Destination monitor/1 Visitors’ opinions and trends during

MTM XI - Final project

Objectives

1.Evaluate the perceptions of Italy by Italian and foreign visitors to Milan during

Expo :

• 1.145 tourist interviews

• Analysis on Images posted by tourists on social media during Expo

2.Provide useful guidelines on how to design and develop tourism offer after Expo

3. Lay the basis for a permanent innovative system of monitoring of tourist

demand for tourism operators and institutions

Destination Monitor (DM)

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Destination Monitor

The Destination Monitor draws upon 3 sources of data,

probes according to 2 areas of analysis, obtains 4 kinds of result

Visitors’ Survey

Digital data stream places reviews (TripAdvisor)

Digital data stream Visual content

(Twitter, Instagram)

Intelligence on the attractiveness of places Intelligence on preferred themes and experiences Gap between visitors’ expectations and travel experiences Gap between projected and perceived image of the destination

Before the trip

During the trip

After the trip

Data

Population segments

…. …. ….

Geographical Markets

…. …. ….

Motivation Behaviour Satisfaction

MTM Project – Contribution to DM

The MTM project contributes to preliminary data collection and analysis of 2 sources of the DM

with the aim of providing guidelines for an extensive implementation of the DM

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1.145 face-to-face tourist interviews Milan - June 2015

Visual content analysis on Instagram

1

2

Visitors’ Survey

Digital data stream

places reviews (TripAdvisor)

Digital data stream

Visual content (Twitter,

Instagram)

Intelligence on the attractiveness of places Intelligence on preferred themes and experiences Gap between visitors’ expectations and travel experiences Gap between projected and perceived image of the destination

Before the trip

During the trip

After the trip

Data

Population segments

…. …. ….

Geographical Markets

…. …. ….

Motivation Behaviour Satisfaction

Methodology – Sampling & Data Collection

• City center • Hotel in Milano • Malpensa Airport • Underground – Rho-Fiera Milano Station • Railway Stations (Centrale & Garibaldi)

When

Where

How

• June 2015

• Face to face interview (average duration 7’)

• Questionnaire: 16 multiple choice and 4 open-ended questions

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Country Tourists %

Italy 163 14%

North America (USA + Canada) 153 13%

Germany 126 11%

China 121 11%

Other top 10 European markets* 102 9%

Northern Europe° 101 9%

France 100 9%

South America^ 96 8%

Far East** 93 8%

Russia 90 8%

Total sample for the analysis 1.145 100% * Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Poland ** Malaysia, Philippines, Korea, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New Zealand, Australia ° Finland, Ireland, Denmark, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, UK ^ Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay, Ecuador, Mexico, Barbados, Costa Rica, Perù, Bolivia, Dominican Rep.

Sample:

• Italy

• Top 10 inbound tourism markets in Italy (Germany, France USA, UK, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Holland, Poland, Belgium)

• Top 3 growing inbound tourism markets (China, Argentina e Russia)

• Emerging markets (Far East, Northern Europe)

Methodology – Sample Profile

Average daily expense*

Gender Age

* Travel and lodging expenses not included

Average stay

Travel motivation

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Travel partner

• Intention to return

• Activities to be done during future visits

Methodology - Variables

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Socio-demo Profile

Experience

Judgment

Future intentions

• Age

• Gender

• Expenses

• Travel characteristics (purpose of travel, accommodation, booking

channels, travel partners and itineraries)

• Activities done during travel

• Perceived image (overall and detailed perception)

• Authenticity of experience (coherence with destination identity)

• Memorable places

• Satisfaction

Knowledge • Number of visits in Italy

• Travel duration (n. of nights)

Results – Expo Effect

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• For 40% of the sample (Italians and Europeans in particular) Expo is one of the travel purposes • 50% of the sample includes Expo in travel itinerary, but no one considers Expo as the only purpose of travel

Travel Itinerary (Multiple choice) Why travel to Italy

(Multiple choice)

Results – Travel Organisation

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• 67% of respondents stated that they organised their trip by themselves, through the main online booking channels (Booking.com; Airbnb; Expedia in particular). In most cases they are Northern European, French and North American, markets that lead trends

