Tourism Market Research Galveston Island, TX

Home , Elissa (ship), Galveston College, Galveston Island, Galveston Orphans Home, Galveston Railroad, Hotel Galvez

February 2020

www.grayresearchsolutions.com Table of Contents

Project Overview

Goals & Objectives 5 Methodology 5 Insights Overview 7

Findings

Immersion & Reconnaissance 12 The Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) 28 Understanding Lodging 49

Hotel Occupancy Tax Analysis

Smith Travel Research Analysis

GRS Lodging Study: Hotels

GRS Lodging Study: Vacation Rentals

Understanding Attractions 65

Attractions Managers Survey

Attractions Patrons E-Survey

Understanding Perceptions of Galveston 84

Digital Ethnographic Perception Study Understanding Leisure Visitors 113

Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts): Leisure Visitors

Vacation Rental Guest Survey

Insights & Implications

Overall Insights 156 Implications: Strategic Recommendations for Galveston Island 158

Appendices Appendix A: Tables A.1: Combined Visitor Data 161 A.2: Combined Attractions Patron Data 164 A.3: Generational/Party-Type Graphs, Vacation Rental Guests 170 A.4: Leisure Visitor Segment Infographics 173 A.5: Love Letters to Galveston Verbatims 175 Appendix B: Questionnaires B.1: Lodging Survey 181 B.2: Attractions Manager Survey 182 B.3: Attractions Patrons Survey 183 B.4: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study 187 B.5: Visitor Intercept Survey 194 B.6: Vacation Rental Guest Survey 196 Project Overview

Goals & Objectives Methodology Insights Overview Overall Goals and Objectives Project Overivew The overarching goal of this project was to identify Galveston’s highly engaged (and therefore high value) visitors, in order to aid and inform the development of targeted marketing and messaging strategies. We aimed to understand all types of visitors including how long they stayed, how often they came, and how they told the stories of their trips after they returned home. We also aimed to understand perceptions and beliefs of Galveston among potential visitor audiences including why some haven’t visited Galveston. Thus, this project set out to complete the following objectives: ●● Understand and document the current profile of Galveston Island visitors ●● Identify and segment “high-value” (longer staying, higher spending) visitors ●● Understand the perceptions and images of Galveston Island in the minds of visitors AND non-visitors ●● Identify opportunities for increased visitation during low periods (days of the week and seasons)

Project Methodology Methods to Insights to Recommendations

In order to gain the richest and most robust insights and, in turn, develop the most useful research- based recommendations, GRS employed a variety of methods (the gray column on the left). Each method was designed to illuminate a variety of insight areas, in conjunction with other methods. In other words, each method works with the others to provide data on a range of topics. Below we have outlined the methods, their goals, and the response (as appropriate).

Tourism Market Research 5 Destination Immersion & Reconnaissance The GRS Team visited Galveston Island October 22-28, 2018 to meet with tourism partners, assess the destination, and experience the available attractions and lodging facilities.

Visitor Intercept Survey Professional GRS researchers completed 409 in person intercepts in hotels, attractions, beaches, campgrounds, over all 5 seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Holiday, and Winter. From these intercepts, we discovered visitor profiles by segment, identified high-value visitors, and seasonal differ- Project Overivew ences. This data also contributed to the other research goals of this project.

Lodging Study A lodging study was conducted during 2019 to understand the visitor mix (% of visitor types/segments) of overnight visitors in Galveston Island. Lodging property managers are good sources for understanding the types of visitors that stay with them. This study is comprised of: ●● Hotel Tax Occupancy Analysis ●● Smith Travel Research (STR) report analysis ●● Confidential lodging partner survey ○○ From the confidential lodging partner surveys, we received 19 hotel responses, 6 V/R Campground responses, and 6 vacation rental management company responses.

Attractions Manager Survey An attractions study was conducted during 2019 to understand visitation patterns from the attractions managers. We received 12 responses.

Attractions Patron E-Survey To understand attractions patrons, including the proportion of locals to visitors and visitor behaviors in the destination, GRS sent an online survey out to 8,664 Island Pass Purchasers. From April to July 2019, we received 549 responses.

Vacation Rental Guest Survey GRS conducted an online survey of vacation rental guests, using emails provided by vacation rental management companies. We collected 1,486 responses in order to better understand visitors who stay in vacation rentals and how they differ from other visitors.

Digital Ethnographic Perception Study To gain a deeper understanding of how Texas leisure travelers perceive Galveston, a digital bulletin board was conducting during May 2019. Individuals from Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin were invited to participate and share their perceptions, regardless of whether they had actually visited Galveston in the past or how recently they had been there. In total, 79 participants completed all the questions and exercises.

Insights Using the data we collected in the aforementioned methodologies, we were able to find insights into: ●● Visitors (and non-visitors) ●● Attractions and their patrons ●● Lodging, including hotels, vacation rentals, and RV Campground/Campsites ●● Seasonal differences in travel to Galveston Island.

Galveston Island 6 Implications Project Overivew Based on these insights gained from the above methodology, GRS has provided an outline of strategic recommendations for marketing and planning decisions based on research findings.

Insights Overview This section provides some key highlights and a brief summary of our findings and insights in the following chapters.

Immersion & Reconnaissance ●● Galveston is Texas’s beloved, historic and FUN beach. ○○ The sheer volume of attractions, dining, retail, services, etc. in Galveston, along with its historic appeal and lively atmosphere, result in visitors describing Galveston as the FUN beach. They love the beach itself, the history of the Island, and they love all the fun things to see and do. No other beach in the multi-state region can claim this kind of history or volume of infrastructure or FUN. In Texas, with 600 miles of coastline, this is Galveston’s distinction. ●● Lively, FUN Downtown Historic Strand District ○○ Visitors find this area irresistible, and again, it’s a source that generates steady repeat visits. ●● Significant history & historical visitor interest ○○ There is so much history in Galveston, and it is obvious in both the historic architecture and activities. ●● Sheer volume of activities is impressive and inspires numerous repeat visits. ○○ Many visitors our Reconnaissance Team encountered reported repeat trips to Galveston. ●● Easily visible, and large quantity of Nature ○○ Birding, dolphins, sea life, etc. Nature is on full display in Galveston, is highly visible, easy to access, and delivers on volume and quality. ●● Good quality as well as quantity of infrastructure (e.g. roads, hotels, dining, attractions). ●● Hotels need to be more proactive with visitor information ○○ This was the single biggest negative issue our team encountered. Visitors tell us repeatedly they want to find visitor information at their hotels/lodging. Lodging partners need to know this and make GICVB Visitor Guide highly visible at their front desks or in the rooms/units.

The Visitor Profile Study ●● From this central study, GRS was able to determine an overall visitor profile and dive deeper into the differences across visitor segments (Leisure, Business, Meeting/Group, Cruisers). ●● The overall average visitor ○○ is a college-educated Gen Xer from Texas who identifies as a woman. ○○ is a leisure visitor. ○○ travels with 1 to 2 other adults (her partner or maybe friends). ○○ has been to Galveston before. ○○ plans visits to Galveston in 2 weeks or less using prior knowledge of the town and the internet to get their trip planned out. ○○ drives into town (since Galveston is conveniently only a few hours away at most) ○○ stays in a hotel. ○○ The visitor will go out to eat, maybe shop, hit the Historic District, and/or visit Moody Gardens. They also visit the beach (Seawall and/or Jamaica). All the while, our average

Tourism Market Research 7 travel is posting on Facebook and Instagram, telling her friends and family (and followers) about her experience. ○○ Our average traveler had a great time visiting, so she rates her experience at a 5 out of 5, and gives high ratings to all the amenities in Galveston. She’ll also be likely to recommend her experience to family and friends. ●● Some notable differences across segments include: ○○ Leisure, Business, and Meeting/Group visitors all stayed 3 to 4 nights, but Cruisers only stayed, on average, 1.3 nights. ○○ The overall average for visitor spending was about $350 per party per day, but Business Project Overivew visitors only spent about $226 per party per day. ●● Overall, the average ratings for Galveston and its amenties were excellent and nothing was below 3.5. Understanding Lodging To develop a clear and complex picture of Galveston’s lodging products, GRS collected data via Hotel Occupancy Tax records, Smith Travel Research, and our own confidential lodging survey of hotels, campgrounds, and vacation rentals. ●● Galveston is a seasonal leisure destination, with strong summer and shoulder seasons (spring and fall). ●● Over half of hotel guests (and nearly 80% of vacation rental guests) are leisure. ●● 28% of hotel guests are group and 15% are business. ●● Limited service hotels saw more cruisers (20% of their market mix) than full service (8.5%). ○○ Cruisers were also found to fill in slow periods (Sunday nights and off-seasons) ●● Visitors, regardless of season or lodging choice, were most likely to be Texans. In this chapter, we also pulled in insights from the Digital Ethnographic Perception Study to explain what makes a visitor look for a hotel versus a vacation rental. From their responses, GRS found that each type of lodging meets different needs (e.g., being pampered in a hotel versus being able to cook your own food in a vacation rental).

Understanding Attractions To get perspectives on the available attractions in Galveston, GRS collected information from attractions managers and patrons. From the attractions managers, we found a few notable insights: ●● 73% of reporting attractions maintained an email database, although several had just started and several more only collected emails for specific ticket or event types.All attractions were making use of social media to market their attraction. ●● When asked what the CVB could help with most, managers said continuing to support them through the Visitor Center and with co-op advertising. Additionally, there were requests for assistance witth marketing, especially digital marketing. From the attractions patrons (respondents to a survey of Island Pass purchasers; not necessarily representative of attractions not included in the pass), we learned that: ●● They tend to stay about 3 nights. ●● Moody Gardens was the most visited attraction and if a visitor went there, they were also more likely to visit Pleasure Pier and take a Dolphin/Harbor Tour. ●● The Historic District was the second most visited attraction. If a visitor went there, they were also more likely to visit Pleasure Pier, Seawolf Park, Moody Mansion, the Ocean Star, Schlit- terbahn and take a Dolphin/Harbor Tour. ●● Interactive/Experiential attractions are more repeatable than museums. ○○ Not surprisingly, the Historic District was the most often to be visited repeatedly, followed by Moody Gardens. Galveston Island 8 Understanding Perceptions of Galveston Project Overivew With a multi-day digital bulletin board (GRS’s Digital Ethnographic Perception Study), Texans in major Galveston tourism markets were able to share their perceptions of the Island. They had the opportunity to share their thoughts via text, images, and video diaries. Some were also selected to participate in online focus groups. Through this rich data set, GRS learned much about the trip planning process and the varying relationships visitors and non-visitors have to Galveston Island. For instance, we received remarkable feedback when we asked Texas leisure travelers if Galveston were a vehicle, what type of vehicle would it be and why. The following reflects some of the responses.

Galveston would be a reliable mini-van. Honda Civic because it’s a small I picked an old Volvo. It’s reliable, Not the newest, but works for the entire town that’s average just like the it is a car, but it’s just not the best family. Also not the “coolest” car on the average beach yet reliable like looking car and if possible, I’d love road but reliable and long lasting. how Galveston will always give to have a newer/better looking car. ~Dallas Visitor you a good memory or two! ~Dallas Past Visitor ~Houston Visitor

Galveston is 1991 Pink Mazda Miata that hasn’t been washed in a year. It was so cool and fun when it first became popular but now it is just dated and needs a little work. Cool to those who drove one back in their glory days but for a regular driver its a little weird and not modern enough. ~Dallas Visitor

The overall theme of these response suggests that Galveston is perceived as a little dated and not for everyone, but reliable and meaningful to those who have a connection to the Island. Among the other insights, GRS also elicited some of the major perceived draws/drawbacks to Galveston Island:

Draws Drawbacks Beach Dated History “Dirty” Beach/Water Island Vibe Parking Lots to do Safety concerns Driveable Experiences lacking Easy to get around Lack of Novelty

Tourism Market Research 9 Understanding Leisure Visitors As we learned from the lodging study, Galveston’s overnight visitors are primarily leisure. In this chapter, we explicitly focus on leisure guests by taking a closer look at the leisure visitors in the Profile study and vacation rental guests (from our vacation rental guest survey). From that analysis, we were able to develop a profile of the average leisure visitor and learn some differences in the kinds of leisure trips visitors are taking. For instance, vacation rental guests were older, more likely to stay longer, with large multi-generational family groups

Project Overivew In this chapter, we also brought together insights from the digital ethnographic perception study (as detailed in “Understanding Perceptions of Galveston”) with the leisure visitor insights to develop four leisure visitors segments: ●● Big-Spending Loyalists (higher spending/longer stays, high affinity) ●● Idealists on a Budget (higher spending/longer stays, low affinity) ●● Contented Refreshees (lower spending/shorter stays, high affinity) ●● Aspiring Accepters (lower spending/shorter stays, low affinity) These segments, based on affinity for Galveston, and visitor value (spending and length of stay) reveal different relationships leisure visitors have with Galveston. For instance, Big-Spending Loyal- ists LOVE Galveston and will happily recommend it as a perfect vacation spot. Aspiring Accepters would prefer a “cleaner and clearer” beach, but chose Galveston because it’s convenient or a good cruise port.

Organization of the Report The report begins with GRS’s immersion and reconnaissance, which was our orientation to Galves- ton Island as a destination and the kickoff of the research process. Next is the centerpiece of this project, the visitor profile study, which develops a profile of the average visitor, demographically and behaviorally, via on-the-ground intercept interviews. After these introductory chapters, we dive deep into four major insight areas: lodging, attractions, perceptions of Galveston, and leisure visitors. We used multiple research methods in each of these chapters, because, as noted above, we found this allowed us to bring out the richest insights, targeted for a specific audience. While we would encourage a holistic approach to this research, we want all Galveston Island Tourism Partners to have easy access to all the data and insights that are relevant to their work. To that end:

If you are… then check out... A Galveston Island tourism stakeholder...... The Visitor Profile Study & Understanding Leisure Visitors A Hotelier or Vacation Rental Manager...... Understanding Lodging An Attractions Manager...... Understanding Attractions Interested in how Texans think about Galveston...... Understanding Perceptions of Galveston

We end the report with our research-based insights and implications, including strategic recommendations for building up and moving forward Galveston Island tourism.

Galveston Island 10 Findings Immersion & Reconnaissance The Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Understanding Lodging Understanding Attractions Understanding Perceptions of Galveston Immersion & Reconnaissance The GRS Team visited Galveston Island October 22-28, 2018 to meet with tourism partners, assess the destination, and experience the available attractions and lodging facilities.

Source: Screenshot, Google Maps Immersion & Reconnnaissance Stakeholder Meetings On October 23, 2018, GRS conducted “town hall” style focus groups with members of the tourism industry. One meeting was for lodging partners, another was for the Galveston Island Marketing Task Force, and finally, there was a meeting with the Galveston Island Park Board. These meetings were held to gather input from representatives of Galveston Island’s lodging, attractions, retailers, and others involved in tourism development and marketing for the area.

Reconnaissance The GRS team conducted their reconnaissance on the following dates: October 22-28, 2018; Jan 28-30, 2019; Feb 21-24, 2019; March 8-11, 2019; May 2-5, 2019; and July 13-16, 2019. The destination was fully evaluated from the perspective of the tourist by a select Gray Research team including Shannon Gray, Judy Randall, Dr. William Randall, and Dawn Przystal. This Reconnaissance Report is the first step in a comprehensive market research and analysis.The goal of the Reconnaissance Team was to experience Galveston Island from the perspective of the visitor. Therefore, the Team made all its schedules and arrangements using the tourism marketing materials made available by the State Visitors Guide, the State Welcome Center’s various regional materials and the internet sites for the state and the Galveston Island CVB. A selection of attractions listed in these materials were located and visited. The Team also explored restaurants, shopping, and lodging where possible. The Reconnaissance Team’s goal was to fairly experience the typical things that visitors encounter in the area to examine the attractions and amenities within Galveston Island for market potential among all segments. Dr. Larry Gustke, Ph.D., N.C. State University, retired, developed the professional method of selection, evaluation and analysis used in this process. The report does not follow any chronological order since we visited many areas more than once and tried to enter and exit the area from numer-

Galveston Island 12 ous possible routes used by visitors. The following is a documentation of the Reconnaissance Team’s findings. NOTE: Throughout this document, the reader will find current ratings of attractions and facilities as found on TripAdvisor.com. This is to document the current prevalent satisfaction ratings by visitors to these attractions and facilities. TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel opinion site, with over 570 million reviews covering 7.3 million accommodations, attractions, restaurants, etc. It had 490 million unique visitors in 2018. Gray Research Solutions uses these ratings to document current visitor ratings to these sites, in addition to documenting our own visitor experience. Only ratings that included at least 50 reviews are included.

Gateways

The ancient Egyptians understood the importance of gateways. Nomadic travelers emerged from Immersion & Reconnnaissance the desert and found huge avenues lined on both sides by massive golden Sphinxes leading them to huge, gated entrances into the walled cities. It was impossible to arrive at the ancient Egyptian cities without having a sense of awe at the city before you. Most cities in modern America have lost the sense of importance for gateways. This is perhaps since most cities in America have grown in a concentric pattern, with growth coming on the outer rings of the city. Thus, what happens over time is that the traveler basically arrives at the “back door”, prior to seeing the more impressive areas of the destination. An effective gateway announces to the traveler that they have arrived in an area and provides a sense of place. Similarly, directions to visitor information, wayfinding and signage are critical elements in assisting travelers and making them feel welcomed. Effective attention to these elements can result in longer guest stays and better conversion, and thus, greater economic impact.

Overall Gateway Analysis Galveston’s primary gateway on I-45 provides a good opportunity for a strong point of entry impression. However, we recommend that the gray gateway pillars receive regular power washing and coats of paint as they are usually streaked with bird guano and appear somewhat faded. This all-important causeway entrance to Galveston Island creates an impression of what can expect throughout the island, and it is important to keep it well-maintained.

Primary Routes into Destination Interstate 45: The Primary entrance into Galveston Island The portion of I-45 connecting Galveston Island and Houston is also known as the Gulf Freeway. The GRS team noted signs for Schlitterbahn about 13 miles from Galveston Island. At Exit 10 we also found a sign for Downtown Galveston. Upon arriving at the Island our team found a nice, welcoming, clean and well-groomed gateway presence. This gateway, for most visitors to Galves- ton Island, forms the first overall impression of the Island. Additionally, the GRS team was pleased to find that wayfinding signage was well-placed, and roads were in good condition, which makes a good overall impression of the destination. Bolivar Ferry (including I-10): Visitors traveling from points east of Galveston Island This ferry is the bridge between two segments of State Highway 87, south of I-10. It covers 2.7 miles in approximately 20 minutes. It is a free ferry service provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and serves vehicles traveling from points east of Galveston Island. The GRS team visited the ferry and found it to be clean, efficient and functional. Many visitors report they love the ferry ride as it gives them a chance to see dolphins, boats, the harbor, and they report the ride to be relaxing and enjoyable. Signs welcome visitors to Galveston Island. Again, typical visitors find an overall clean, well-functioning facility, and appropriate signage and good road conditions upon arrival from this point of entry.

Tourism Market Research 13 Signage and Wayfinding Most visitors who fly to visit Galveston Island are likely to use either William .P Hobby Airport (Hous- ton Hobby/HOU), or George Bush Intercontinental/Houston Airport (IAH), and to a lesser degree Scholes International Airport (GLS) located on Galveston Island which is charter service and does not provide any current commercial service. The GRS team flew into and out of both HOU and IAH on multiple occasions. No displays or marketing for Galveston Island was noted at either of these facilities. However, our team does not think this is necessary. Most people coming to Galveston Is- land know they are flying into Houston’s major airports and are not likely to expect signage/welcoming to Galveston at these airports.

