses from regulatory body 73%
The extent to which residents of destination have been vaccinated 71%
Knowing if local residents would welcome visitors 70%
Flexibility in cancellation policies Information on cleaning procedures at destination 67%
and refunds are also important Requirement for travellers to provide negative COVID-19 test prior to
65%
when making travel plans. departure
Information on the ability to maintain social distancing at destination 63%
Number of tourism businesses/attractions open 62%
Waived booking fees 57%
Discounted travel deals 54%
Availability of digital itineraries for activities/experiences 48%
ATLANTIC CANADA TOURISM STUDY, PHASE 3 16TRAVEL PREFERENCES
17INTEREST IN TRAVEL PACKAGES
There is a moderate level of interest in travel packages, and travellers find knowing costs and what is
available to them in the region as most appealing when booking.
% rated 8 or
Appeal of Elements for Booking Packages
Interest in Travel Packages While… higher
Knowing your trip costs up front 79%
53%
48% 47%
Knowing what is open and available in a region
before visiting 78%
Discounted rates for activities and experiences 72%
The ability to try something new as part of a travel
Vacationing in AC Vacationing in Visiting friends or package 58%
home province family
Having a suggested itinerary of activities to choose
from 54%
Having a vacation fully planned out 45%
18TRAVEL PACKAGE TESTING
TOP
TOP
PICK
FAMILY COTTAGE PICK
REGIONAL (WINE/BREWERY) OUTDOOR ESCAPADES
GETAWAY TOUR
FAMILY REUNION GETAWAY WITHIN A
GETAWAY TOP
PICK
19TRAVEL PACKAGE TESTING
FAMILY COTTAGE
GETAWAY
• Families with children
REGIONAL
under 17 (WINE/BREWERY) TOUR
• Couples
• Couples travelling with
friends
FAMILY REUNION
• Families travelling with
adult children
GETAWAY WITHIN A
GETAWAY • Families with children
under 12
OUTDOOR ESCAPADES • Couples travelling with
• Solo travellers friends
• Couples
• Couples travelling with
friends
20PACKAGE COMPARISON
The ‘ ‘Family Cottage Getaway’ was most commonly travellers’ number one choice. The Getaway
Within a Getaway’ and ‘Outdoor Escapades’ were most frequently ranked in the top 3 choices.
Spend Length of Trip Location
Package Type Travel Party Home Other
$500-$900 $1200+ 1-3 4-7
Province Province
Family Cottage Getaway Families w/ children under 17 38% 13% 40% 37% 71% 53%
Family Reunion Families w/ adult children 36% 13% 43% 29% 58% 55%
Outdoor Escapades Solo/ Couples/Couples w/ friends 36% 12% 43% 24% 65% 58%
Regional Wine/Brewery Tour Couples/Couples w/ friends 34% 8% 58% 18% 62% 61%
Families w/ children under 12 and
Getaway within a Getaway 39% 13% 49% 26% 65% 59%
Couples w/ friends
ATLANTIC CANADA TOURISM STUDY 21BUILD YOUR OWN TRAVEL PACKAGE
Top Five Activity Choices
Visiting a beach 39%
Hiking or walking 29%
Having a bonfire 25%
Shopping 24%
Going on a tour of a historical site 24%
Restaurant/culinary experiences 23%
Coastal sightseeing 23%
Music concerts/festivals 21%
Visiting wineries or breweries 21%
Visiting provincial or national parks 20%
Whale watching 20%
Amusement/water parks 17%
Visiting a museum or art gallery 15%
Nature observing 14%
Camping/RVing 13%
Sailing/boat tours 12%
Theatre performances/plays 12%
Visiting spas or wellness centers 10%
Zip-lining/parasailing or other adventure activities 10%
Golfing 10%
22WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
TOP 7 INSIGHTS FROM THE RESEARCH
23HIGH OPPORTUNITY CLOSE TO HOME
Travellers still want to stay close to home right now, but that doesn’t mean
they don’t want to have leisure experiences.
▪ Similar to other places in the world, our research has shown that Atlantic Canadians
intend to stick close to home, and the greatest areas of opportunity are
“staycations.”
▪ Focus on leisure experiences that may not require much time on the road (dining,
sight-seeing, shopping, spa packages); shorter trips can be built around these
experiences.
▪ The family cottage style vacation was the most popular for ‘travel within the home
province.’ Those in the industry may have significant success with local
consumers in the coming season.
24INVESTING IN CONSUMER CONFIDENCE
Communicating safety without travellers having to ask, is still important.
▪ To increase travellers’ comfort level, businesses need to be able to effectively communicate
that health and safety measures are being followed based on provincial reopening plans.
▪ Travellers do not want to have to ask; they want to be sure. Room for doubt will reduce
participation in tourism.
▪ Collectivist messaging continues to be prominent in Atlantic Canada: highlighting what
measures are being taken on the operator side, and communicating what visitors should do,
will fit within the theme of teamwork and togetherness.
Larger-scale programs for standardizing adherence to health and
safety measures are one way to make travellers feel safe.
25DIGITIZED EXPERIENCES
Businesses across industries have found novel ways to move into online
spaces. Consumers will appreciate digitized options within tourism now and
in the future.
▪ Travellers are comfortable booking or ordering online, and are interested in digital
travel packages and itineraries.
▪ Consumers will expect and appreciate uptake of digitized experiences within your
operations – something we’ve already begun to see in other locations regardless of
public health concerns.
There are lots of options for digitizing offerings, including mobile food
ordering, online events, and self-guided tours on mobile apps.
26FRIENDS AND FAMILY FIRST
Having friends and family to travel with has been consistently top-of-mind
In previous research when we asked Atlantic Canadians what they missed the most about attending
events, the majority said they missed having experiences with friends and family.
▪ Visiting friends and family was a top mention of pre-planned travel prior to the closure of the
Atlantic Bubble.
▪ As confidence in the safety of travel continues to improve and restrictions loosen, messaging
around reunions may be especially effective.
There may be opportunity to incentivize inviting friends and family to
visit when possible – prep consumers in the meantime.
27HIGH YIELD TRAVELERS
Opportunities for high end offerings still exist within the local market
Despite shorter stays being the norm for vacations close to home, around 10% of
travellers would anticipate paying $1,200 + for each of the travel packages presented.
Highlight unique experiences in Atlantic Canada and promote
authentic cultural experiences or outstanding natural sights.
28OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES ARE STILL IN HIGH DEMAND
Outdoor activities are favoured. It may take time for Atlantic Canadians to feel
comfortable engaging in indoor activities post pandemic.
▪ Continue to use outdoor spaces for activities as much as possible.
▪ Explore ways to monetize popular no-cost outdoor experiences, such as visiting
beaches. How can these activities be built into packages.
▪ Highlight nearby beaches, trails experiences, sightseeing etc.
There may be opportunity to incentivize inviting friends and family to
visit when possible – prep consumers in the meantime.
29REIMAGNING THE TRAVEL PACKAGE
Travellers like knowing costs and availability of activities up-front, but have a
preference for flexibility in all other areas of their experience.
▪ Choose smaller packages that can included in an independently planned trip
▪ Build choice and flexibility into packages
▪ Clearly communicate cost and savings
Build smaller travel packages that can be added on to an
independently planned trip.
30KEY TAKE-AWAYS
Flexibility is even more important as provinces start to truly open back up.
Change is still the reality for this tourism season, but adaptation continues to be possible.
✓ Capture the imagination of Atlantic Canadians
✓ What IS possible?
✓ Shift your offerings to align with the current consumer mindset
31QUESTIONS?
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