• Only 3% uses Italian tour operators or travel agencies

Most used booking channels Travel organisation

DIY

Foreigner ADV/TO

Company

Italian ADV/TO

Results – Stay

% of visitors staying

in alternative lodging facilities

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• 34% of respondents stayed in alternative (not hotel) lodging facilities (43% rented houses)

• Foreign tourists who prefer to stay in alternative lodging facilities come from Germany, Northern Europe and North America, repeater markets with high preference for “DIY”

* B&B, agritourism, hostels, camping

Alternative lodging options

*

Results – Knowledge and Return Intention

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• 64% of foreign respondents said that they had already visited Italy, enjoyed it, and that they wanted to come back in the future for holiday purposes

• There is an interesting potential to be exploited to develop new travel itineraries based on new destinations and activities

Foreign tourists who have been in Italy 2 or more times Satisfaction with travel experience

Return intention to Italy for Holiday

(Scala 1-5: 1 = very negative; 5 = very positive)

Average 4,4

Yes

No

DK

Results – Perceived Image

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• Italy, as a tourist destination, has a very positive perceived image (4,3 / 5)

• Key elements of the tourist offer: cultural attractions, enogastronomy and shopping, but also natural attractions

• DMO services and prices are the least favorably judged elements (public facilities, tourism info, transportation, tourism services value for money)

Preceived image of different elements of the tourist offer Overall image of Italy

(Scala 1-5: 1 = very negative; 5 = very positive)

Average 4,3

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Noth Americans and tourists from the Far East perceive an improvement of Italy as a tourism destination in comparison with their previous trip

Evaluation of Italy in comparison with previous travel experiences in Italy

(Scala 1-5: 1 = molto negativa; 5 = molto positiva)

Results – Comparative Evaluation

• The experience of traveling in Italy is perceived as authentic and deeply linked with local identity

• Food, culture and shopping are the main activities of visistors (in line with Italy’s points of strength) followed by nature & green, nightlife and music & performing arts

Activities Travel experience authenticity

Average 4,2

(Scala 1-5: 1 = very negative, 5 = very positive)

Results – Activities

Results – Activities for a Future Trip

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Sun & sea (34%), music & performing arts (33%), spa & wellness (26%) e nature & green (21%) are the main purpose to come back to Italy after Expo.

Activities visitors would like to do on a new trip in Italy

Results – Itineraries

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Visited Places in Italy and abroad (open-ended answer)

• Respondents’ travel itineraries include Milan (88%) and other italian destinations (41%) and for the 49% Expo too

• Only 8% of them also included a foreign country in the travel itinerary; mainly visitors coming from North American (33%), China (18%) and the Far East (15%), “DIY” travelers (78%) staying in hotel

Results – Memorable Places

• Among “memorable places”, in addition to classic italian destinations for international visitors (Milan, Rome, Venice and Florence), respondents mentioned places of interest less visited by mass tourism. These can be exploited with specific offers for repeaters

• Only a few regions are frequently mentioned as memorable places (Tuscany, Sardegna, Apulia, Sicily), while others are part of the travel itinerary.

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Memorable places for those who visited Milan and Italy

Results – Focus on Specific Themes

Tourists quoting Music & performing arts among activities they appreciated during

their stay in Italy

Music & Performing arts, on which Italy can claim unique resources and events, are already well appreciated by foreign visitors (Russians and North-Americans in particular) and they are a high potential sector to be developed to attract new emerging international markets (Northern Europe, South America above all)

Music & performing arts

Tourists who want to experience Music & performing arts activities during their

future trips in Italy

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Results – Focus on Specific Themes

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• Spa & wellness is a sector with high potential for development • Russia, China, North and South America are already primary markets. They confirm also their desire

to repeat this experience in future trips to Italy

Spa & wellness

Tourists quoting Spa & Wellness among activities they appreciated during their stay

in Italy

Tourists who want to experience Spa & wellness during their

future trips in Italy

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• High interest for outdoor activities, sought after by Italian and German tourists, but also by tourists coming from North and South America and the Far East)

• France, Northern Europe e China are high potential markets

Nature & green

Tourists quoting Nature & Green among activities they appreciated during their stay

in Italy

Tourists who want to experience Nature & Green activities during their

future trips in Italy

Results – Focus on Specific Themes