Welcome/Visitor Centers The traveler often forms an important impression of an area while they are in the visitor center. Visitor centers should be staffed by friendly, well-informed people who enjoy using brochures, maps and guides in stock to help visitors plan their stays. A visitor center is a front-line sales agency that should proactively place visitors in lodging, dining, attractions and retail. This is the opportunity to make direct economic impact on an area.

Galveston Island Visitor Information Center This GICVB-operated Visitor Information Center truly impressed the GRS team. It is conveniently located on Broadway, making it highly visible to visitors. Here visitors find an elegant and appealing historic brick building with wrought iron accents, good signage, and convenient parking. One of the GRS Team’s first expectations for a visitor center is whether visitors are greeted upon entry or just left to explore on their own. Even though both attendants here were helping other parties, one interrupted her conversation with another visitor to greet us enthusiastically, give us a

Immersion & Reconnnaissance quick orientation to where various things were in the center, and suggested we look at the displays and information in the brochure racks until she finished with her current visitor. Well done! She further made eye contact with us repeatedly to make sure we weren’t becoming frustrated while we waited. When it was our turn, she enthusiastically asked if we had visited Galveston before (good start), then proceeded to give us an orientation to the island with a map, and told us about the major attractions, a quick historic overview of the Island, etc. She asked if we needed lodging or if already had a place to stay. Another score in our review for her proactive approach to making sure we stayed overnight! She told us about the downtown area with shopping and dining. We were impressed that she observed the brochures we had picked up on our own prior to her helping us, noting one of our team members had picked up a birding brochure and began telling us about the best birding areas, types of birds, etc. She suggested the Tree Tour in the Historic District and the various historic sites while also weaving in shopping, dining, and other fun activities. She even told us we might not be able to get to everything on this first trip, so we should plan return visits, especially for the spring birding season! Overall, we give this team an A+ for outstanding performance! We are sure visitors appreciate this service and receive excellent guidance here.

Attractions in Galveston Island Typically, we find attractions listed in tourism promotion materials in alphabetical order. This is done to be “fair” and to give all attractions equal attention. Unfortunately, this is not in the best interest of the customer. The tourist wants to know the “attractors” or those things that are “must-sees” while in the area. Other attractions are important to the visitor and should be identified but should be described accurately and in context. Also, it is critical to include accurate hours of operation, street addresses (rather than mailing addresses) and cost of admission. Any other charges, such as parking fees, should also be noted. A suggested amount of time required for a visit to an attraction is an excellent feature. If the attraction is targeted at children or perhaps more appropriate for adults, it is good to include this in the description. Also, if the attraction is not open on the weekend, the attraction should probably not be included. Weekends are the busiest time in tourism and if an attraction Galveston Island 14 is not open on weekends, those tourists who have misread the hours of operation and arrive to find a closed facility will be disappointed. Doing these things prevents customer frustration and helps the guest facilitate a visit. Those attractions that achieve excellence usually offer: ●● Excellent signage and wayfinding to the attraction. ●● An orientation for each visitor to help them understand why the attraction is worthy of their time, what they will learn, see, do, and/or experience and how best to spend their time at the attraction. ●● Clean and accessible restrooms. ●● Guided, narrated tours and interpretive experiences (or user-friendly self-guide materials). Incorporating the senses (visual, hearing, touch, smell, taste) is important in creating an

interactive experience. Static “read the plaque and look at the artifact” type museums or at- Immersion & Reconnnaissance tractions suffer complaints from today’s demanding tourism customer. ●● Benches, chairs and other resting spots where a weary traveler can pause for a moment’s rest. ●● Suggestions from the attraction for other things to see and do in the area, as well as lodging and dining recommendations to better help the customer plan their visit. During the reconnaissance, the team differentiates between attractors and attractions.Attractors are the events, facilities, and “things to see and do” that motivate people to buy an airplane ticket or get off the interstate and visit a place. Attractions are “things to see and do” that complement or supple- ment the major reason or purpose for travelers to visit a place. We differentiate between these because of the importance they play in attracting visitors. Our observations and impressions focus on the value and “pull power” of attractors and attractions.

Overall Attractions Analysis Evidenced by most attractions receiving a rating of 4.5 (on a 1 to 5 scale) approval rating on TripAd- visor.com, Galveston earns an overall A- rating for its collection of attractions. Galveston has more attractions than any Texas, Louisiana, or Mississippi beach destination.

Moody Gardens: Hotel, Convention Center, Golf Course, Spa & Attractions This large hotel-multiple attraction-convention center complex is a destination in itself! One enters the complex and finds good wayfinding signage to lead visitors whether they are here for a meeting/ convention or for leisure. The entire site is beautifully landscaped with appealing gardens, outdoor and indoor lounging areas, and convenient services. All the front-line employees we encountered were consistently well-dressed, kind, helpful, and knowledgeable regarding inquiries. The GRS team stayed at this property on our first visit, and found the atmosphere, service, food and overall quality to be excellent. During our 5-day stay we observed numerous visitors here, whether day trip- ping to the attractions or staying overnight. The huge, harborside complex encompasses a hotel, convention center, spa, restaurants, golf course, and attractions including an aquarium (including 3D and 4D film showings), rainforest encounter, SpongeBob SquarePants attraction, a paddlewheel boat, the Discovery Museum, Penguin Encounter, River Otter Encounter, a ropes course, pool with lazy river, delightful gardens, harbor watch sitting areas, and more. Literally more than a family can do in a week. TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5, 2,525 reviews

Tourism Market Research 15 Moody Gardens Hotel This was our lodging for the GRS Team’s initial 2018 Reconnaissance visit. Our rooms were very comfortable with good bedding, duvet covers, a variety of pillows (for choosing softness level) and along with TV included a small refrigerator, microwave, coffee machine and supplies as well as iron, ironing board, and a nice assortment of upscale toiletries. A desk with task chair and convenient electrical outlets were found to keep business travelers happy and productive. Furniture was comfortable and modern. Management is obviously good at this hotel and service is prompt. Kindly, management allowed us to do Intercept Interviews during our stay, which we appreciated. The restaurant at the hotel serves excellent food, and service throughout our visit was friendly. There is a Starbucks store in the hotel lobby. To say the gift shop offers appealing merchandise is an under- statement as one of our team purchased several jewelry items here! This property earns a solid 4.5 rating on TripAdvisor.com. Moody Gardens Convention Center This facility includes 103,000 square feet of combined meeting space, with a 60,000 square foot barrier-free ballroom and telescopic seating for 5,000. It provides state of the art sound and light- ing equipment and soundproof walls. Space can be configured to accommodate a wide range of functions from an industrial floor show, to a grand gala, or intimate meetings or receptions. Parking in a covered garage for 1,000 is available. The facility is part of the large and impressive Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa, and Conference Center complex with multiple attractions, harborside views, gardens, etc. NOTE: Reviews for this center are combined with reviews of Moody Gardens Hotel and attractions. Scanning through the nearly 2,000 reviews on TripAdvisor.com no negative issues were found for the conference center. The overall rating for the Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa and Convention Center is a 4.5. Immersion & Reconnnaissance Aquarium and Rainforest Pyramid One can’t visit this part of Galveston Island and not see the compelling towering glass pyramid that houses both the Aquarium, the Rainforest, and a concession area. It has huge visitor draw power! Aquarium This 2-floor, 1.5-million-gallon aquarium offers plentiful active wildlife viewing and is typical of similar size aquariums around the U.S, with two primary floors and multiple viewing areas. 3D and 4D shows are available in the included theatre for an additional fee. The GRS Team would prefer to see better orientation at the entry to help visitors plan their experience, as it is unclear which way to pro- ceed. However, later one realizes that all paths lead to the same exhibits, and the museum is designed to let you simply follow what catches your interest. Throughout we found good sitting places, offering visitors a chance to just sit and “enjoy the show.” The facility appears in excellent condition, and the wildlife we observed appeared healthy and active. Being an indoor, air-conditioned activity also can be a huge bonus on Galveston’s warmer days. Admission prices were comparable with similar aquariums at $25 adult / $20 child. Rainforest Another great feature in the Moody Gardens campus, located in the Pyramid. This is like other rainforest attractions found around the world, with an upper “canopy walk” and a lower level with plants and water features. Exotic birds, butterflies, fish, and other wildlife can be viewed. Families love a quiet, nature-based attraction such as this as it gives everyone a nice nature break, even if it is a bit on the “steamy” side. We found staff interpreters at various locations interacting with guests and engaging children in locating/viewing the wildlife. Interpretive signs are found throughout, explaining what visitors are encountering. Admission is $25 adults and $20 children. Colonel’s Paddlewheel – Moody Gardens Although our team did not personally take this boat ride, we talked with visitors coming and going.

Galveston Island 16 Departing families told us they enjoyed the ride and giving their kids a chance to see what a paddle- boat looked like, as well as the opportunity to get out on the water in the harbor for dolphin spotting and other water-based fun. Food and drink are offered on board, along with restrooms.

Museums & Galleries Affaire d’Art International Fine Art Gallery With a visible location on the corner of Post Office Street the gallery represents mostlyTexas artists whose work spans multiple mediums from painting, photography, sculpture and jewelry. Prices ranged from $50 to $1,000. The space is welcoming and has an antique radio playing an eclectic mix of music. There were no public restrooms. The gallery has limited hours from noon – 6pm Thursday through Monday and is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. The Bryan Museum Another WOW. Located in the historic Galveston Orphans Home in the Historic District, this large Immersion & Reconnnaissance and impressive Renaissance Revival structure has the appeal of a grand architectural museum and garden. It boasts one of the largest collections of Texas history, artifacts, documents, displays, and artwork on three large floors, and was gifted to the state by the Bryan family. Self-guided tours are available, and staff members are usually found roaming around each floor. Our team found ourselves wishing there was a docent “stationed” on each floor so we could ask questions.To be fair, there were several who approached us at various points asking if we had any questions or needed anything. There is so much here it literally takes about 1.5 hours just to do an overview of the collection. It includes original art and materials covering ancient American geology and history, Native American history, Spanish American history, early Texas history, and more modern-day history. Just the collection of western saddles, rifles, and cowboy/ranching paraphernalia takes much time to truly appreciate. Our team felt this museum is one of those that requires visitors make repeat visits to so they can concentrate on one area of history at a time. It is truly an impressive wealth of material. Galves- ton is fortunate to have this amazing collection. Kudos to the Bryan family for being such amazing stewards of this extensive collection! We also learned about George Dealey, who was born in Liverpool, England, moved to Galveston in 1870, and founded the Orphanage that was originally housed in this building. Impressive man and family. We also learned about the building’s damage during the 1900 Hurricane and its rebuilding. So many selfless and touching stories are found in Galveston’s amazing history. We visited on a Thursday and found there is a weekly flea market that occurs on the backside of this museum. We also learned its “glass and chandelier” garden building is a popular facility for weddings and events. TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5, 261 reviews Galveston Arts Center The Galveston Arts Center has a prominent location on the corner of Strand and Kempner streets. There is adequate signage as well as a “sandwich board” open sign used. Our team visited on a Sunday afternoon during the off-season, so there was a light crowd.The museum is housed in an historic building with one gallery on the first floor and 2 galleries upstairs.The museum host re- volving modern art exhibits. While the space is not large, it is very open and there is a good flow throughout the building. There is a small gift shop with various art pieces and books. The GAC focuses on community outreach, the ArtWalks, and finding up and coming artists. It is open daily from 11-5 and noon to 5 on Sunday. There is an elevator and public restrooms. Art centers such as this often focus more on local residents than on visitors. However, we had the definite opinion that this art center knows it is also in the tourism business: they welcomes visitor for the local gift shop and rely on visitors for classes and events. It’s nice to see an arts center working well with the local tourism interests! Tourism Market Research 17 Galveston Naval Museum The museum features two WWII US Naval vessels. A submarine (The USS Cavalla) and one of three destroyer escorts (USS Stewart). Both vessels are on land with signage telling the history of each vessel. Guests could explore both vessels in a self-guided tour. Most everything was labelled, and descriptions were placed throughout. There was period music playing that added to the ambi- ance. Our team visited on a Sunday afternoon during spring break week. Once on the park, we were directed toward the museum entrance where we were greeted by a volunteer in a small gift shop which offered limited concessions in addition to memorabilia. We saw signs for audio tour stops on the vessels but did not see where that could be arranged. There were a lot of steep steps which are not handicap accessible. There was also signage that indicated they offered sleepovers, camps, and parties. There was a crew from A&M there doing maintenance on the ships as part of their coursework which shows a good partnership with the local community. TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5, 608 reviews. Galveston Railroad Museum The actual headquarters of the old Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railroad which became the Atchi- son, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. Our team visited on a Sunday afternoon. We entered through the parking lot and the west entrance, so it was a little underwhelming at first. eW were warmly greeted, given good information, directions and a map. Entry though the main entrance/original depot is impressive. It is a gorgeous building staged in the art deco period. There were statues of guests and employees doing different things one would do in a train station from purchasing tickets, waiting on benches, to carrying luggage. There were various exhibits in the original depot, one of the most interesting was a bank of telephone booths which

Immersion & Reconnnaissance “called” different historical figures bringing Galveston and the railroad to life.And additional display building houses three model trains plus static displays of model train cars. There is also an extensive collection of china and dinnerware that would have been used on the trains. In the railyard there were more than 40 cars, though not all were open for entrance. It was a wonderful museum that will appeal to a wide variety of travelers. TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5, 539 reviews. Haunted Mayfield Manor The attraction is very visible as it sits at the back of Sengerfest Park open area. We bought the combination ticket to the Haunted Manor and Pirates! As they share a space you are still greeted with a pirate theme. There was an introductory video about the Galveston Hurricane and the death toll. The Haunted Manor was more in the vein of suspenseful scares and not gore. Reviews on Tri- pAdvisor suggest this is not well-suited to families with younger children. Pirates! Legends of the Gulf Coast The attraction is very visible as it sits at the back of Sengerfest Park open area. There is a cute pirate-themed photo-op out front where you can place your head in a frame. The sign on the main entrance indicates there are no public restrooms, which is a bit unwelcoming. They do immediately follow that with directions to the nearest public restrooms which is good, but it’s still a pet peeve of our team to have that as the first welcome on the door. We were greeted by staff in pirate costumes who had fun with the theme in their demeanor and verbiage. We were given a handheld device for the tour. After a short overview video, we were able to wander around the museum. It was set up to resemble a pirate ship and had a lot of information about pirates as they relate to Galveston. It was suitable for families and geared more toward children. There were restrooms and a sizable gift shop. They have very favorable hours of 10-8 daily, with extended closing time of 9 pm on Friday and Saturday.

Galveston Island 18 Rosenburg Library It’s odd to find a library listed as a tourist attraction, and thus, our team was intrigued. We also made note that the ladies at the nearby Welcome Center recommended a stop here to learn about Galveston and Texas history, so it made onto our list to explore. Upon entering we immediately saw a brochure rack guided us to where the historic and interpretive areas were located. We learned this is the oldest library in Texas in continuous operation, as its historic design and construction attest. Today, it is typical library on the first floor, while on the second floor, accessed by a winding staircase or elevator, one finds a museum treasure trove of historic artifacts and materials in the Galveston and Texas History Room. On the upper floor we found paintings, rare books, sculptures, manuscripts, Russian and Greek artifacts, information on the founding of Galveston, amazing tex- tiles and baskets, more information on the 1900 Hurricane, the shipping and immigration stories, as well as the story of Henry Rosenberg from Switzerland who settled in Galveston and left this amazing legacy for future generations. Our team decided that this was, indeed, a tourist attraction for Immersion & Reconnnaissance Galveston. TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5, 197 reviews Texas Seaport Museum Theatre Here visitors find excellent historical overview and orientation for Galveston island, covering the legacy of early shipping, immigration, the 1900 hurricane, piracy, and today’s modern sea com- merce. Our GRS Team enjoyed two interesting films (one on the tragic 1900 Hurricane and the other on Jean Lafitte) and found them to be an excellent overall orientation for visitors. In addition to these two stories we learned that Galveston welcomed approximately 130,000 immigrants from Europe on 30,000 passenger ships between 1846 (when Texas became a US state) and 1948 and thus made this port known as “The Ellis Island of the West.” We learned the fascinating stories of how residents and networks assisted in helping these immigrants find homes and work throughout the United States. We learned about the Mosquito Fleet, the Texas Navy, Galveston’s role during the Civil War and Prohibition, the voluminous shipping of bananas and produce from South Ameri- ca, and the extensive fishing fleets of modern times. The stories are entertaining, educational and fun. Also found here is a good gift shop with appealing merchandise for visitors. Our team was on Galveston Island for approximately a week and had multiple opportunities to see the sizeable shipping that occurs today. This perfect spot for first time visitors and helps establish a good foundation for all that Galveston Island has accomplished and offers today. TripAdvisor Rating: 4, 171 reviews

Sights, Landmarks, & Historic Places 1892 Bishop’s Palace – Gresham House Built by US Congressman and civic leader Colonel Walter Gresham, this is a lavish Victorian style stone home with superlative woodwork, stained glass windows, inlaid wood flooring, grand wooden staircase, murals, and even a chapel room. A personal recorder is provided to individuals for a leisurely self-guided tour of the magnificent house. It was quite modern for its day, including bathrooms. For those who enjoy history and grand houses, this is definitely a must-see.Also on-site is a nice gift shop with appealing merchandise. Again, Galveston is incredibly fortunate to have so many grand historic sites to offer for visitors - as something entertaining year-round as well as something fun to offer on a hot summer afternoon to escape the heat. TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5, 1,218 reviews Galveston – Port Bolivar Ferry Our team went to the ferry mid-afternoon on a Sunday. Since there was a very long line of cars (back up to Harborside Drive), we decided to walk-on. Luckily, we had been told that we should take the right lane if walking on because there wasn’t signage until about halfway down the long line of cars to indicate that those parking should take the right lane. In addition, to the car traffic, there were a lot of cars parked, spilling over into auxiliary parking. There were 3 or 4 ferries running

Tourism Market Research 19 and there was very little wait time for walk-ons. The staff was friendly and helpful and did an excellent job expediting the loading and unloading of vehicles. Though the day was overcast, we did see several dolphins on the ride. I was told by fellow guests (who are frequent visitors) that was a “light day”. It was an enjoyable ride and a nice (and free!) way to get on the water. TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5, 3,877 reviews. The Grand 1894 Opera House (Phantom of the Opera) Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this 1,040 seat Romanesque Revival style Op- era House, is one of the few remaining theatres of its era in Texas. It was completed in 1894, and opened January 3, 1895 with a live performance of the play, The Daughters of Eve. It was one of the first theatres to use design theories that eliminated corners and flat walls and instead used curved surfaces and rounded walls to enhance sound quality. The Grand never had a resident theatre company, but instead presented touring productions, as it still does today. Artists who have appeared here include George M. Cohan, Lionel Barrymore, Lillian Russell, Maud Adams, Sarah Bernhardt, Anna Pavlova, John Phillips Sousa, Al Jolson, The Zeigfield Follies, the Marx Brothers, George Burns and Gracie Allen, and Tex Ritter and his horse White Flash among others. The 1900 Hurricane left it with extensive damage. It was rebuilt and suffered damage once again in the storm of 1915. The Grand began as a major live performing arts theatre, but after passing through a Vaudeville phase, slowly evolved into a movie house. It was closed in 1974 and the building was purchased by the Galveston County Cultural Arts Council. They restored the Grand over time to its former glory. The Grand was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and was proclaimed “The Official Opera House of Texas” in 1993. The GRS Team had an opportunity to attend a performance of the original Phantom of the Opera silent movie, accompanied by live organ, at the Grand during a visit to Galveston in October 2018. It

