Survey Provides New Snapshot of Visitors

Last ​fall, Destination Gettysburg worked with our partner, BOOM, to develop our new logo. As part of that process, we distributed two surveys - one to our members and the stakeholders, and the other to our visitors- the 82,000 opt-in subscribers who receive our newsletter each month. We gathered great information on the logo and on the destination. The information below highlights feedback from our visitors that we can use to make future decisions on product needs, experience and marketing.
 
We collected 1,225 surveys. Of those who responded, 90.49 percent visited and want to return. This is an amazing response and falls in line with what we hear during our Cal U Intercept Study conducted each year. Of the remaining responses, 8.28 percent had not yet visited but are interested in visiting, only 0.98 percent visited and didn't want to return. Only one quarter of a percent had no interest in visiting.
 
A quick snapshot of the 1,225 respondents shows that of the 165 who gave their age, 111 were over 56 years old. 49 of the respondents were 36-55 and only five were under 35. Knowing the list, and the longevity of many newsletter readers, this is our devoted history traveler. Similar to our Cal U study, of the 1,209 who gave their gender, 51.2 percent were male and 47.56 percent were female.
 
These visitors shared that they primarily (51.48 percent) travel as couples, followed by 19.36 percent who travel with immediate family (younger kids). Additional visitors shared that 9.64 percent travel with friends, 8.65 percent travel alone, 6.51 percent travel with extended family and 4.37 percent travel as a couple with other couple(s).  
 
We inquired as to things visitors enjoyed, as well as areas in which we could improve. The areas noted as things they love included our history, the town and surrounding towns, as well as our countryside. They also commented many, many times about enjoying our wine.
 
In regards to areas that these respondents believed we had room to improve included:

• The need for a wider variety of retail offerings ranging from low cost to high end.
• Visitors would like our shops to stay open later.
• Visitors requested an increase in restaurants and menu offerings
• The need for additional kid-friendly and family friendly non-history activities.
• Many also noted the impact on the experience due to crowded sidewalks in the evenings
• Many shared their concern with the price of our accommodations, noting that they have gone up over the years.   
• We need to improve parking.
• Traffic also came up as an issue many times.
• We noted references that the town/battlefield is too busy.  

When asked what our current visitor looks for in a getaway, there were no surprises:

1. Historical landmarks
2. Scenery
3. New dining experiences
4. Festivals
5. Shopping
6. Outdoor recreation
7. Entertainment
8. Nightlife

We encourage you to think about these comments and look at ways that you can develop new experiences to engage our existing visitor as well as shape new opportunities to attract visitors who have never been... or at least haven't visited since they were here with their school.
 
Any questions about the survey or the findings can be directed to Stacey Fox, Vice President, at [email protected]. 

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