Immersion & Reconnnaissance was a fun evening in a fabulous setting! The GRS Team is experienced with historic theatres and realizes the value and unique potential these prized assets provide. There are only about 50 of these amazing structures left functioning in the United States. It is wise to promote this theatre as a tourist attraction, especially with their continuing series of entertainment. TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5, 381 reviews Historic Pleasure Pier The GRS Team visited Galveston’s Historic Pleasure Pier on several occasions and conducted Intercept Interviews there as well. The Pleasure Pier has a great visible “WOW” factor with all the rides, lights and colors, making it irresistible for families with children. It is essentially a carnival- style amusement park over the water with great ocean views. Costs are varied, depending on whether one wants to purchase just a walk-on pass, or pass that includes rides. Food and drink as well as bathrooms are available. There appear to be approximately 20 rides, including a large Ferris Wheel. Noting that its reviews on TripAdvisor.com were lower than typical high reviews for attractions in Galveston, we read the reviews and found them to vary from those who thought it was a great day for families and didn’t mind the cost to those who gave lower ratings thinking it was overly expensive. We found the Pier to be clean, have nicely groomed and pleasant attendants, and overall to provide a fun outing ideal for families. TripAdvisor Rating: 3.5, 1,630 reviews Historic Strand District We were told before we visited this area was like Bourbon Street in New Orleans due to its architecture, shops, restaurants, etc. That is an accurate description. We drove through the area multiple times and found it to be consistently clean, appealing, and busy. Adequate parking is provided, both along the street and in adjacent paid parking lots, as well as appreciated public toilets. We found murals, historic markers, a good mix of retail and dining options. This is a “people magnet” for visi-

Galveston Island 20 tors and makes for a fun time strolling, shopping, people watching, and finding irresistible eating and drinking. It’s a fun place day or night. One also has views of the port and bay, glimpsing the occasional cruise ship, etc. We noted horse-drawn carriage rides are offered, as well as “bike-bar” rides. There are hotels in proximity, and the trolley stops here. For retail, one finds a good mix of higher-end retail, as well as some artisan-made products and art along with the expected souvenir type shopping. Our team noted that this is an excellent addition for a beach area as it gives visitors something interesting to do on the occasional rainy day, in the off-season times, as well as just something fun to do while on a beach vacation. It is an attractor for Galveston, in and of itself. TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5, 2,857 reviews Moody Mansion One can’t drive through Galveston Island and not notice this glamorous brick and stone building on Broadway! It begs for historic investigation. Here, two of our team members paid admission, were Immersion & Reconnnaissance welcomed by a lovely young lady and offered a touring device with recording and ear-phones. eW admit that we found ourselves going “off-tour” as the layout and design of the interior tempts visitors to explore this huge structure. We learned of the pre- and post-hurricane history of this house, and its role as refuge during the hurricane. While there are few furnishings in the house, the structure alone is worth the tour. We loved the architectural features including pocket doors, porch with large arches, disappearing shutters, well-tended grounds, and the large stained- glass window. TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5, 680 reviews Old City Cemetery This obviously historic cemetery is prominently located on Broadway in the Historic District of Galveston, making it highly visible to visitors. That location, plus the compelling statuary found here compels visitors to want to know more, and/or to take a scenic drive through. We learned it is actually seven cemeteries in one. Here one will learn stories of former residents in this historic destination. Among other things we learned that here one can find the tomb of Texas State Senator Franklin Merriman. In other fascinating stories about this cemetery we learned in 1894 Elize Ro- emer Alberti had her children drink poisoned laced wine. Willie, Dora, Ella and Lizzie died, Emma survived her dose (she was older) and for some reason daughter Wilhelmina missed on receiving a dose of the deadly concoction. It is one of the few graves where a mass murderer is interred with their victims. Having learned at the tiny migration museum on Pier 21 about the influx of Jewish and German migrants into Galveston pre-WWI it didn’t surprise us too much that many of the head- stones appear to be from these two groups. TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5, 61 reviews Pier 21 Located as the anchor stone of The Historic Strand Seaport Area, Pier 21 can be considered the core for the historic Strand area. At Pier 21 one finds a variety of restaurants, attractions, lodging, and parking for the Strand area. Our team visited Harbor House (Harbor View Hotel), Willie G’s Seafood Restaurant, and the Olympia Grill at Pier 21. We also visited The Tall Ship Elissa, the Texas Seaport Museum and Immigration Museum. We found it easy to park and discovered that there is even a phone app to pay for parking here! It’s a good starting place for first-time visitors to Galveston, as it gives them a quick sense of the Island, harbor, a place to park, easy access to an overview/history of the place and is close to food and drink. The Seawall A 10-mile long Seawall was built to protect Galveston from the raging winds and water of the Gulf of Mexico. Construction began in 1902 after the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, with the initial portion being completed in 1904, and extensions continued until 1963. The Seawall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and designated a National Civil Engineering Landmark in 2001. Our GRS Team found numerous people enjoying either the wall itself (e.g, biking, walking) or enjoy- Tourism Market Research 21 ing the beaches protected by the wall during our various visits. There are paid and free parking spots depending on location. The trolley makes stops along this route. The term “The Seawall” also refers to this part of Galveston Island, along with its hotels, restaurants, and shops. As such, it is a very popular part of the Island. TripAdvisor Rating: 4, 2,710 reviews Tall Ship ELISSA WOW! An authentic 3-masted tall sailing ship one can tour! For an additional cost ($6) at the Pier 21 Texas Seaport Museum one can tour the Elissa, go below decks, and watch as the current resto- ration crew works on the ship. The Elissa is a delight simply to sit and look at, not to mention getting to talk to those who are helping salvage and restore this magnificent tall sailing ship.The restoring “crew” were helpful and engaging. This tall ship is such a rarity and it is so visible that it is an imme- diate tourist draw. TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5, 567 reviews Tree Sculptures Tour Having located a brochure at the Visitor Center, our team eagerly drove along the Tree Sculpture Tour. It was fun, and a bit challenging to locate each tree sculpture. The brochure makes a great companion piece. It is full color, with an easy-to-follow map and provides interpretation for each sculpture, as well as information on the artists who created these unique works of art following the devastation of 2008 Hurricane Ike. No doubt about it, in this and other measures, Galveston has successfully and proudly taken response to damage from repeated hurricanes to a whole new level and created unique visitor experiences to proclaim their victories over disaster! TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5, 747 reviews

Outdoor Recreation Immersion & Reconnnaissance Birding on Galveston Island One of our GRS Team is an active birder, and a trip to Galveston Island did not disappoint! We learned that Galveston has an active local birding association and the Island benefits significantly from birding tourism. Galveston enjoys an enviable birding location, virtually in the center of the spring/fall Central North American Flyway migration route. Further, Galveston Island provides an outstanding variety of habitats including woods, bays, marshes, beaches, wetlands, coastal prai- ries, etc. Numerous northern U.S. birds spend their winters here. Thus, year-round one can expect good birding. Our GRS birding team member joked that “You can bird while driving around”, and in fact, often do not even need to get out of the car there are so many good birding sightings. We were impressed to find accessible birding trails/boardwalks too! That is rare for birding destinations. With the U.S. population aging, this provides incentive for birding in Galveston as opposed to other areas. While birding may not be a major tourism segment, it is typically comprised of passionate travelers who are committed to caring for their favorite birding locations, as well as to returning again and again, and in multiple seasons. This is a visitor segment that is wise to target and engage for the future benefit of Galveston Island tourism. The GRS Team is pleased to see that this partnership between GICVB and the birding community is strong and enduring. Galveston Beaches Clearly, this is the number one “attractor” for Galveston, which boasts 32 miles of wide, mostly hard-packed sand gulf beaches with gentle waves. Approximately 5-6 million people visit every year. Driving is allowed on a good amount of the beach, while paid parking areas are established for the busier parts of the beaches. Lifeguards maintain safety at the busier areas, and numerous trash cans and trash patrols keep it clean! At busier beaches, pavilions offer shade, sitting areas, and restrooms. Pavilions typically also have volleyball nets for recreation, and most have children’s playgrounds, and concession stands. The beaches offer year-round activities. Spring-Summer-Fall

Galveston Island 22 is the typical beach season, while in winter fishermen and birders are seen, as well as people just here to enjoy the quietness of the season. All beaches are dog friendly. We witnessed several evening fires being enjoyed on the beach. Our team, during various visits, noted people on the beach for surfing, treasure hunting (with detection devices), jogging/running/walking, fishing, biking, shell- ing, photography, birding, doing yoga, and just sitting and enjoying the waves. Our team noted with some amusement the various negative comments (such as TripAdvisor.com) about the beach being “dirty brown water.” Having visited beaches all over the U.S., we found these beaches to be com- pare favorably. Areas the GRS Team visited included: ●● East Beach (TripAdvisor Rating: 4, 191 reviews) ●● Stewart Beach (TripAdvisor Rating: 3.5, 343 reviews) ●● Pleasure Pier Immersion & Reconnnaissance ●● Seawall Boulevard Beaches ●● Galveston Island State Park (TripAdvisor Rating: 4, 402 reviews) ●● Jamaica Beach ●● Pointe West Galveston Island State Park With both beach and bay sides, this park provides a wide range of activities, and is a welcomed asset for Galveston Island. Most visitors we encountered were here camping along the beach. A nature center provides an overview of the park, its programs and activities. Our GRS Team found this to be a great camping/RV spot with bathrooms and showers provided. Driving through we found a clean beach and happy campers. TripAdvisor Rating: 4, 399 reviews Pelican Island/SeaWolf Park Seawolf Park is located on Galveston’s Pelican Island on a former immigration station site. The park offers one of the island’s most popular fishing piers, picnic sites and a playground. The park is also home to the Galveston Naval Museum. The remains of the tanker S.S. Selma, the largest concrete ship constructed, can be seen from the northwest of the park’s fishing pier. Seawolf Park will soon offer RV camping with 40 spaces equipped with electrical hookups, water supply and sewage service. There was good signage directing you to Pelican Island and Seawolf park from Galveston proper. There is a long, fairly deserted road to reach the end of the island where you find the park and naval museum. Just when you start to wonder if you’re going the right way, there is a sign that assures that you are on the right path. In order to visit the Naval Museum and Seawolf park, $6 per car or $10 per RV parking fee is as- sessed. The museum is $10 for adults, $5 for kids 5-11 and for seniors. $3 group rate for 15 more people. Fees for parking, the museum and fishing are clearly marked at the entrance. Our team was greeted warmly and given good direction to the park’s amenities. The large parking lot had plenty of trash cans. Since the original visitor center was closed traditional port-a-potties were provided. There were several people fishing and on the playground. There was a bait shop on-site. Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark Our team visited on a Saturday afternoon the beginning a spring break, so not all the rides were open. There was limited signage directing to the waterpark in Moody Gardens, but it was easy to see so there wasn’t an issue. From the parking lot you first passed auxiliary ticket booth that was closed for the season. There was an audio recording welcoming you to the park and directing you to the main entrance for tickets. The staff were young, polite, and helpful. Once inside the park, there were maps and excellent (surfboard-shaped) signage directing you to various areas/rides. While the exterior was a little dated, the park was clean and in good condition

Tourism Market Research 23 considering it was only opening for this one week. The attraction is wonderful for kids of all ages, especially in the summer when the taller outdoor rides are open. The restrooms were typically of amusement parks/waterparks and were clean and easy to find. There are no full-service restaurants available, but there are several snack bars, food and souvenir carts, vending, and gift shops. There were a lot of lockers, but unless there were more throughout the park, I’m not sure there would be enough during peak season. Guests can bring coolers and picnic lunches to enjoy. TripAdvisor Rating: 4, 4,876 reviews.

Meeting & Convention Facilities Overall Meeting/Convention Facilities Analysis Galveston has strong, competitively attractive convention facilities, with the added advantage of a beach location. Galveston’s two major facilities (Galveston Island Convention Center and Moody Gardens Convention Center) both rate 4.5 – 5.0 on TripAdvisor.com. Food, ocean views, and helpful staff earn top comments for Galveston Island Convention Center. Helpful staff and convenience of attractions were the top-rated aspects for Moody Gardens Convention Center (detailed above).

Galveston Island Convention Center at The San Luis Resort Located on Seawall Boulevard with 140,000 square feet including a column-free 43,000 square foot exhibition hall, a 15,500 square foot ballroom, 12,000 square feet of breakout meeting spaces and 29,000 square feet of prefunction space. This facility can also accommodates a wide range of sports events, animal shows, trade shows, etc. as well as conferences and meetings. Often, multiple events are hosted simultaneously. The adjacent hotel offers 700 guest rooms. A shuttle service provides transportation to an additional off-property 1,400 hotel rooms. Thus, this is the largest of the convention facilities in Galveston.

Immersion & Reconnnaissance One of our GRS Team members attended a conference at this center as a speaker and found it to be comparable to other high-end convention facilities around the US. In reading reviews on TripAdvisor.com, most comments complimented the food, helpfulness of staff, ocean views, and proximity to variety of nearby restaurants. Negative comments centered around parking. TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5, 76 reviews. The GRS Team visited both facilities (Galveston Island Convention Center and Moody Gardens Convention Center) during this study and while conducting intercept interviews. Both appear to be excellent facilities. Galveston is a great location for conferences with its beaches, numerous attractions and restaurants. It offers the appeal to meeting attendees of combining a meeting with a beach getaway!

Shopping in Galveston Island Nationally, shopping is the most popular activity while traveling. In fact, recent studies have shown travelers rate their vacation experience higher based on higher levels of retail spending. In other words, the more money spent shopping, the better the vacation. This is particularly the case in resort destinations. Large outlet malls have been cropping up in America to take advantage of this trend. That first rainy day of vacation delivers overflow crowds to the large malls, where vacationers accomplish back-to-school, household, gift and Christmas shopping. A full year’s worth of shopping can take place in a matter of days! This is in addition to the traditional souvenir buying that remains popular for travelers. Therefore, shopping is an important attractor for a community and a major area of economic impact for the local economy.

Overall Shopping Analysis The Strand, as well as big box stores, and other easily accessible retail provide not only all essen- tials visitors may need, but a good degree of “Shopper-tainment” for visitors to Galveston. Being an island close to the metropolis of Houston, one would not expect to find large shopping

Galveston Island 24 malls in Galveston island. Additionally, Tanger Outlets, a large and well-known outlet mall, has a location between Houston and Galveston. In Galveston itself, one finds several “big box” typical retail stores, along with a sufficient supply of typical grocery, drug stores, and the like. Shopping in Galveston is centered around the plentiful unique, beach or leisure type shopping varieties, such as is found along The Strand. While shopping is definitely a popular activity on Galveston Island, it is defined by these small, unique shops rather than typical mall or strip shopping places. But, make no mistake – Galveston has plentiful shopping that covers many categories including clothing, gifts, housewares, jewelry, beach items, unique food items, original art, fishing and sporting goods, hobby stores, antiques, resale/flea markets, bookstores, Christmas items, nurs- eries and flower shops, and more. Immersion & Reconnnaissance

Item for sale at The Witchery, Source: Color Crescent on Unsplash Primary shopping areas in Galveston include: ●● The Strand (4.5, 2,926 reviews) ●● Tanger Outlet Mall ●● The top shopping places listed on TripAdvisor.com for Galveston include: ○○ The Bryan Museum (4.5, 284 reviews) ○○ Murdoch’s (4.5, 260 reviews) ○○ The Witchery (4.5, 49 reviews) The GRS Team noted there is a mall with a variety of restaurants, retail, and services at this corner of 61st Street and Central City Boulevard. These services seem to serve primarily locals (medical, office supplies, etc.) rather than being of true visitor interest.

Restaurants & Dining in Galveston Island When visiting an area, we always look for the unique dining experiences that would appeal to travelers. When in Maine most folks look for lobster, pineapples in Hawaii and TexMex in the southwest. During reconnaissance, we asked local people on the street, at attractions, and at other encounter points where to find good local food. The dining spots mentioned most often when we requested recommendations were restaurants offering “home-cooking” or chain restaurants. It is impossible for our team to experience every restaurant in the area. We try to dine at those advertising themselves the most or are most visible to the traveling public. We also concentrate on those which receive the most recommendations from local residents and front-line employees in the travel industry. Our goal is to locate the establishments most likely visited by travelers to the area.

Tourism Market Research 25 Overall Restaurant & Dining Analysis Galveston scores high marks for both its range and quality of restaurants. This is especially important as Galveston has so many repeat visitors. When we asked local residents to recommend a good local flavor restaurant, most recommendations were for the following restaurants: ●● Gaido’s (4.5, 3,718 reviews) ●● Rudy & Paco (4.5, 920 reviews) ●● Olympia Grill at Pier 21 (4.5, 391 reviews) ●● Fisherman’s Wharf (4, 1,908 reviews) ●● Maceo Spice & Import (4.5, 105 reviews) ●● Blvd. Seafood (4.5, 554 reviews) ●● Gypsy Joint (4.5, 147 reviews) On TripAdvisor.com the top-rated restaurants include: ●● Rudy & Paco (4.5, 920 reviews) ●● The Steakhouse (4.5, 615 reviews) ●● Taquilo’s Tex-Mex Cantina (4.5, 246 reviews) ●● Gaido’s (4.5, 3,718 reviews) ●● Shearn’s Seafood and Prime Steaks (4.5, 266 reviews) ●● Shark Shack Beach Bar & Grill (4.5, 193 reviews) ●● Miller’s Seawall Grill (4.5, 2,632 reviews) ●● Grotto Ristorante (4.5, 330 reviews) ●● Mario’s Seawall Restaurant (4.5, 1,052 reviews) ●● Little Daddy’s Gumbo Bar (4.5, 677 reviews)

Immersion & Reconnnaissance The GRS Team noted the sheer volume of restaurants listed on both TripAdvisor.com (and other restaurant rating sites such as Yelp.com). Clearly, Galveston is well-served with restaurants. No negative issues were found, such as too many restaurants closed on Sundays, or other problems the GRS Team often encounters. Restaurants in Galveston know they are in the tourism business and meet expectations of visitors. As such, restaurants are a good place to stock with Galveston visitor guides!

Lodging & Campgrounds When conducting reconnaissance in an area, the Team always looks for lodging that would most likely appeal to most of the traveling public. Therefore, the Reconnaissance Team selects its lodging for the reconnaissance using the marketing materials provided by the local tourism promotion agency, the state and brochures found along the way in racks. Once in the area, the Reconnais- sance Team looks at all available lodging properties to determine the range of lodging options available in the area. The team also looks to see if the national chain properties are well maintained and locally owned properties are adequately advertised and represented correctly in promotional materials. The Reconnaissance Team evaluates a range of lodging properties typical of the area to ensure our understanding of the experience from the visitor perspective.

Overall Lodging Analysis The GRS Team visited a good sampling of the hotels in Galveston as part of this study. Our team conducted Intercept Interviews at a comprehensive range of hotels. Additionally, we conducted a comprehensive overview of rentals, as well as camping/RV facilities. The overall lodging product in Galveston Island is strong, varied and offers a wide range of price points. Here one can find everything from luxury accommodations to large conference hotels, small “Mom and Pop” motels and inns, bed & breakfasts, a wide assortment of house rentals, as well as the smaller “couch surfing” opportunities. Camping and RV facilities are also available in good measure. The overall lodging product compares favorably to similar destinations. Galveston Island 26 Immersion Insights ●● Galveston is Texas’s beloved, historic and FUN beach. ○○ The sheer volume of attractions, dining, retail, services, etc. in Galveston, along with its historic appeal and lively atmosphere, result in visitors describing Galveston as the FUN beach. They love the beach itself, the history of the Island, and they love all the fun things to see and do. No other beach in the multi-state region can claim this kind of history or volume of infrastructure or FUN. In Texas, with 600 miles of coastline, this is Galveston’s distinction. ●● Lively, FUN Downtown Historic Strand District ○○ Visitors find this area irresistible, and again, it’s a source that generates steady repeat visits. ●● Significant history & historical visitor interest ○○ There is so much history in Galveston, and it is obvious in both the historic architecture Immersion & Reconnnaissance and activities. ●● Sheer volume of activities is impressive and inspires numerous repeat visits. ○○ Many visitors our Reconnaissance Team encountered reported repeat trips to Galveston. ●● Easily visible, and large quantity of Nature ○○ Birding, dolphins, sea life, etc. Nature is on full display in Galveston, is highly visible, easy to access, and delivers on volume and quality. ●● Good quality as well as quantity of infrastructure (e.g. roads, hotels, dining, attractions). ●● Hotels need to be more proactive with visitor information ○○ This was the single biggest negative issue our team encountered. Visitors tell us repeatedly they want to find visitor information at their hotels/lodging. Lodging partners need to know this and make GICVB Visitor Guide highly visible at their front desks or in the rooms/units.

Tourism Market Research 27 The Visitor Profile Study The Visitor Profile Study can be seen as the flagship method for this research project. It aims to comprehensively understand visitors to Galveston, including differences between visitor types, seasons, and lodging preferences. This study used an on-the-ground interview approach where visitors were intercepted during their visits and asked questions about their travel using an approved questionnaire. An intercept interview approach to visitor research avoids inherent biases in e-mail surveys and ensures that all types of visitors are included in the study sample. In addition, interviews allow for rich qualitative discussions and storytelling while the consistent use of the questionnaire maintains the rigor and validity of the sample size. Professional GRS researchers completed 409 in person intercepts in Galveston in hotels, attractions, beaches, campgrounds, over all 5 seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall, Holiday, and Winter). Intercepts were completed at the following locations: 61st Street Fishing Pier Best Western Plus Bishop’s Palace Bryan Museum Dellanera RV Park Doubletree by Hilton (Seawall) Historic Downtown (The Strand) East beach Galveston Island RV Park Galveston Railroad Museum The Grand 1894 Grand Opera House Hilton Holiday Inn Express - West Hotel Galvez LaQuinta Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Moody Gardens Moody Mansion Rig and Museum Pier 21 Theater Pleasure Pier Rosenburg Library Visitor Profile Study Visitor San Luis Pass Sand ‘N Sea office Schlitterbahn Seawall beach Stewart beach Tremont House Please note due to permission restrictions for conducting intercepts at the Port of Galveston, the sample size for our cruise-exclusive intercepts cannot be considered conclusive, and the 21 cruise- passenger specific intercepts were excluded from the following sample.The cruisers identified were not specifically targeted or intercepted at the cruise port, but instead emerged organically from the intercepts conducted around the island.

Source: Amy Peryam on Unsplash

Galveston Island 28 Respondent Mix Segment Overall Leisure Business Meeting/Group Cruisers n= 388 258 17 50 49 % of total 100% 66% 4% 13% 13%

●● Respondents were categorized into four main categories: Leisure, Business, Meeting/Group, and Cruisers. ○○ Leisure includes the following categories: vacation/getaway, pass-through/part of a longer trip, visiting local friends and relatives, visit attractions/historic site, and attend a local festival/event. ○○ Business includes a business trip and those working in Galveston temporarily. ○○ Meeting/Group includes attending or participating in a sports tournament, those attending a family/social event, or those attending corporate, government, association, or

SMERF meeting. Visitor Profile Study ○○ Cruisers includes cruise ship passengers.

Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts)

Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Weekday (M-Th) 32% 35% 35% 29% 16% Weekend (F-Su) 68% 65% 65% 71% 84%

●● Two thirds of interviews were conducted on weekends while one-third were conducted on weekdays.

Tourism Market Research 29 Visitor Profile & Demographics Profile Overall Leisure (n=388) (n=258) Demographics Average Age 48.28 48.18 Gender: Male/Female 42%/58% 41%/59% Points of Origin TX/OK/LA TX/OK/CO Highest Level of Education 50% College Degree 50% College Degree Generations Gen Z 1% 1% Millennials 31% 32% Gen X 31% 33% Boomers 33% 31% Silents 3% 4% Travel Party Size Adults Only 62% 57% Average # of Adults 2.39 2.47 Visitors traveling with Children 38% 43% Visitor Profile Study Visitor Average # of Children* 2.19 2.21 Visitors traveling with Pets 4% 6% Average # of Pets* 1.71 1.40 *This is the average among those parties that include children/pets. Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) The overall average visitor is a college-educated Gen Xer from Texas who identifies as a woman. She’s traveling with 1 to 2 other adults (her partner or maybe friends). This travel party is in Galves- ton to enjoy a getaway and appreciate the laid-back island vibe of Galveston. She’s been to Galveston before, so she was able to plan this rather quickly (2 weeks or less). She relies on the prior knowledge of the town and use the internet to get their trip planned out. The travel party drives into town (since Galveston is conveniently only a few hours away at most) and they check into their hotel for their long weekend. They go out to eat, maybe shop, hit the His- toric District, and/or visit Moody Gardens. They also visit the beach (Seawall and/or Jamaica). All the while, our average traveler is posting on Facebook and Instagram, telling her friends and family (and followers) about her experience. Our average traveler had a great time visiting, so she rates her experience at a 5 out of 5, and gives high ratings to all the amenities in Galveston. She’ll also be likely to recommend her experience to family and friends.

Galveston Island 30 Age & Generation

Visitor Profile Study

Q: What is your age? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Average Age 48.28 48.18 46.18 52.13 46.02 Gen Z (10-22) 1% 1% 0% 0% 4% Millennials (23-38) 31% 32% 24% 23% 36% Gen X (39-54) 31% 33% 53% 25% 26% Boomers (55-73) 33% 31% 24% 46% 32% Silents (74 and over) 3% 4% 0% 6% 2%

●● The average visitor was Gen X at 48 years old. ●● Meeting/Group visitors were the oldest on average, at 52 years old. ●● Overall Millennials (31%), Gen X (31%), and Boomers (33%) represented just about a third of the visitors respectively. ●● Business visitors skewed Gen X (53%) and Meeting/Group visitors were more likely to be Boomers (46%).

Gender Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Male 42% 41% 71% 46% 25% Female 58% 59% 29% 54% 75%

●● Overall the visitors were more likely to be female (58% versus 42% male). ●● Only Business visitors were more likely to be male (71%). Q; Are you…Male? Female? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts)

Tourism Market Research 31 Origins Visitor Profile Study Visitor

Q: What is your home zip code? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts)

Galveston Island 32 Overall (n=388) Leisure (n=258) Business (n=17) Meeting/Group Cruisers (n=49) (n=50) TX (70%) TX (70%) TX (53%) TX (68%) TX (74%) OK (5%) OK (4%) LA/OK (13% ea.) LA (10%) OK (11%) LA (4%) CO (3%) GA/AR (6% ea.) AR (4%)

●● Most visitors (70%) were from Texas. ○○ This held true of every segment, with Cruisers having the highest percentage of Texans (74%). ○○ Houston (17%) and Austin (4%) were the most common cities of origin within Texas. ●● Most non-Texans were coming from Oklahoma (5%) or Louisiana (4%). Education Visitor Profile Study

Q: What is your highest level of education? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Grade School 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% Technical School 5% 5% 25% 2% 0% Some High School 1% 1% 0% 0% 2% High School Graduate 13% 11% 13% 9% 25% Some College 14% 15% 0% 9% 21% College Degree 50% 50% 50% 60% 38% Graduate School 16% 16% 13% 21% 15% Other 1% 1% 0% 0% 0%

●● Overall, visitors were likely to hold at least a college degree (50% college degree, 16% graduate school). ●● This is true across segments, with Meeting/Group visitors being the most educated (60% had a college degree and 21% had a graduate degree.)

Tourism Market Research 33 Visitor Behaviors Travel Purpose

Other included medical travel and relocation. Q: What is the main purpose of this visit to Galveston Island? (Circle only one.) Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Visitor Profile Study Visitor Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers

(n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49)

Vacation/getaway 46% 69% 0% 0% 0%

Attend a local festival or event 9% 14% 0% 0% 0% Visit attractions/historic sites 4% 7% 0% 0% 0% Pass-through/ part of a longer trip 4% 6% 0% 0% 0% (NOT CRUISE) Visiting local friends and relatives 3% 4% 0% 0% 0% Business trip 4% 0% 94% 0% 0% Working here temporarily 0% 0% 6% 0% 0% Attend a family/social event 4% 0% 0% 34% 0% SMERF 2% 0% 0% 18% 0% Government 2% 0% 0% 14% 0% Other group 2% 0% 0% 12% 0% Association 1% 0% 0% 8% 0% Other meeting 1% 0% 0% 6% 0% Attend/participate in a sports tour- 1% 0% 0% 4% 0% nament Corporate 1% 0% 0% 4% 0% Cruise ship passenger 13% 0% 0% 0% 100% Other 3% 0% 0% 0% 0%

●● More than half of visitors were in Galveston for leisure (66% overall). ●● Almost half of those visitors were visiting for pure leisure (46%). ●● Cruise ship passengers made up 13% of all visitors. Galveston Island 34 Information Sources Visitor Profile Study

Other information sources included walk-in/call in requests, information from time- share companies, and rewards program information (e.g., Hilton Honors). Q: What information sources did you use to plan your trip? (Circle all that apply.) Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Internet/Website 54% 63% 13% 16% 62% Prior Knowledge 44% 49% 38% 27% 32% Friends/Family referral 16% 14% 6% 18% 32% Galveston Island Tourism: 7% 10% 0% 2% 0% Galveston.com Other 7% 7% 6% 6% 11% Office/Work referral 6% 2% 63% 16% 0% Conference/meeting/group referral 6% 0% 6% 41% 0% Cruise information 4% 0% 0% 0% 30% Social Media 2% 2% 6% 2% 0% State/Regional travel guide 1% 1% 0% 0% 0% Team/Event Provide 0% 0% 0% 2% 0%

●● Overall, the internet was a common source of information for trip planning, as was prior knowledge. ●● Nearly half of the Leisure visitors (49%) relied on their preexisting knowledge. ●● Aside from the internet, Cruisers tended to use prior knowledge (32%), friends and family referrals (32%), and information provided by the cruise line (30%). ●● As one might expect, Business and Meeting/Group visitors were more likely to use referrals from work and their meeting/event (respectively).

Tourism Market Research 35 Advance Planning

Q: How far in advance did you plan this trip to Galveston Island? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) 0-7 days 23% 29% 24% 6% 0% Visitor Profile Study Visitor 8-14 days 14% 18% 12% 6% 4% 15-30 days 12% 10% 24% 15% 13% 31-90 days 20% 19% 12% 29% 13% More than 60 days 32% 24% 29% 44% 70%

●● A quarter of visitors plan their trips spur of the moment (23% plan within 0-7 days of travel). ●● About half (52%) take at least a month (or more) to plan.

Transportation

Other: State Vehicle Q: What modes of transportation did you use to visit Galveston Island? (Circle all that apply.) Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts)

Galveston Island 36 Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Personal Auto 82% 82% 65% 80% 87% Airplane/Rental Car 14% 12% 29% 18% 11% Camper/RV 8% 10% 0% 4% 0% Motorcycle 1% 2% 0% 0% 2% Motorcoach/Bus 1% 0% 0% 0% 0% Other 0% 0% 0% 2% 0%

●● Nearly all visitors drive to Galveston Island (82% overall). ●● About a third of Business visitors fly in and rent a car.

Travel Parties Visitor Profile Study

Q: Including yourself, how many people are in your travel party? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Avg # of Adults 2.39 2.47 1.59 2.06 2.46 % with Children 38% 43% 24% 23% 27% Avg # of Children* 2.19 2.21 1.25 3.45 1.46 % with Pets 4% 6% 0% 4% 0% Avg # of Pets* 1.71 1.40 - 4.00 - *This is the average among those parties that include children/pets. More than 10 was coded as 11. ●● Most travel parties were, on average, comprised of 2 adults. ●● Business visitors were more likely than other segments to be solo travelers. ●● 62% of parties were adults only. ○○ Leisure visitors were slightly more likely to travel with children than average (43% versus 38%). ○○ Meeting/Group visitors were less likely to travel with children, but when they did, they traveled with more children (3.45 as compared to 2.19 overall).

Tourism Market Research 37 Overnight Visitors & Length of Stay Length of Stay 30% 28.40%

23.15% 25% 21.91%

20%

15% 9.26% 10% 5.56% 4.01% 3.70% 5% 2.47% 0.62% 0.62% 0.31% 0% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 More than 10

Q: Are you overnighting in Galveston Island? Q: If yes, how many nights are you staying? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Staying Overnight? Yes 84% 81% 94% 94% 90%

Visitor Profile Study Visitor No 16% 19% 6% 6% 10% Length of Stay Average nights 3.18 3.55 3.50 3.04 1.31 1 23% 15% 19% 7% 78% 2 28% 31% 25% 35% 13% 3 22% 21% 25% 37% 9% 4 9% 11% 13% 11% 0% 5 4% 5% 6% 4% 0% 6 2% 3% 0% 2% 0% 7 4% 5% 0% 2% 0% 8 1% 1% 0% 0% 0% 9 1% 0% 6% 0% 0% 10 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% More than 10* 6% 7% 6% 2% 0% More than 10 was coded as 11. ●● NOTE: Galveston does get a strong showing of day trip visitors down from Houston during all times of the year, but especially summer. Since this project was focused on the highly engaged, high value visitor, this sample should NOT be seen as representative of the true ratio of daytrip to overnight visitors. ●● Overall, most visitors surveyed stayed overnight for about 3 nights. ●● Leisure and Business travelers stayed the longest, averaging 3.55 and 3.50 nights respectively. ●● Cruisers had significantly shorter stays, averaging 1.31 nights.

Galveston Island 38 Daytrips & Pass-Throughs

Visitor Profile Study

Q: If no, is this a…Daytrip? Pass-through? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Daytrip 94% 100% 100% 100% 0% Pass-through 4% 0% 0% 0% 67%

●● If the visitor was not staying overnight, they reported that they were in Galveston just for the day. ●● Cruisers were the exception to this, with two-thirds (67%) seeing their stop in Galveston as a stopping point during their trip, rather than a destination.

Visitor Information & Welcome Centers

Q: Did you do any of the following to find information for/on this trip? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts)

Tourism Market Research 39 Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Request Visitor Information prior? Yes 10% 8% 6% 15% 15% No 90% 92% 94% 85% 85% Look for Visitor Information once arrived? Yes 16% 19% 0% 17% 3% No 84% 81% 100% 83% 98% Find Visitor Information once arrived? Yes 26% 28% 0% 37% 15% No 74% 72% 100% 63% 85% Go to Galveston Island Visitor Center? Yes 7% 10% 0% 6% 0% No 93% 90% 100% 94% 100%

●● Visitors are not likely to request or seek out visitor information before or during their trip. ●● Meeting/Group visitors are more likely to request (15%) and find information (37%) than average (10% and 26% respectively). ●● Leisure visitors were the most likely to go the Galveston Island Visitor Center (10%). ●● This was most likely to be because the visitor had been many times before and knew what to expect. One problem with this is that visitors often don’t know what they don’t know, and Visitor Profile Study Visitor miss out on updates and new developments if they don’t seek out visitor information.

Initial & Repeat Visitation

Q: Is this your first trip to Galveston Island? Q: If no, how many times have you visited Galveston before this trip? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Initial Visit Yes 22% 25% 24% 20% 15% No 78% 75% 76% 80% 85% Repeat Visitation Once Previously 4% 3% 0% 10% 5%

Galveston Island 40 2-5 times 36% 29% 62% 37% 59% 6-10 times 13% 13% 0% 15% 17% More than 10 times 46% 55% 38% 39% 15%

●● Galveston visitors are heavily repeat: nearly 80% had been there before overall. ●● Cruisers were most likely to have been repeat visitors, with 59% of them coming to Galves- ton 2 to five times previously. ●● 55% of repeat Leisure visitors had been to Galveston more than 10 times.

Trip Activities Visitor Profile Study

Other included a long list of attractions (e.g., Pleasure Pier, The Strand, The Oil Rig Museum, etc.), relaxing, and birding. Q: The following is a list of activities that people may do while visiting Galveston Is- land. Please circle all activities that at least one of you did (or has plans to do). Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Dining out 81% 80% 88% 77% 91% Shopping 35% 39% 35% 28% 24% Visit historic district 34% 41% 29% 23% 11% Visit Moody Gardens 32% 40% 6% 26% 9% Driving/sightseeing 27% 29% 24% 32% 13% Visit a museum/attraction/historic 27% 31% 12% 30% 7% house or site Other 26% 26% 29% 32% 13% Ride the ferry 15% 20% 6% 9% 0% Attend a festival/event 11% 14% 6% 9% 4% Kids activities 8% 11% 0% 4% 0% Business 7% 0% 82% 23% 0% Attend an arts/theater/cultural per- 5% 6% 0% 2% 0% formance Ride the trolley 2% 2% 0% 4% 2%

Tourism Market Research 41 ●● Visitors were asked about their trip activities, including which attractions they visited. Ques- tions were open-ended and visitor responses were coded and quantified. ●● Dining out was by far the most popular activity, reported by 81% of all visitors. ○○ Almost all Cruisers (91%) dined out. Outdoor Recreation

Other included swimming, beach activities, and relaxing outside. Q: While in Galveston Island, did/will any member of your party participate in outdoor recreation? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts)

Visitor Profile Study Visitor Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Participate? Yes 28% 35% 25% 8% 16% No 72% 65% 75% 93% 84% Which Activities? Walking/jogging 67% 62% 100% 70% 100% Fishing 26% 29% 0% 20% 20% Other 16% 13% 25% 30% 20% Biking/cycling 15% 16% 0% 10% 10% Birding/nature 11% 13% 0% 10% 0% Boating 8% 9% 0% 0% 10% Golfing 4% 4% 0% 10% 0% Motorcycle rid- 2% 3% 0% 0% 0% ing Kayaking 2% 1% 0% 0% 10% Surfing 1% 1% 0% 0% 0% Volleyball 1% 0% 0% 0% 10%

●● 28% of visitors engaged in outdoor recreation. ●● Leisure visitors were more likely that average to participate (35%), while Meeting/Group visitors were the least likely (8%). ●● Walking/jogging was the preferred activity of 67% of those who participated in outdoor recreation.

Galveston Island 42 Beach Visits

Beaches Visited

Seawall 29.53% Babe's 10.07% Other 9.40% Jamaica 8.72% Dellanera 8.05% Stewart 8.05% All 5.37% West End 5.37% East 4.70% Pleasure Pier 4.03% State Park 4.03% San Luis 1.34% East 1.34%

Visitor Profile Study 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Q: During this trip to Galveston Island did/will any member of your party visit a beach? Q: Which beach?* *Open-end responses, coded. Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Visit? Yes 51% 61% 41% 33% 19% No 48% 39% 59% 65% 81% Top 10 Beaches Seawall 34% 35% 25% 40% 43% Babe's Beach 10% 11% 0% 10% 14% Jamaica 10% 12% 25% 0% 0% Dellanera 9% 10% 25% 0% 0% Stewart 7% 8% 0% 0% 0% East Beach 6% 3% 0% 20% 0% West End 6% 7% 0% 0% 0% State Park 4% 5% 0% 0% 0% Pleasure Pier 4% 4% 0% 0% 14% All/ Multiple (unspecified) 4% 2% 25% 0% 29%

●● Overall, about half of visitors visited a beach (51%). More leisure visitors went than average (61%) and Cruisers were the least likely to have visited (only 19% did). ●● Seawall, Jamaica, and Babe’s Beach were the most popular beaches overall.

Tourism Market Research 43 Social Media Use

Other included Yelp, WhatsApp, a personal blog, and YouTube. Q: During this trip, will you utilize social media to update your status, post pictures, etc.? Q: If yes, what sources will you use? (Circle all that apply.) Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Yes 54% 60% 44% 49% 39% Visitor Profile Study Visitor No 46% 40% 56% 51% 61% Source Facebook 87% 85% 86% 91% 94% Instagram 32% 35% 29% 27% 22% SnapChat 16% 18% 14% 5% 17% Twitter 11% 11% 0% 14% 17% TripAdvisor 6% 3% 14% 14% 11% Other 3% 2% 0% 9% 0% Pinterest 1% 0% 14% 0% 6%

●● About half of visitors overall used social media during their visit to Galveston Island (54%). ●● 60% of Leisure visitors used social media. ●● Facebook and Instagram were consistently the most popular sources of social media.

Galveston Island 44 What Makes Galveston Unique? When asked what makes Galveston island unique the following were the top responses: ○○ History/historic/historical (31%) ○○ Beach/beaches/beachy (26%) ○○ Proximity/close to home/convenient (11%) Q: What makes Galveston Island distinct or unique from other destinations? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Visitor Profile Study

Visitor Spending

Other expenses included tips, a hair salon visit, Mardi Gras Ball tickets, and a parking ticket. Q: Approximately how much did/will you spend per day on your visit to Galveston Island? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Lodging $ 151.98 $ 149.48 $ 110.18 $ 170.49 $ 167.40 Food/Meals 109.05 114.09 71.47 115.21 93.33 Attractions/Amusements 51.09 68.69 13.82 19.02 9.38 Parking 4.40 4.16 2.24 3.36 7.81 Shopping 24.61 24.82 14.12 26.60 27.81 Transportation 11.83 9.10 14.41 16.28 14.79 Other 2.29 3.12 - 1.06 1.17 Total $ 355.25 $ 373.46 $ 226.24 $ 352.02 $ 321.69

Tourism Market Research 45 ●● Note: Spending was reported per travel party. ●● Overall, visitors spent $355 per party per day. ●● Leisure visitors spent the most on average per party per day, at $373. ○○ They spent less than average on lodging ($149) but spent more on food ($114) and attractions/amusements ($69). ●● Meeting/Group visitors and Cruisers spent more than average on lodging ($170 and $167 respectively) but spent significantly less on attractions/amusements ($19 and $9 respectively).

Visitor Ratings Likelihood to Recommend Visitor Profile Study Visitor

Q: Would you recommend Galveston Island to friends/family as a place to visit? (Circle one) Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Average Likelihood 4.53 4.61 4.12 4.40 4.51 1 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 2 1% 0% 0% 0% 2% 3 6% 5% 12% 7% 4% 4 33% 28% 65% 45% 33% 5 60% 67% 24% 48% 60%

●● Overall, visitors are likely to recommend Galveston Island to their friends and family (4.53 on a 5-point scale). ●● Leisure visitors are more likely than average to recommend Galveston (4.61). ●● Business visitors (as one would expect) were the least likely to recommend, but were, on average, still likely to recommend Galveston (4.12).

Galveston Island 46 Overall & Amenities Ratings Visitor Profile Study

Q: Overall on a 5-point scale (where 1 is poor, 3 is average, and 5 is excellent), how would you rate your visit to Galveston Island? Q: Following is a list of amenities offered in Galveston Island. Considering this visit to Galveston Island, please rate each amenity from 1 to 5 on a 5-point scale where 1 is poor, 3 is average, and 5 is excellent. (Circle one for each.) Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Overall Leisure Business Meeting/ Cruisers (n=388) (n=258) (n=17) Group (n=50) (n=49) Average Overall Rating 4.57 4.58 4.31 4.57 4.67 Quality of lodging rooms 4.41 4.39 3.77 4.45 4.61 Lodging value you received for the 4.30 4.34 3.75 4.23 4.36 price paid Range of choices for dining 4.51 4.57 4.20 4.41 4.36 Selection of shopping 4.28 4.30 4.00 4.18 4.31 Overall appeal of attractions in the 4.34 4.34 4.00 4.42 4.31 area Overall appeal of Galveston Island 4.40 4.44 3.81 4.38 4.44 as a destination Signage and wayfinding 4.12 4.12 4.00 3.95 4.23 Ease of finding visitor information 4.46 4.48 4.50 4.23 4.50 Level of service/employee training 4.60 4.60 4.31 4.72 4.63

●● Visitors were asked to rate certain aspects of traveling to Galveston on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). Generally, a rating over 4.5 is excellent (highlighted in the table above), a 4.0 is good, and anything under a 3.5 needs attention. ●● Overall, visitors gave excellent ratings to the level of service (4.60), the range of choices for dining (4.51), and their trip overall (4.57). ●● No ratings fell below 3.5, which is excellent. Tourism Market Research 47 Likes

Q: What did you like most about your visit to Galveston Island? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Visitor Profile Study Visitor ●● When asked what they enjoyed most about their visit, visitors tended to report ○○ The beach ○○ The Island’s history ○○ Moody Gardens ○○ Proximity to home ○○ And the island vibe.

Dislikes ●● When asked what they liked the least about their visitor, the most common responses were ○○ The weather ○○ Water and beach quality (perceptions about the water as “dirty”) ○○ And traffic. Q: What did you dislike most about your visit to Galveston Island? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts)

Galveston Island 48 Understanding Lodging A lodging study was conducted during 2019 to understand the visitor mix (% of visitor types/segments) of overnight visitors in Galveston Island. Lodging property managers are good sources for understanding the types of visitors that stay with them. This study is comprised of: ●● Hotel Occupancy Tax Analysis ●● Smith Travel Research (STR) report analysis ●● Confidential lodging partner surveys ○○ From the confidential lodging partner surveys, we received 19 hotel responses, 6 V/R Campground responses, and 6 vacation rental management company responses. Understanding Lodging

Hotel Occupancy Tax Analysis The Galveston Park Board collects a 9% Hotel Occupancy Tax on gross lodging revenues. This tax is tracked by category—full service hotels, limited service hotels, vacation rentals, and bed and breakfasts.

Hotel Occupancy Tax Breakdown

Source: Galveston Park Board tax collection records, 2018 ●● Hotels make up about 70% of lodging tax collected in Galveston (42% from full service hotels and 29% from limited service). ○○ Limited service hotels make up 55% of the room inventory and 29% of the revenue ○○ Vacation rentals make up about 30% while bed and breakfasts make up 0.1%. Tourism Market Research 49 Lodging Revenue Generated

Source: Galveston Park Board tax collection records ●● Galveston lodging revenue has steadily risen over the past four years.. ●● Revenue, derived from tax collections, has increase 19% from 2016-2018. Understanding Lodging ●● Galveston typically has strong summer seasons (particularly July) with a predictable spike in spring for spring break in March/April. ●● NOTE: independent vacation rental taxes are collected on a quarterly rather than monthly basis

Share of Hotel Occupancy Tax Revenue

Source: Galveston Park Board tax collection records

Galveston Island 50 Lodging Type % change in revenue (2016 - 2018) Bed and Breakfasts -49% Hotels/full service +13% Hotels/limited service +15% Management Companies +39% Independents +24% Total +19%

●● Overall, vacation rentals gained (and hotels lost) a 5% share of revenue. ●● Vacation rentals had the biggest increase in revenue, particularly management companies.

Smith Travel Research (STR) Report Analysis Understanding Lodging The tourism health of a destination can be understood using Smith Travel Research lodging metrics. STR is a well-known analyst of hotel industry data and metrics. The report below indicates the overall lodging health of Galveston. The following definitions can be referenced to understand the hotel data and statistics in this report: ●● Occupancy = % Rooms Available / Rooms Rented ●● ADR = $ Average Daily Rate (average charged per room) ●● RevPAR = Revenue Per Available Room ($ADR x %Occupancy) ●● RevPAR is the industry standard measure for profitability ●● Supply = # Rooms Available x Days of Year (365 days) ●● Demand = # Rooms Rented throughout Year (365 days) ●● Revenues = Demand x ADR

Hotel Inventory by Age

Source: Smith Travel Research ●● Most hotels in Galveston are over 30 years old (47%).

Tourism Market Research 51 Hotel Inventory by Class

Source: Smith Travel Research ●● Galveston hotels offer a full range of hotel classes.

Understanding Lodging Occupancy

Source: Smith Travel Research ●● Occupancy is a function of demand versus supply. ●● Occupancy in Galveston’s hotels has exceeded 55% for the last eight years, with more recent numbers over 60%.

Galveston Island 52 Supply & Demand Understanding Lodging

Source: Smith Travel Research ●● Hotel Supply increased 10.3% since 2011. ●● During the same time period, demand increased 22.1% (thus an overall increase in occupancy).

ADR & RevPAR

Source: Smith Travel Research ●● Average Daily Rate (ADR) also increased by 21.1%, leading to an overall increase in profitability (RevPAR) of 34.2%

Tourism Market Research 53 Seasonal Analysis Smith Travel Research metrics also let us understand patterns in seasonality. In Galveston, there are generally considered to be five seasons (rather than the traditional four) as holiday counts as its own season.

Seasonal Occupancy

Source: Smith Travel Research Understanding Lodging ●● Hotel occupancy (and thus revenue) is typically highest in the summer, followed by spring. ●● In 2017, Hurricane Harvey showed higher occupancy as displaced locals and Houstonians sought refuge in Galveston hotels

Seasonal Revenue

Source: Smith Travel Research ●● As expected, summer has the highest occupancy (at 78%).

Galveston Island 54 Seasonal ADR & RevPAR Understanding Lodging

Source: Smith Travel Research

Day of the Week Analysis STR data also lets us understand patterns by day of the week.

Daily Occupancy

Source: Smith Travel Research ●● Generally in a destination, strong weekday occupancy indicates more business travel while strong weekend occupancy indicates more leisure travel. ●● Occupancy is highest in Galveston on Friday and Saturday nights; typical of a leisure destination.

Tourism Market Research 55 Daily ADR & RevPAR

Source: Smith Travel Research ●● Average daily rate also spikes on Friday and Saturday, indicating that most lodging revenue in Galveston is generated on the weekend.

Lodging Metrics for Galveston Vacation Rentals Understanding Lodging Using data collected in the Lodging Partner Survey for Vacation Rental Management companies, detailed in the next section, GRS was able to estimate some key monthly metrics for Galveston Vacation Rentals. All data was for 2018. Note: this data does not reflect the TOTAL vacation rental supply/demand, but that reported by the six (6) property management companies that responded. The Galveston Park Board is currently working with several data providers to comprehensively understand vacation rental inventory, including properties that are self and professionally managed. Supply & Demand (Vacation Rentals)

Source: Lodging Partner Survey (Vacation Rental Management Companies)

Galveston Island 56 ●● Supply remains fairly steady throughout the year (how many room nights were available). ●● Note the peaks in demand (how many room nights were sold) in July and March.

Occupancy (Vacation Rentals) Understanding Lodging

Source: Lodging Partner Survey (Vacation Rental Management Companies) ●● Occupancy, a measure of demand in relation to supply, has a sharp peak in July (82.3%, which is excellent) and a smaller peak in March (about 55%).

Revenue (Vacation Rentals)

Source: Lodging Partner Survey (Vacation Rental Management Companies) ●● The monthly revenue charted above reinforces the clear pattern from the previous data: July is the busiest month which in turn means the highest revenues of the year.

Tourism Market Research 57 ADR & RevPAR (Vacation Rentals)

Source: Lodging Partner Survey (Vacation Rental Management Companies) ●● Aside from following the pattern previously established, ADR and RevPAR reveal something interesting: in August, ADR peaks at $288, but the RevPAR (ADR x Occupancy) drops to $154. This tells us that rates stay high in August, but fewer room nights are being sold.

Understanding Lodging Lodging Partner Surveys In 2019, GRS sent out a 1-page lodging survey to hotels and campgrounds, as well as an online survey for vacation rentals. Lodging Inventory was analyzed as four types: ●● Hotels ○○ Limited Service Hotels (55% of Galveston’s hotel room inventory) ○○ Full Service Hotels (45% of hotel room inventory) ●● Vacation Rentals (Professionally managed and independent) ●● RV/Campgrounds

Survey Response Vacation Rental Full service hotels Limited service hotels Campgrounds Management Companies 10 responses 9 responses 6 responses 5 responses (1911 rooms, 96% response) (797 rooms, 33% response) (382 rental units) (643 hookup sites)

2018 Guest Behavior Full Service Limited Service Vacation Campgrounds Hotels Hotels Rentals Walk-ins or same-day bookings 9% 16% 1% 10% Adults traveling without children 51% 37% 19% 63% Booked with online travel agency (OTA)* 22% 49% 25% 10% Came for business or meeting but stayed at 2% 10% -- -- least one extra night for leisure Sources: Lodging Partner Surveys (Hotels, Vacation Rental Management Companies, Campgrounds) *For hotels, guests tend to book on OTAs including hotels.com, booking.com, Travelocity.com; while vacation rental guests tend to book on OTAs including AirBNB, VRBO, and HomeAway.

Galveston Island 58 2018 Hotel Marketing Mix All Full Limited Response Rate 61.20% 96.20% 32.90% Total Leisure 56.90% 57.40% 55.50% Typical sightseeing tourists visiting the area 25.30% 28.60% 19.50% Cruise visitors 12.70% 8.50% 20.20% Attending a local festival or event 4.70% 3.40% 6.90% Tourists passing through for one night as part of a longer trip 2.20% 1.30% 3.90% (NOT cruise visitors) Nature/outdoor recreation (incl. birding, fishing, etc.) 2.00% 1.60% 2.60% Visiting local friends & relatives 1.60% 1.30% 2.30%

Other (long-term-stay projects, hospital, Shriner families, total leisure) 8.30% 12.70% 0.00% Understanding Lodging Total Groups 27.80% 28.90% 26% Conferences/meetings/corporate groups 9.20% 10.30% 7.30% SMERF (Social, Military, Educational, Religious, Fraternal) 7.90% 8.50% 6.80% Sports (cheerleading, etc.) 5.90% 5.50% 6.70% Family/Social events (weddings, reunions, birthdays, graduations, etc.) 4.80% 4.50% 5.30% Total Business 15.30% 13.70% 18% Individual business travelers (white collar) 10.30% 11.70% 8.00% Blue collar workers (rig workers, construction laborers, etc.) 4.90% 2.10% 10.00%

Q:Please estimate what percentage of your TOTAL 2018 guests fell into each category, entering each as a whole number. Percentages MUST add up to 100%. Source: Lodging Partner Survey (Hotels) ●● According to lodging partners’ best estimates, out of every 100 overnight visitors to Galves- ton Island, ○○ 57 are visiting for leisure, ○○ 28 are with a group, ○○ and 15 are here on business.

2018 Vacation Rental Marketing Mix Vacation Rentals Leisure (family/friend vacation/getaway) 76.9% Attending a local festival or event 8.9% Traveling for business 8.1% Conference/meeting/group 2.5% (including sports, weddings, reunions, etc.)

Tourism Market Research 59 Visitor Origins Hotels Winter Spring Summer Fall Holiday Houston Houston Houston Houston Houston Dallas/Ft. Worth Dallas/Ft. Worth Dallas/Ft. Worth Dallas/Ft. Worth Dallas/Ft. Worth Austin Austin Austin Austin Austin San Antonio San Antonio Perland San Antonio LaMarque Galveston/TX City Galveston/TX City LaMarque Galveston/TX City Galveston/ TX City Q: What are your TOP FIVE (5) ORIGIN MARKETS per season? In other words, how does where visitors come from tend to change by season? Source: Lodging Partner Survey (Hotels)

Vacation Rentals Year-Round Houston Dallas San Antonio Galveston Austin Q: Please list your guests' TOP FIVE (5) cities/places of origin. Source: Lodging Partner Survey (Vacation Rental Management Companies) Understanding Lodging ●● Regardless of season, Galveston Lodging partners primarily see Texans visiting Galveston.

Visitor Segment Priorities Full Service Segment Rankings Rank Limited Service Segment Rankings Team Sports Events 1 Leisure/Vacations Conferences/Meetings 2 Conferences/Meetings Leisure/Vacations 3 Family Vacations (children) Family Vacations (children) 4 Groups (SMERF, weddings, reunions...) Groups (SMERF, weddings, reunions...) 5 Cruise Visitors Cruise Visitors 6 Seniors (AARP, etc.) Seniors (AARP, etc.) 7 Team Sports Events International Visitors 8 International Visitors Other 9 Other

Q: Please rank the following customer segments to indicate your priority order for future tourism marketing efforts. Place a 1 next to the segment you deem highest priority, a 2 by the segment next highest and so on until you have ranked all segments. You may also drag segments up and down in the list. Source: Lodging Partner Survey (Hotels) ●● Limited Service hotels are most interested in building up their leisure/vacations segment, along with conference/meetings. ●● Full Service hotels are also interested in conferences/meetings, but they are more interested in Team Sports events.

Galveston Island 60 Visitor Types By Day of the Week (Hotels only) Limited Service Full Service Sunday Nights Cruise Cruise and Conference Leisure and Business Weekday Nights Leisure, Conference, and Business/Corp. (both blue- and white-collar) Q: Describe your typical guests...on Sunday nights. On Weekday nights. Source: Lodging Partner Survey (Hotels) ●● Cruise visitors tend to fill Sunday nights for both Limited and Full.

By Season (Hotels and Vacation Rentals Limited Service Full Service Vacation Rentals Understanding Lodging Spring Special Events (incl. Leisure Seniors/Retired, Family Va- (March 1-May 31) Prom, Grad, and Spring cations incl. Spring Break, Break), Leisure Pre-Cruise Summer Leisure Leisure Family Vacations (June 1-August 31) Fall Leisure, Cruise, Business Convention, Corp, Lei- Empty Nesters, Winter (September 1 - November 17) sure, Cruise Texans, Events (Lone Star Rally, festivals), some corporate/group Holiday Leisure, Business Leisure Empty Nesters, Winter Tex- (November 18 - January 6) ans, Holiday family trips Winter Leisure, Cruise, Business, Leisure, Corp, Cruise Seniors/Retired/Empty (January 7 - February 28) Special Events, Seniors Nesters, Leisure (weekend- ers, fishing trips), some corporate/group Q: What are your TOP FIVE (5) VISITOR TYPES per season? In other words, how do your visitor types tend to change by season? Sources: Lodging Partner Surveys (Hotels, Vacation Rental Management Companies) ●● Just as noted above (Day of the Week), Cruisers tend to fill slower periods. ●● Limited service hotels tend to see families with children Spring-Fall, while Full service hotels tend to see them in Spring and Summer. ●● Vacation Rentals tend to see families during Summer and Holiday.

Tourism Market Research 61 Traveler Preferences In GRS’s digital ethnographic perception study, visitors were asked about their lodging preferences when they travel.

What Hotel Travelers are Looking For ●● All-inclusive packages ●● Kids Club/ Babysitting ●● Spa/pampering ●● Help with experiences (e.g., booking a fishing charter) ●● For Cruisers, parking and shuttle deals.

Source: Michael Monahan (left) and Adrian Motroc (right) on Unsplash I like hotels so breakfast is made in the morning and resorts because they offer all-inclusive for meals

Understanding Lodging and drinks ~Visitor In the past I would like a more active vacation but now I would just prefer to stay at a really nice resort or hotel and sit on a beach somewhere reading or just enjoying the view. Also would like some great dining options that are nearby or within the hotel. ~Visitor I just thought of something that we had looked for a couple of years ago. We were hoping a hotel would have a kids club or day care in it so we could do date nights. If a hotel had a high-quality drop-in daycare that would be a plus so the adults could have a dinner out and still spend all day with the kids too. ~Visitor There are only a handful of resort type hotels in Galveston. Most are motels with small kitchens. Which is fine but if I did that, I want a show stopping beach. I would like to see facilities that has a beautiful pool, room service, restaurant in hotel and a bar. Maybe spa services. ~Visitor

Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study

Why Travelers Choose Hotels ●● Amenities ●● Comfort, “pampered” (e.g. breakfast, swimming pools, bars) (e.g. beds) ●● Cleaning/housekeeping ●● Consistent/predictable ●● Loyalty Programs ●● Location Hotels are easy, predictable and affordable if you look hard enough. And they’re clean and mostly trust- worthy. ~Visitor I prefer to stay at a hotel or resort because then I’m on my own time and in my own space. I get to con- trol that factor and I like it more. ~Visitor

Galveston Island 62 Though most people are enjoying the convenience of Air BNB’s and what not, I’m a little old-fashioned and I really enjoy staying in hotels/resorts. I’m a sucker for being pampered and I really feel like you get that experience in hotels. Especially if something is not to your satisfaction, you’re able to get it ad- dressed then and there. Also, who doesn’t like room service on your lazy morning or night-in? ~Visitor I like a hotel or motel, as the accommodations tend to be much more consistent, reliable, and comfortable than an unknown bed and breakfast or an inn, or an AirBNB rental. I do not like taking a chance on accommodations when traveling. ~Visitor

Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study

Why Travelers Choose Vacation Rentals Understanding Lodging

Source: Sandra Seitamaa on Unsplash ●● Access to beach/water/sound of waves ●● Privacy/less crowds ●● Plenty to do and place to retreat ●● Feel of having your own private beach ●● Place to gather large groups/families ●● Kitchen/home cooking ●● Feels like home away from home ●● Great off-season pricing I think the Vacation Rentals are definitely a better way to go when visiting Galveston because the Beach area is not as crowded and you’re away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in Galveston along with its growing tourism! One could never get bored of sitting on a private balcony while listening to the sound of the ocean and its lovely view! We will be back in two weeks! ~Visitor We loved being able to walk right from the beach house rental onto the beach each day. It was easy, relaxing, and felt like our own private beach. The water was a comfortable temperature & we loved all the shells. Most relaxing vacation we’ve ever had. ~Visitor We usually do rental property because of the various price points and options. You can always find the exact size/price and it provides more options than a hotel. ~Visitor I like Airbnb and VRBO because it almost feels like a little home away from home. All hotel rooms seem to be the same to me and that is boring. ~Visitor Beaches were quiet & not crowded; we were able to get a great rental at an exceptional price. ~Visitor

Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study

Tourism Market Research 63 Insights for Galveston Island Lodging Hotel Insights ●● Get involved in the Certified Tourism Ambassador Program!! ○○ Hotel visitors lean on front desk staff for recommendations ●● Consider packages/all-inclusive offers ●● Offer childcare/kids club solutions

Vacation Rental Insights ●● Target Millennials ○○ Millennials are less likely to use Management Companies ○○ Millennials need to develop new traditions like their parents and grandparents ●● Use discounts/last minute bookings of unreserved rentals

Overall Insights ●● Deliver concierge-style service (if you don’t already) ○○ Help deliver experiences outside the rental/hotel ○○ Direct to local restaurants/shops ●● Cross promote! ●● Create or offer something novel/new/unique ○○ Bonus for making it an experience! ●● Invest time and attention in shared stakeholder goals ○○ Educate on brown water/ seaweed/ Gulf cycles ○○ Highlight history

Understanding Lodging ○○ Increase events awareness ●● Share and encourage sharing on social media ●● Encourage and pay attention to Google/TripAdvisor reviews

Galveston Island 64 Understanding Attractions To understand attractions in Galveston, two methods were utilized. First, a survey of attractions managers were asked about visitor types and visitation patterns to their attraction (Attractions Man- agers Survey). Next, an email survey of visitors who had purchased the Galveston Island Attrac- tions pass were surveyed (Attractions Patron e-Survey). While not all attractions are included on the Island Pass, this list of visitors was the strongest existing channel to understand attractions visitors as a group.

Attractions Managers Survey The Attractions Managers Survey was sent out to Area Attractions Partners in 2019. 12 attractions responded.

Respondents included: Understanding Attractions ●● Moody Gardens ●● Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier ●● Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum ●● Galveston Naval Museum ●● The Rosenberg Library (History Center & Museum) ●● The Grand 1894 Opera House ●● Galveston Arts Center ●● Bishop’s Palace ●● The Bryan Museum ●● Historic Harbor Tours ●● Moody Mansion ●● Texas Seaport Museum

Jelly Fish from Moody Gardens Aquarium, Source: Felipe Galvan on Unsplash

Tourism Market Research 65 Age of Attractions

Q: Date opened? Source: Attractions Manager Survey ●● 72% of attractions are more than 20 years old.

Admissions Fees Understanding Attractions Understanding

Q: Do you charge an admissions fee? If so, what is your admissions fee? Please describe. Source: Attractions Manager Survey ●● 82% of respondents charge some kind of admission fee. ○○ They range from $2 to $175. ○○ Most have options around $10. ○○ Senior, Military, and Child discounts are common.

Visitor Origins Rank Origins ●● Managers estimated that 59% of their visitors were from 1 Houston more than 30 miles away. 2 Dallas/Fort Worth ●● Houston was the most likely point of origin. 3 Austin Q: Please list your guests’ TOP FIVE cities/places of origin. Source: Attractions Manager Survey 4 Galveston 5 Beaumont/San Antonio

Galveston Island 66 Visitor Mix Understanding Attractions

Q: Please describe your visitor types. Last year, about what percentage of your overall visitors fell into the following categories? (The percentage of INDIVIDUALS + GROUPS must total 100%, but please enter only numbers) Source: Attractions Manager Survey

Social Media Use

Qa: Do you promote your attraction utilizing social media? Qb. If yes, which ones? Source: Attractions Manager Survey ●● All promote their attractions on social media. ●● All use Facebook and most use Instagram (73%) and TripAdvisor (64%).

Tourism Market Research 67 Email Databases

Q: Do you keep an email database of customers? Qa: If yes, please describe the size of your database. Qb: How many are in your database overall? Qc: How many are in your database from the past two (2) years? Source: Attractions Manager Survey ●● 73% attractions maintain a customer email database. ●● About 38% started their databases within the last two years. ●● Databases range from 200 to 113,727, with most under 10,000. ●● Some only maintain databases of those who purchase specific experiences/ticket types. Understanding Attractions Understanding Attractions Budgets

Q: How many people do you have on staff? Full time? Part time? Volunteers? Q: Please enter your budget information for 2018. Total Budget? Advertising/Marketing Budget? Source: Attractions Manager Survey ●● Total Overall Budgets for the respondents ranged from $250,000 to more than $60 million. ●● On average, about 9% of the budget is allocated to Advertising and Marketing. ●● As one might expect, the staff size follows budget size: the former is larger if the latter is too.

Galveston Island 68 CVB Services Rank CVB Services 1 Galveston Island Visitor Center 2 Co-op advertising 3 Free Visitor Guide & website listings 4 News Release distribution 5 Free brochure distribution 6 Seasonal promotions 7 Helping you design marketing materials 8 Social media assistance, training & implementation

9 Other (Advice, Information, Consultations) Understanding Attractions

Q: Please rate the following CVB services by their importance to you: (Please rate on a scale of 1-5 where 1 is low and 5 is high). Q: Is there a service you need that the CVB is not currently providing? How else could the CVB support you and your attraction? Source: Attractions Manager Survey ●● The attractions value the CVB’s information & support. ○○ “Continue to explore programs like Museum Day and Island Pass. Expand efforts to reach restaurant and hotel employees.” ○○ “What we struggle with most is getting the word out and marketing…Maybe the CVB could share on their social media the attractions' upcoming events.” ○○ “Digital marketing support.”

Tourism Market Research 69 Attractions Patron E-Survey An online survey was sent out to 8,664 Island Pass Purchasers. Between April and July 2019, GRS received a total of 549 responses (a 6% response rate). Respondents were offered a chance to win a weekend getaway in Galveston as incentive. All respondents were asked demographic data and some general information about their most recent visit to Galveston Island, if they had visited. They were also asked what attractions they have attended. Respondents were then directed to a variety of questions about their most recent visit to one of their selected attractions. Below, we have indicated the number of responses for each attraction.

n= Moody Gardens 94 Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier 59 Downtown Historic District 56 Moody Mansion Museum 50 Dolphin or Harbor Tours 46 Galveston Railroad Museum 39 Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum 32 Seawolf Park 30 Galveston Naval Museum 14 Schlitterbahn Waterpark 12

Understanding Attractions Understanding The Grand 1894 Opera House 12 Bishop's Palace 11 ELISSA Tall Ship/TX Seaport Museum 10 The Bryan Museum 10 Ghost Tours 6 Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey

Attractions Patrons Survey Attractions List Key attractions were selected in collaboration with the Galveston Park Board. With a limited contact list availability from Galveston Attractions, it was determined GRS would use the Island Pass contact list to reach respondents. Therefore, many of the attractions overlap with those participating in the Island Pass program. Further, respondents were familiar with the Island Pass attractions.

Galveston Island 70 Demographics Age & Generations Understanding Attractions

Q: Which of the following best describes your age? Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey ●● Respondents fell relatively evenly among the generations with a slight skew towards Gen X.

Gender

Q: How do you identify your gender? Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey ●● Significantly more women completed the survey than men (typical for travel planners).

Tourism Market Research 71 Points of Origin

Understanding Attractions Understanding

Q: What is your ZIP code? Q: Do you live within approximately 50 miles of Galveston Island? Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey

Total Millennials Gen X Boomers Regional (within 50 miles) 15% 16% 17% 11% Visitor (More than 50 miles) 85% 82% 81% 87%

●● Most Attractions Patrons are from within Texas but coming from more than 50 miles away. ●● 2/3rd of Attractions Patrons are Texans (67%). ○○ Top points of origin within Texas include Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, Austin, Dal- las, Galveston, College Station, Cypress, Katy, & Round Rock ●● 2% of visitors are from outside the US (Canada, Mexico, UK).

Galveston Island 72 Frequency of Overnight Leisure Travel

Understanding Attractions

Q: About how often do you travel overnight for leisure? Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey

Total Millennials Gen X Boomers Less than once per year 8% 14% 5% 5% 1-2 times per year 35% 36% 32% 36% 3-4 times per year 35% 31% 40% 29% 5 or more times per year 22% 17% 21% 27%

●● Boomers reported taking more leisure trips annually then other generations.

Visitor Behaviors Past Visits

Q: How many times have you been to Galveston? Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey

Total Millennials Gen X Boomers Once previously 22% 19% 18% 28% 2-5 times 30% 34% 27% 27% 6-10 times 12% 13% 10% 12% More than 10 times 36% 32% 43% 31%

●● Gen Xers tended to have visited the most with almost half of them having been to Galveston more than 10 times. ●● There were slightly more first-timers due to the nature of the Island Pass list. Tourism Market Research 73 Overnight Stays & Length of Stay By Attraction Attractions Patrons: Overnight Stays, by Attraction

The Bryan Museum 100%

Seawolf Park 93%

Ocean Star Rig & Museum 90%

Moody Mansion 90%

ELISSA & TX Seaport Museum 90%

Downtown Historic District 88%

Dolphin/Harbor Tour 84%

Ghost Tours 83%

Galveston Railroad Museum 83%

Pleasure Pier 81%

Galveston Naval Museum 79%

Moody Gardens 77%

The Grand 1894 Opera House 75%

Bishop's Palace 70%

Schlitterbahn Waterpark 67% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Q: On your most recent visit to ____, did you stay the night in Galveston?

Understanding Attractions Understanding Q: How many nights did you stay? Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey

Avg Nights Stayed* Galveston Naval Museum 4.73 ELISSA Tall Ship/TX Seaport Museum 4.67 The Grand 1894 Opera House 4.56 Seawolf Park 4.31 Moody Gardens 3.94 Moody Mansion 3.89 Pleasure Pier 3.85 Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum 3.71 Bryan Museum 3.70 Dolphin/Harbor Tour 3.68 Downtown Historic District 3.51 Galveston Railroad Museum 3.48 Bishop’s Palace 3.43 Ghost Tours 3.40 Schlitterbahn Waterpark 2.13

* Not including daytrippers ●● Attractions-goers tended to stay the night. ●● 83% stayed overnight. ●● On average, they stayed 3.84 nights on the Island.

Galveston Island 74 By Season Attractions Patrons: Average Nights Stayed, by Season 5 4.43 4.5 3.97 4 3.62 3.71 3.5 2.83 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 Understanding Attractions 0 Spring Summer Fall Holiday Winter

Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey Avg nights stayed* Fall 3.71 Holiday 2.83 Spring 3.62 Summer 3.97 Winter 4.43 * Not including daytrippers ●● Overall, stays varied in length across seasons. ○○ Holiday stays were the shortest, at less than 3 nights. ○○ Winter had the longest stays, of over 4 nights. (These visitors are colloquially described as “Winter Texans.”) Lodging

Q: Where did you stay? Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey ●● Hotels were the top lodging choice. Over half chose hotels (54%). ○○ However, it is important to note that there is also more hotel inventory available than any other lodging type. ●● Vacation rental houses and condos were also common accommodations for attraction patrons. ●● 4% “other” were mostly timeshares Tourism Market Research 75 Travel Parties

Q: On your most recent trip to ____ please choose the description below that best matches your travel party. Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey ●● Most Attractions Patrons were individual visitors rather than traveling with groups. ○○ Overall, attraction visitors were there as “individual visitors” meaning they were visiting with friends, family, or alone. ○○ The exception to this was Schlitterbahn where many still visited individually (58%) but others visited with a wedding/reunion/family event (17%), some visited with a social club or church group (17%). Understanding Attractions Understanding Visit Timing By Day of the Week

Q: Did you visit on a weekday or weekend? Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey ●● Weekdays were popular among Island Pass Users. ○○ Island Pass Users tended to visit attractions most often on weekdays.

Galveston Island 76 By Month Understanding Attractions

Q: During which month was your most recent visit to ____? Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey ●● Most visits clustered around June and July with a smaller peak in March. ●● Some variance occurred per attraction such as: ○○ The Downtown Historic District saw their highest traffic levels in June, March, May and September. ○○ Seawolf Park saw significant traffic in April. ○○ The Opera House saw bumps in April and September. ○○ ELISSA/TX Seaport Museum saw a bump in February.

Admissions Purchases

Q: For your most recent visit, how did you purchase your admission tickets? Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey ●● If not on the Island Pass, visitors bought their tickets in person. ●● Most tickets were purchased through an Island Pass. ○○ The exception was the Bryan Museum, which was more likely to be purchased when visitors arrived at the attraction. ●● Pleasure Pier visitors also purchased tickets upon arrival to the attraction (since not currently on Island Pass).

Tourism Market Research 77 Attractions Awareness

Q: Which of the following attractions have you heard of? Please select all that apply. Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey ●● Of the attractions Island Pass users had heard of, Moody Gardens topped the list with almost all visitors having heard of it. ●● Pleasure Pier and Moody Mansion were similar with almost 9 out of 10 visitors being aware of them as well. ●● Millennials’ awareness of museums tended to be lower than the other generations, especially Boomers. Understanding Attractions Understanding Awareness Sources Attractions Patrons: Awareness Sources

Visitor Guide/Brochure 46% Online Search 26% Friends/Family 20% Drove Past 10% Other 6% Print Ad 3% Social Media Ad 3% Magazine/Blog Story 1% Radio or TV Ad 1% Billboard 1%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Q: How did you originally find out about ____? Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey ●● Overall, Galveston Island Visitors guide and/or visitor brochures were top information sources for island pass users. Online search and friends and family were also sources of information. ●● Driving past was also a lead source for Pleasure Pier. ●● “Other” sources (5%) included familiarity with destination/been coming forever, and Island Pass itself.

Galveston Island 78 Attractions Visited Understanding Attractions

Q: Of those that you have heard of, which have you visited? Please select all that apply. Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey ●● Moody Gardens was the most commonly visited attraction for Island Pass Users. ●● The Historic District, Pleasure Pier, Moody Mansion, Railroad Museum & Terminal and Dol- phin or Harbor Tours also saw over 50% visitation. ●● Millennials tended to be less likely to visit attractions than other generations with the exception of Dolphin or Harbor Tours and Schlitterbahn Waterpark.

Cluster Analysis Cluster analysis revealed that the Historic District and Moody Gardens were the two biggest “nuclei” of attractions activity.If visitors did one of these two attractions, they were very likely to also do the attractions listed.

Historic District Correlating Attraction Overall Attended Historic district visitors also attended Pleasure Pier 59.3% 76.2% Seawolf Park 42.9% 75.8% Dolphin/Harbor Tours 50.8% 68.7% Moody Mansion 53.1% 66.1% Ocean Star 43.1% 56.8% Schlitterbahn 23.2% 34.4%

Moody Gardens Correlating Attraction Overall Attended Moody Gardens visitors also attended Dolphin/Harbor Tours 50.8% 81.9% Pleasure Pier 59.3% 80.2% Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey

Tourism Market Research 79 Ratings & Repeatability Overall Galveston Ratings

Q: How would you rate Galveston as a destination overall? Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey

Avg Rating Millennials 4.33 Gen Xers 4.36 Boomers 4.47 Understanding Attractions Understanding ●● Overall, Galveston ratings were very favorable with few visitors rating the island below 4-stars. Boomers tended to have the highest ratings as did visitors from further away (ap- prox. 50 miles+).

Attractions Ratings Avg Rating ●● When rating attractions overall, the Bryan Museum, Dol- Overall Ratings 4.20 phin/Harbor Tours and Moody Gardens were all rated as Moody Gardens 4.37 “excellent” by more than half of their visitors. Dolphin/Harbor Tour 4.37 Q: Please rate each attraction you have visited in the past three (3) years on a scale of 1 Moody Mansion 4.34 to 5, where 1 is poor and 5 is excellent. Bryan Museum 4.33 Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey Ocean Star 4.24 Bishop's Palace 4.23 Naval Museum 4.19 Historic District 4.18 Schlitterbahn 4.15 Opera House 4.13 ELISSA 4.11 Railroad Museum 4.07 Pleasure Pier 4.00 Seawolf Park 3.93

Galveston Island 80 Attractions Awareness, Ratings, & Recency GRS created a bubble chart to visually demonstrate how visitors perceived a list of Galveston attractions.

Attractions Patrons: Attractions Awareness, Ratings, & Recency 4.5

4.4 The Bryan Museum Dolphin or Harbor Tours Moody Gardens The Moody Mansion Museum

4.3

The Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Bishop's Palace Rig & Museum 4.2 The Galveston Naval Museum Schlitterbahn Waterpark

The Strand Historic District Understanding Attractions

The Grand 1894 Opera House Ratings + 4.1 The ELISSA Tall Ship - The Railroad Museum & Terminal

4 The Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier

Seawolf Park 3.9 Ghost Tours

3.8 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% - Awareness +

Q: Which of the following attractions have you heard of? Please select all that apply. Q: Please rate each attraction you have visited in the past three (3) years on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is poor and 5 is excellent. Q: Which attractions have you visited in the past three (3) years? Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey ●● In the chart above, the SIZE of the bubble indicates recent relative visitation numbers, and represents the number of respondents who visited that attraction within the past three years. The X-AXIS (left and right) indicates awareness, and represents the percent of respondents who reported being aware of each attraction. The Y-AXIS (up and down) indicates satisfaction, and represents the average rating from 1-5 given to each attraction by recent visitors (past 3 years). ●● Therefore, the attractions in the upper right hand quadrant are those who have the highest awareness and the highest ratings, while those in the lower left hand quadrant have the lowest awareness and the lowest ratings, and so on. ○○ Moody Gardens, Moody Mansion Museum, Dolphin/Harbor Tours, The Ocean Star, Schlitterbahn, and the Historic District have the highest awareness and ratings. ●● It is important to note that all ratings were above 3.9 out of 5, and the average was 4.15 out of 5. These are EXCELLENT ratings overall.

Tourism Market Research 81 Attractions Repeatability

Q: How many times have you been to ____? Source: Attractions Patrons E-Survey ●● Interactive/Experiential attractions are more repeatable than museums. ○○ Not surprisingly, the Historic District was the most often to be visited repeatedly, followed by Moody Gardens. Understanding Attractions Understanding ●● Museums were most likely to be visited only once, whereas the more interactive and experiential attractions tended to be visited repeatedly.

Source: https://www.moodygardens.com/visitor_info/animal_encounters/

Galveston Island 82 Insights for Galveston Island Attractions Experiential Travel The desire for transformative EXPERIENCES cuts across generations and income levels. * ●● Travelers are looking for personalized, highly curated, and transformative travel experiences*. ○○ Authentic ○○ Immersive ○○ Adaptable (to meet needs/desired goals, family-friendliness) ●● “The hottest souvenir to bring back from a trip is a new skill: travelers are learning different skills” like cooking regional cuisines/specialties.* ●● For American travelers, bookings for classes and workshops spiked by 94% over 2018. ●● Meeting PEOPLE (local experts, other travelers) is an important part of creating an authentic Understanding Attractions and immersive experience. Sources: Peak+Skift “The Rise of Experiential Travel” *TripAdvisor “2019 Experiential Travel Trends”

Other Insights for Attractions Partners ●● Texas history is a strong area of interest for Galveston visitors overall. ○○ Celebrate TX history whenever possible! ●● Experiences (rather than products) drive repeatability. ●● Island pass drives new visitors to attractions they may not otherwise have sought out, as they learn about it from the Pass. ●● Galveston visitors tend to be repeat visitors—if you can provide an experience, they will be likely to come back. ●● Partnerships with accommodations, restaurants, etc. help to increase attractions awareness. ●● Vacation rental guests especially do more, stay longer, are more satisfied, and visit more often. ●● Tap into group or meeting planners to expand attractions visits. ○○ 80% of attractions patrons were traveling individually (Attractions Manager Survey). ○○ Offer special or VIP experiences for groups. ●● Invest time and attention in shared stakeholder goals ●● Increase events awareness ○○ Events give visitors an excuse to make a trip! ●● Share and encourage sharing on social media ○○ Instagram inspires destination visits! ●● Encourage and pay attention to Google/TripAdvisor reviews ●● Create or offer something novel/new/unique ○○ Bonus for making it an experience! ●● Get involved in the Certified Tourism Ambassador Program!! ○○ Educate staff and cross promote other attractions to enrich the visitor experience

Tourism Market Research 83 Understanding Perceptions of Galveston To gain a deeper understanding of how Texas leisure travelers perceive Galveston, a digital bulletin board was conducted during May 2019. Individuals from Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Aus- tin were invited to participate and share their perceptions, regardless of whether they had actually visited Galveston in the past or how recently they had been there. Their responses took on a variety of formats including text, images, and video diaries. In total, 79 participants completed all the questions and exercises. All participants took at least one leisure trip per year where they stayed in paid accommodations. The study sample was balanced by age, ethnicity, household income, and gender. Due to the technology used in this method (website/app, photo/video uploading), participants skewed slightly younger than the true population of Galveston visitors. The breakdown is as follows (by market and generation respectively):

Market Austin San Antonio Houston Dallas n= 12 17 25 25 Generation Millennials Gen Xers Baby Boomers n= 35 38 6

Below are some of the perception study participants. Understanding Perceptions

Please note that throughout this chapter, you will find verbatim quotes from Perception Study Participants. They are indicated via italicized text and information about the participant (Market and Visitor/Non-Visitor) in orange outlined boxes. Additionally, note that all photos in this chapter were provided by the participants.

Perception Study Participant Demographics Perception Study Participants (PSPs) skewed slightly female, 44% were millennials, just under half (48%) Gen Xers, and less than 1 in 10 were boomers (8%). Half were Caucasian, half held a 4-year college degree, and most were married or in a civil union. Together they represented a wide mix of household incomes and were from Dallas, Houston, Austin or San Antonio. Most had been to Galveston within the past 5 years.

Galveston Island 84 Perception: An Introduction For context, perception is defined as the process by which individuals select, organize and interpret stimuli into a meaningful and coherent picture of the world. It can be described as how we see the world around us. In consumer behavioral terms, perception is the result of two inputs that interact to form the personal evaluations that ultimately drive purchase: ●● physical stimuli from the outside environment ●● people’s expectations and motives based on past experiences Source: Forbes Magazine, 2018

Perceptions of Galveston A General Perceptions Continuum

Overall, perceptions of Galveston run the gamut. By using ethnographic data analysis techniques, Understanding Perceptions GRS has identified a continuum of these perceptions and related them to visitation. In the figure below, perceptions are mapped from negative (left) to positive (right).

*Recent=Visited within the last 3 years.

All I have ever heard is I feel like I don’t know It’s ok in that it’s not bor- Yes it would be nice how dirty it is. Couple Galveston at all after ing and there are things to have the fluffy white that with my only visit in seeing the [web]site. to do, but it’s just not sand from the FL pan- 1985 and I see no rea- I am surprised at how very nice. The water and handle, but we enjoy the son to go there. If I am much looks fun to do. beaches are kind of ugly. natural sand in Galv- going to spend money And really want to take ~Houston Visitor veston. That’s the “Texas on a weekend getaway, I my family again and see Gulf Coast” and what can think of much bet- what happens this time makes it unique. ~Dallas ter places to go. ~Austin I go with an open mind Visitor Lapsed Visitor ~ San Antonio Lapsed Visitor

Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study

The Negative On one end are the never and lapsed visitors (i.e., they visited more than a few years ago and have no current intention to return). Never/Lapsed visitors have an active or passive barrier to visiting. An active barrier prevents a visitor from considering visiting. The Austin lapsed visitor above has a negative perception of Galveston as “dirty” and they have removed Galveston from consideration as a destination. A passive barrier is more like indifference or being unaware: they haven’t really considered Galves- ton at all, so they just need a reason to do so. The San Antonio lapsed visitor above was unaware of things to do in Galveston and is willing to reconsider Galveston as a vacation destination.

Tourism Market Research 85 Somewhere in the Middle In the middle are visitors who are critics. They will visit, but wish it could be different. The Houston visitor above knows that they can have fun in Galveston, but it’s not the beautiful beach vacation they could conjure up in their mind.

The Positive On the other end are the visitiors who love Galveston. As with the Dallas visitor above, this doesn’t mean that they are necessarily seeing something different from those who have less positive perceptions. Instead, it means that their perception was informed by a different relationship to what they see. In other words, they’re seeing the same beach as the critics, but, as the Dallas visitor points out, they know that Texas Gulf Coast beaches cannot be the same as those on the Florida panhandle. Even more importantly, fans don’t care or don’t want Galveston to be anything other than what it is.

If Galveston was a car… We asked Texas leisure travelers if Galveston were a vehicle, what type of vehicle would it be and why. The following reflects some of the responses. Understanding Perceptions

If Galveston were a vehicle, it would Not any particular vehicle, but a broken down smart Honda that If Galveston Island were a vehicle, an older model sedan. This is doesn’t run as well as it was advertised. I would choose a convertible Ford based off what I have heard since Galveston is advertised in this way in Mustang. You can put the top I hadn’t seen it in awhile, but I which the beach isn’t as impressive as down and enjoy the sun and drive would say it’s not anything fancy, advertised. along with the ocean to your side. nothing super special, but it will ~San Antonio Non-Visitor Then you can also go back during get the job done. The car will the winter and keep the top up get you to where you are going, but still enjoy the cooler weather. doesn’t look real nice, but it’s reli- ~Houston Visitor able. The beach will suffice for a getaway and doing something different, but it’s not a tropical paradise. ~San Antonio Past Visitor

Galveston Island 86 Galveston is 1991 Pink Mazda Miata that hasn’t been washed in a year. It was so cool and fun when it first became popular but now it is just dated and needs a little work. Cool to those who drove one back in their glory days but for a regular driver its a little weird and not modern enough. ~Dallas Visitor

Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study

Trip Planning Journey GRS created a visual illustration based on participant responses to questions around trip motivation and planning in general. The Trip Planning Journey below is a repeating cycle of dreaming about Understanding Perceptions the next trip (including choosing a destination, booking, and planning), making the trip and coming back; gathering experiences and stories to tell along the way which influence the next round of travelers to the destination. The sources and order can certainly vary by individual or type of trip, but overall most trip planning tends to follow this process. This section explores this overall journey in detail and offers participant-provided examples of points along this journey.

Regular leisure travelers are more or less always in a dreaming phase. A leisure trip is “triggered” based mostly on internal and individual factors such as need, time, and phase in life (e.g., parents with school aged kids are limited by school schedules). At some point a destination choice is made based on a multitude of factors (what they’ve heard, what type of trips are available, proximity to home, etc.). Sometimes the destination choice comes before the specific trip trigger (e.g., I’ve always wanted to go to Galveston and the kids were on break), and sometimes the trip trigger somes before destination choice (e.g., I was looking for a place to getaway with my girlfriends that we could all get to easily and I saw something about a wine festival in Galveston). During their trip, visitors generate online content via social media and reviews, as well as storytelling content for making recommendations to others. This content and the future stories they will tell then influences the next round of leisure travelers, and so on.

Tourism Market Research 87 Inspiration Process ●● Most individuals have a continuous consideration set of destinations in mind. ○○ These “floating” destinations are primarily influenced by past experiences, friend/ family/ colleague recommendations, media (including social media) and advertising. ○○ In order to be truly considered, a destination must be in this set. ●● To bring a specific destination down to the research phase of the decision process, a specific trigger needs to occur. ○○ Triggers can include schedule (e.g. work, fellow traveler, children school), value perceptions for transportation or accommodations, specific life events or specific novel experiences or events at the destination. ●● Once a decision has been made to travel, one or more destinations are researched. ○○ Top research tools* include online as well as friend/ family/ colleague recommendations. Top online sources include TripAdvisor, review sites and even group coupon buying sites. Destination websites were rarely sought out, however, if they were served up in search results, travelers found them helpful. ○○ When online, search was frequently initiated by the following: ▪▪ Things to do in [DESTINATION] ▪▪ Top 10 things to do in [DESTINATION] ▪▪ Off the beaten path in [DESTINATION] ▪▪ Specific experience or event keywords ○○ Further search evolved from the results that came up from the above. ●● Many travelers, especially younger generations are hoping for a “post-able” experience or Understanding Perceptions images. With limited time and resources to use for getting away, they want to be able to brag about their trip and feel like they got the most for their time and money. ●● The positive stories and posts encourage destinations to be added to friends’ and families’ consideration sets creating a positive feedback loop for that destination. *Representative of those interviewed during perception study.

Galveston Island 88 Travel Purpose ●● For leisure travelers, benefits of traveling include the below. Travelers often base a trip around one of the following categories, however, can also try to find destinations that accommodate multiple goals. ○○ Relax & Rejuvenate (escape typical responsibilities) ○○ Adventure & Novelty ○○ Memory-Making - Fun/Family/Bonding – Experience Creation

Relax & Rejuvenate Understanding Perceptions

Travel fits in my life to keep me worry free and relaxed for that little vacation. ~Dallas visitor I love to see new places and while I enjoy and excursion or 2. I also like my relax time preferably with a massage. ~Dallas Visitor Travel is like relaxation, rejuvenation for me and quality time with my family for us. ~Houston Visitor We typically hope to come home relaxed, but usually have some new bonding experience or family story. We travel primarily for pleasure as a family. ~Austin Non-Visitor The most important thing in life to me is relaxing and not thinking about the job when I am off the clock. ~Austin Visitor Travel for me is an escape & entertainment from daily routine life. I like to work hard & play hard. ~Hous- ton Visitor

Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study

Tourism Market Research 89 Adventure & Novelty

I enjoy traveling to explore new things and learn new things. I like to do things I haven't done before. ~Houston Visitor Travel is important to us both, and we love to spend time with each other traveling to new places and creating new experiences. I try to travel somewhere new at least twice a year, and I make it a priority to achieve this goal. ~Austin Non-Visitor Travel allows me to experience new cultures and norms that can be vastly different than what I am accustom to and it’s a great learning experience. ~San Antonio Visitor

Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study Understanding Perceptions

Memory-Making - Fun/Family/Bonding – Experience Creation

I travel when I can and do so to visit friends and family currently. A few of my friends have had babies recently so I plan to visit them ASAP. ~Houston Visitor Travel is generally a way to really treat my family. It is fun to set off on adventures together where the only goal is to have as much fun as possible. ~San Antonio Visitor Travel is great. I love to see things, historical stuff. I love just being with my family. Travel is just interesting and that is what I take away from it. ~Austin Visitor Local restaurants, what the town is known for. We as a family love add day activities. Museums, theme parks, something where we all can have a good time ~Austin Visitor

Galveston Island 90 Planning Considerations Schedule The planning process begins with a schedule in mind. Whether when someone can secure time off work, or when children have a school break, or preferred travel season, planning centers around a general schedule that is set out first. This is true of longer, more significant trips as well as quick getaways.

Their school schedule dictates a lot of when we take trips now. ~Austin Non-Visitor

Budget Not surprisingly, budget also plays a significant role in destination choice. The larger ticket items are explored first such as transportation and accommodation costs. Common sources of information here include amalgamations sites (e.g. kayak.com, hotels.com, etc.) as well Understanding Perceptions as group coupon buying sites (e.g. groupon).

Transportation 4-6 hours was the cut off point for whether to drive or fly. This could be influenced somewhat by the length of trip (e.g. if a longer trip, travelers were willing to drive further). It was also influenced by travel party, with larger travel parties opting to drive more often, while smaller travel parties were more apt to fly. This is where transportation and budget overlapped as it is significantly more budget friendly for a larger group to drive instead of fly.

Destination Selection Destination choice is complex. Typically, for a destination to be selected, it first needs to be part of a “consideration list” of the decision makers. Throughout this stage in the decision-making process, it is typical for the consideration list to be narrowed to a few destinations to be moved on to the next phase of research. Further, destinations can make it through this stage for very different purposes. Here are some examples of travelers describing multiple destinations in their consideration set, even multiple destinations for distinct types of trips.

My next weekend getaway would either be a cruise or San Antonio. These would be my top destination choices because we have never been on a cruise so this would be new and different for all of us. San Antonio because we have family over there it’s also a beautiful city to visit. With a beautiful Riverwalk, wildlife ranches and sea world destinations all things me and my family have been to and would love to revisit. ~Dallas Visitor Galveston Island - easy drive, a place we love going, easy to go for a weekend New Orleans - we haven't been in almost 2 years, good to go before it gets hot and muggy, great for eating, and hanging out in the French Quarter ~Dallas Visitor Austin-go back to the food and to the night life and also the festivals that they have there. Also to see some friends Houston- See friends and family and relax Galveston- go to the beach and see some tourist areas ~Dallas Visitor I would say Big Bend, Lubbock area, and New Mexico. Each one is off the beaten path and there is lots to do and see. ~San Antonio Visitor I have several places that I would like to take a weekend getaway to. The top spots are the Smokey Mountains, New York City, and Veracruz, Mexico. ~San Antonio Non-Visitor Galveston has some of the best and beautiful rides to ride and even look at. San Antonio has the best beach that I love to experience with my friends and the best visual tours you can take around. ~Houston Non-Visitor

Tourism Market Research 91 Destination Choice Considerations Many areas were considered when deciding on a destination. Of these, accommodations, attractions/entertainment/dining and novelty were top among them.

Accommodations Hotels appeared to top the list for singles, couples or adult friend trips whereas larger accommodations were often desired for those traveling with children, whether larger hotel rooms or vacation rental spaces. For Galveston many target groups, there was a desire for all-inclusive packages that included kids club options as well.

I love to stay in trendy and modern hotels with breakfast, pools and other activities for the children. ~Dallas Visitor having to not worry about paying for the kids would be incredible! I love all-inclusive things. ~Dal- las Visitor It's actually a pretty even split between a nice hotel or some sort of VRBO or Airbnb type accommodation. Hotels are nice because they always have a pool and you have the option of a house- keeper cleaning up after you but I also really enjoy a condo because you have all the luxuries of Home including a full kitchen ~Dallas Visitor Although more and more chains are offering rooms that sleep 6, it's more comfortable for us on longer stays to have the additional space and be able to prepare some meals on our own. I have been using booking.com a lot more for the shorter getaways because I like that it shows me hotels that can accommodate 6 in a single room, but also shows me the total cost for booking 2 rooms. ~Austin Non-Visitor Understanding Perceptions Attractions/entertainment/dining Having something that appealed to all party members topped the list when looking for types and variety of attractions. The perception of a not-to-be-missed experience and/or perception of great value were also strong triggers that helped round out a trip plan.

I look at other travelers’ reviews, hotels in the area, things to do and of course if the location has activities for the family and kids. Most importantly I always consider if there's something for everyone in my family. ~Dallas Visitor When I plan a trip for my husband and I or with my friend, I usually look for a destination with beautiful scenery, nice drives, good restaurants and a variety of accommodations and activities. ~Dallas Visitor I take away from a tip a place where my kids can view nice sights have fun, get some exercise, view outdoors, give them new experiences and memories we can treasure in the future. ~Dallas Visitor

Galveston Island 92 Novelty Novelty created a strong pull towards certain destinations. Novelty was typically based on the destination itself, however, some attractions or experiences could be used to drive novel trips.

When choosing a destination we usually look for places that we can do activity as a family and the place that we never been to. ~San Antonio Visitor What draws me the most is the opportunity to experience something new. From catching a new personal-best fish to tasting a meal from a new place. ~Houston Visitor Pictures & text about the attractions especially anything to Galveston uncom- mon like Pleasure Pier & Hey Mikey’s ice cream. I have never heard of Hey mickeys & am interested in what they serve there. What flavors? Deserts to

share or just for one? Ice cream with alcohol in it? ~Houston Visitor Understanding Perceptions As I am older, I have much less interest in seeing the same things again. ~ Houston Visitor I have been to Pleasure Pier a few times but I don't really plan on going back. The last time I was there was last year. I like the Historical Strand part but that isn’t new to me anymore. I think I have done everything I care to do in Galveston more than once. ~Houston Visitor

Galveston Draws & Drawbacks Galveston Draws/Positives Top perceived draws for Galveston included:

Beach/water Beaches were the top draw for attracting travelers to Galveston Island. For many, a destination with a beach automatically satisfies many of the desired attributes when looking to travel for leisure including escaping “normal” life. For those throughout Texas, the Galveston beaches are a strong draw to the Island.

Tourism Market Research 93 The beach is number 1 for sure but also historical landmarks ~Houston Visitor I've been to a lot of beaches around the world and it actually made me value Galveston more. Everyone knows the negatives, - Brown water! Don’t wear a white swimsuit because it will be permanently brown after a frolic in the shore. Here are the positives- warm water with a very gently sloping beach. This is a great beach for kids and anyone who’s not a strong swimmer because you can feel comfortable going up to your knees, waist, etc. and feel pretty safe. Many other beaches were more beautiful like Hawaii, Malibu, etc. but often the waves are rough and if you take one step off you might be in a deep spot accidentally. ~Houston Visitor I'm not very picky, love the feeling of sand between the toes and a nice breeze. ~Houston Visitor Galveston has amusement park and beaches that family friendly, ~San Anto- nio Visitor Beautiful beach you can do surfing boating and much more. and there is lifeguard around. ~San Antonio Visitor I think this is one of the better beaches in Texas. Sometimes the seaweed is a mess at certain times of the year, but I enjoy walking and swimming at these beaches. ~Austin Visitor

History

Understanding Perceptions Galveston Island history was another strong draw for travelers to the area, especially Galveston’s role in creating Texas, immigration, and the hurricanes that have severely affected the area. Visitors to the Island enjoyed learning more about the history, visiting historical homes and felt good about supporting part of Texas that had a strong history. For visitors, history encompassed museum visits, reading about the history of Galveston Island, visiting the historic district and more.

I like learning about the history of Texas and how Galveston or different events fit in the context ~Austin Visitor This is a photo of Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier, and it summarizes the older, quaint amusement park type of fun that this location offers. ~Hous- ton Visitor I think it's fine, historic, upbeat and it has a lot to do. It’s also affordable for being a beach/ocean city. ~Dallas Visitor Historical, fun and relaxing ~Houston Visitor I like the historical part. I like the shops and such. ~Houston Visitor I like that there's a lot of history and historical homes, I would definitely pin- point those as well as the upkept sections of the beach and parks. ~Austin Visitor

Island Vibe within Texas/Seaside Distinct from having a beach, being a seaside destination has its own strengths, including sounds and smells of being close to the water triggering a true getaway, recharging vibe. Having this instate makes it even better.

Galveston Island 94 It was bigger than I thought and really had a cool tropical vibe. Loved all the seafood restaurants. Seems like there is a lot more going on there than I thought ~Houston Visitor we have always called any "beach" our happy place. I love listening to the waves come in. I can literally do so for hours. ~Dallas Visitor The beach is relaxing, calming and allows me to find a sense of tranquility I can't find anywhere else. ~Dallas Visitor If Galveston Island were a vehicle, I would choose a convertible Ford Mus- tang. You can put the top down and enjoy the sun and drive along with the ocean to your side. Then you can also go back during the winter and keep the top up but still enjoy the cooler weather. ~Houston Visitor

Beautiful miles of coastline to relax and recharge. ~Dallas Visitor Understanding Perceptions 10 degrees cooler than inland Texas always with sea breezes ~Dallas Visitor I like spending time on the beach, feel the breeze, hear the waves. ~Houston Visitor I like how easy it is to get to and how calm the sea feels there. ~Austin Visi- tor

Lots to do/something for everyone Galveston has a strong quantity and variety of tourism offerings that cater to visitors from solo travelers to couples to families with young children to multi-generation family and friend groups. This is a unique attribute of Galveston and appreciated by many.

Yes, Galveston is more family friendly and feels more kid oriented. I would say something for the littlest kids might be a community splash pad for toddlers. Kids in my family like to people watch and do things like walk the board walk or pier, so those things already exist in Galveston ~Austin Visitor It’s my favorite…Because of all of the memories and because there is something for everyone there ~Dallas Visitor Basically, when I think of Galveston, I think of a nearby place with so many things to do!! There is something for everyone and I'm ready for an adventure and ready to go to Galveston year-round ~Houston Visitor

Road trip/drive destination The closest beach, coast and cruise port for many, Galveston offers a convenience that other seaside destinations do not. Especially for larger groups, the ability to drive to Galveston adds to the ease of the trip, especially with schedules, packing restrictions, specials needs and budgets. As a key consideration, it also allows for more last-minute trips than a destination that involves air travel.

Great place and just 45 mins drive from Houston. Moody garden is something that first comes to my mind when I think of Galveston island. ~Houston Visitor I like that is close, I enjoy being outside, doing outdoor activities such as water slides, go carts, the beach - relaxing with friends or family. ~Houston Visitor We chose to take the cruise from this port because it was a drive-able distance that did not require flying on a plane. Being familiar with the area helped. ~San Antonio Visitor Galveston is… close, fun, interesting. ~San Antonio Non-Visitor I like how easy it is to get to and how calm the sea feels there. ~Austin Visitor

Tourism Market Research 95 Seafood restaurants Seafood restaurants on Galveston were appreciated. They were seen as authentic, even special.

When I think of Galveston Island, I envision the beach, Mardi Gras, and fishing. Historic homes and graveyards. Good seafood. ~Houston Visitor I’d show the beautiful hotels and also pics of local seafood restaurants ~ Dallas Visitor Big hotels along the Oceanside. Great seafood restaurants. Visiting the Galvestonian Hotel. ~ Dal- las Visitor Galveston is… Beaches, seafood, fishing ~ Dallas Visitor When I think of Galveston, some of the things that come to mind are Moody Gardens, Aquarium, Pleasure Pier, Schlitterbahn, beach, Cruise ship, and seafood. ~ San Antonio Visitor Cruise Lines, Moody Gardens, the Boardwalk and Beach, and seafood ~ San Antonio Visitor It was bigger than I thought and really had a cool tropical vibe. Loved all the seafood restaurants. Seems like there is a lot more going on there than I thought ~Visitor

Easy to get around/on island Once on the Island there is an appreciation for how easy it is to get around Galveston. Occasions with crowds and traffic aside, wayfinding ease is typically a strength of the visit. *Please note, this item is based on vehicle transportation as many visitors travel to Galveston with their own vehicle.

I like the layout of the city. It’s very easy to find your way around. ~Houston Visitor

Understanding Perceptions Yes it is easy to get around, lots of signage destinations everywhere. Ease of finding visitor information. ~San Antonio Visitor Yes, it is easy to get around. There is a main road called Seawall Blvd. that takes you through most of the island. The other streets are mostly numbered in order. ~San Antonio Visitor We usually drive, it is very easy to get around never had a problem. ~Dallas Visitor

Galveston Drawbacks/Negatives Some barriers to visiting or revisiting also emerged as follows.

Appears “Dated” Some felt that Galveston appeared “dated” or “in need of renovation”. This was endearing to some but, for others, a turnoff for visiting the destination.

Galveston is 1991 Pink Mazda Miata that hasn't been washed in a year. It was so cool and fun when it first became popular but now it is just dated and needs a little work. ~Dallas isitorV Not any particular vehicle, but an older model sedan. This is based off what I have heard since I hadn't seen it in a while, but I would say it's not anything fancy, nothing super special, but it will get the job done. The car will get you to where you are going, doesn't look real nice, but it's reliable. The beach will suffice for a getaway and doing something different, but it's not a tropical paradise. ~San Antonio Visitor Your grandparents' old station wagon. it's brown, it's outdated, it's seen better days since it's now parked in the yard under a tree and very rarely driven now that they got a new Buick century. ~San Antonio Visitor It felt like it was a place my grandparents would take me to in the 80's. It just felt kinda dated for lack of a better word. ~Dallas Visitor

Galveston Island 96 “Dirty” beach/water Many visitors and non-visitors alike had strong perceptions about the condition of the seawater along the Galveston coast. Many of the perceptions could be curbed by better education as to why the variance in the water occurs. Such perceptions had been ingrained by word of mouth as well as news and media headlines/stories. For visitors, expectations played a strong role in this barrier. Those who know the Galveston beaches well and expected variance in the beach from day to day were more accepting of the water color and beach condition than those who expected a white sand, blue water beach each day. It is important to note that past visitors (more than 5 years ago) are more negative about the beaches than more recent visitors. This trend will most likely continue with the changes that have been made, however, increased and consistent promotion of ongoing beach maintenance efforts would help raise awareness of the fact that things have changed. Understanding Perceptions

I do not like that the water appears dirty. It just makes me think why is so dirty. Is it for the same reasons caused by these recent plant problems/leaks (ITC, & the most recent barge crash closing the ship channel for a few days because of another chemical spill). ~Houston Visitor I have been there when there was lots of seaweed and that made the beach time gross. ~Austin Visitor Nasty beaches and contaminated water. ~Houston Visitor Dirty, I would like to go on the beach & in the water but I do not want to be exposed to chemical spill contaminants. ~Houston Visitor I hear a lot of negative things about how contaminated the water is. ~San Antonio Non-Visitor Pretty much, the beaches I have been to at Galveston have been very rocky, or very polluted/oily. ~Austin Visitor I wished they had more cleaner beaches to visit so I don't have to drive so far to the West End to relax away from the big crowds. ~Houston Visitor with regard to the beaches and the water it gets the job done if you’re just looking for a trip to the beach but if you're looking for something really nice it's probably not the one for you. ~Dallas Visi- tor

Tourism Market Research 97 If Galveston were a vehicle, it would a broken-down smart Honda that doesn't run as well as it was advertised. Galveston is advertised in this way in which the beach isn't as impressive as advertised. ~San Antonio Non-Visitor The beaches are okay, but not the best Texas coast beaches. There seems to be a lot of trash/ dirty water and bums hanging around the Galveston beaches ~Austin Visitor Yes, if you notice how the water is really brown and not very pleasant looking. ~Austin Visitor Not sure how enticing the beach is but Galveston Island seems to have a lot to do. ~San Antonio Non-Visitor

Parking Parking was sometimes seen as a barrier to an easy, carefree trip to Galveston. Navigating the new parking payment system created a challenge, especially for those who are used to parking for free in the past. Overall, the challenges with the parking payment system decreased the feeling of being welcome on the Island.

Feeling of not welcome here, not easy to figure it out, to pay, especially among the non-tech visitors ~Visitor You do have to pay now to park close by. It used to be free a few years ago. ~San Antonio Visitor The beaches are nice but parking can be challenging at times. ~San Antonio Visitor I do not like the paid parking on the seawall. It’s just a pain. ~Houston Visitor I don’t like that they are now charging for parking on the seawall....it was always free and they just started that over the past few years. ~Houston Visitor Understanding Perceptions Beach safety Safety was a unique concern that came up unaided by a few participants. The feeling among some was that they felt weary of certain beach patrons, especially when alcohol was involved.

Ideally, we'd like to avoid areas where people are consuming great amounts of alcohol. ~San Antonio Visitor Having quality (safe, clean, non-scammy) family-friendly attractions would be a boon to Galveston. When we visit other locations we like zoos, aquariums, amusement parks, and nature trails. Not very safe due to hurricanes and dirty beach ~San Antonio Visitor The last thing that I heard about Galveston was that the water is not safe to swim in. I heard it from a blog online. ~San Antonio Non-Visitor I saw in Chronicle a bunch of people arrested on weekend for day after jeep festival ~Houston Visitor The people killed at the jeep festival this weekend ~Houston Visitor The beach is way too dirty and I don’t want my kids going in not knowing if it 100% safe. ~Houston Non-Visitor

Experiences Lacking Aligned with travel trends, visitors are looking for novel and even curated experiences when they travel. Many referenced that they have trouble locating information about experience-based options in Galveston (e.g. scuba diving, fishing, etc.). Increasing ease of access to information about offerings in the area will help Galveston to compete with other experience-based travel destinations and activities. Further, advertising groups of activities to specific targets will add an interest as well as an urgency to booking getaways (e.g. girls’ weekend, fishing weekends, etc.)

Galveston Island 98 More beach bungalows or support for swim side activities. ~Austin Visitor The beach just isn't up to par. I wish there were some more upscale offerings to go along with the beach bum atmosphere there. ~Houston Visitor To me, what is most important in life is following your passions, and experiences are near the top of the list in my case. ~San Antonio Visitor About Galveston, I wish it had more options like fishing excursions, boating tours, etc. ~SanAnto - nio Visitor

Desire for More Dining Variety & Boutique Shopping There was a desire for more variety of dining options, specifically on-the-beach bars/restaurants, unique, local “holes in the wall” and high-quality food offerings other than seafood. Expanding the

dining options encourages more frequent dining out as well as expands Galveston’s audience to Understanding Perceptions foodies and food travelers. Shopping was another area of interest for many travelers who would love to see Galveston’s boutique shopping options expanded.

I wish Galveston would have what I do not have here in Houston. Perhaps a restaurant like Hash Hash Ago Ago which serves very good & generous portions…Maybe a desert place for example Ghirardelli has a location in Las Vegas. It was very nice with plenty of tempting sweets…They even had a sundae for 4 people that had 4000 calories & cost $40. ~Houston Visitor I wish they had more restaurants right on the water ~Dallas Visitor I wish the beaches were cleaner and I wish the town had better food overall. ~Austin Visitor

Unique/Special/Novel To-do’s Some felt little urgency to return to Galveston as they had completed the tourist attractions during a past visit. Focusing on unique and special experiences would encourage repeat trips.

We always take our kids along because we enjoy exposing them to new ideas / cultures. For me and my husband, it gives us an opportunity to experience some-thing we may have never experienced before. ~Austin Non-Visitor Taking a trip is a time to relax and experience new things. New food, culture, and entertainment is what I look for in a trip. ~San Antonio Non-Visitor we love to spend time with each other traveling to new places and creating new experiences. I try to travel somewhere new at least twice a year, and I make it a priority to achieve this goal. ~Austin Non-Visitor We love to meet new places, we don't like to repeat unless it’s the best choice. ~Houston Visitor

Unaware of Galveston Events Events were of interest to many Texans interviewed, although awareness of current events held in Galveston was low. Increased awareness of specific events would help to drive additional visitor traffic to the Island.

I had no idea there were so many activities and events going on at all times of the month and year! Really intriguing. I was surprised I didn’t see anything on underwater(scuba) activities. ~Dal- las Visitor A long time ago there was a car meet/show that took place in the summer that we would always go to but that was years ago and I haven't heard of any others ~Austin Visitor I wish Galveston had an annual "on the beach" music festival along the lines of the Hang Out festival they do in Gulf Shores, AL. We would go every year. ~Dallas Visitor

Tourism Market Research 99 Quantitative Data While the focus of the ethnographic perception study was qualitative, some quantitative questions were asked of all respondents. In this section “PSPs” refer to “Perception Study Participants” and are not necessarily representative of the population of Galveston visitors as a whole (see Visitor Profile Study). The responses below were to questions specifically about leisure travel.

General Leisure Travel Preferences & Behaviors Transportation Preferences

Understanding Perceptions Q: Do you prefer to fly or drive when you travel for leisure? Please use the poll then comment to explain your choice. Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study ●● More participants preferred in general to fly rather than drive for their trips (58% fly; note, many desired destinations cannot be reached by car).

Lodging Preferences

Q: What type of accommodations do you typically stay in? Please use the poll and then comment to explain your choice. Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study ●● Hotel/Motel/Resort accommodations were generally more common (78%) than other accommodation types, including vacation rentals.

Galveston Island 100 Typical Travel Companions Understanding Perceptions

Q: Who do you typically travel with? Please fill out the poll and then tell us a bit about your typical travel companions Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study ●● Overall, participants tend to travel with their nuclear family (including kids under 12; 41%) or their spouse/partner (35%).

Activity Preferences

Q: You have an opportunity to take a 3-day getaway somewhere WITHIN TEXAS—your ideal type of in- state trip, completely paid for. Which of the following activities would you most like to do on that trip? Note: These activities were chosen prior to respondents knowing the study was about Galveston. Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study ●● When asked about their ideal Texas trip, participants were asked to select what activities they would most like to do. ●● The top activity, chosen by nearly 80% of participants was to eat a local (non-chain) restaurant. ●● Beaches and hotels/resorts were also commonly selected. ●● While it did not make the top 5, learning something new and local shopping were also popular (each selected by 45% of participants respectively).

Tourism Market Research 101 Information Sources

Q: What information/resources do you reference to help you choose a destination? Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study Understanding Perceptions ●● Among Texans, the internet and friends and family referrals were the strongest trip planning influences. ●● Online, review sites were top sources of influence. ●● Social media was influential as well, especially if something was posted or endorsed by a friend or family member.

On Review Sites (e.g. TripAdvisor, google) I love TripAdvisor gets me the best prices and all the info I need to know about that particular hotel all on the website. ~Dallas Visitor if it’s somewhere I haven’t been before I read reviews on TripAdvisor. ~Dallas Visitor I also like to search places like Travelocity to see what other travelers liked and disliked about the specific destination. ~San Antonio Visitor The beach doesn’t seem to have nice reviews and I really do take my reviews seriously. ~Hous- ton Non-Visitor We…use all kinds of resources to plan our trips. Google Maps, Trip Advisor, Yelp, Urban Spoon, even travel books from the library. ~Austin Visitor I usually google “best places to visit for weekend getaways in Texas or Oklahoma” and then read reviews on the location on TripAdvisor. I also look for activities such as wine tours, shopping nearby, festivals as well as accommodations such as a cabin, AirBNB, or Bed and Break- fast that are a short distance from activities and restaurants. I look for the best rates on accommodations and car rentals and any specials at that time. I ask for recommendations from friends or family that have visited the destination. ~Dallas Visitor On Family & Friends Recommendations We picked this location due to a recommendation from longtime friends who had been there several times. ~San Antonio Visitor

Galveston Island 102 On Social Media The main resource I use for inspiration is through travel blogs and Instagram to find the best places to go! ~Austin Non-Visitor I usually see ads on television or even on social media like Facebook. I’ve seen a lot vacation advertisement on different sites on Facebook which of the really really useful. ~Dallas isitorV On Discount/Amalgamation Sites I look on sites like Priceline for hotels or go on the hotel websites if I don’t know anyone well enough to stay with. I look and see if flying is a cheaper option than flying. I usually am able to get cheap tickets on the subscription sites that tell you when it is a good time to purchase tickets. If they have a good deal, I buy the ticket and work around that. ~Dallas Visitor

Travel Guides Understanding Perceptions Participants were shown digital copies of the Galveston Island pocket guide and destination guide and asked for their feedback on both. Use

Q: If you were planning a visit to Galveston Island, which of these brochures would you prefer to use? Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study

Overall Millennials Gen Xers Boomers Both 40% 33% 32% 83% Pocket Guide 28% 28% 29% 17% Destination Guide 22% 22% 16% 0% Neither 8% 8% 8% 0%

●● Participants enjoyed both the pocket and destination guides for information on planning their visit to Galveston.

Tourism Market Research 103 Use Preferences

Q: How would you prefer to use it? Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study

Overall Millennials Gen Xers Boomers Combination 38% 36% 34% 50% Online before trip 19% 8% 26% 17%

Understanding Perceptions Printed, ordered before trip 14% 8% 13% 33% Online during trip 19% 14% 5% 0% Printed, picked up during trip 10% 17% 5% 0% None of these 5% 8% 0% 0%

●● When questioned on preference, travelers noted they would use a combination of the guides to make their decisions. Boomers were most excited about both guides when compared to other generations.

Desired Destinations Top 5 Desired Destinations*, by Market Overall Dallas Austin Houston San Antonio 1 Padre Island/South Padre Island/South Fredericksburg/Hill Austin Austin Padre Island Padre Island Country 2 Fredericksburg/Hill Fredericksburg/Hill Padre Island/South San Antonio Dallas Country Country Padre Island 3 Padre Island/South Fredericksburg/Hill Fredericksburg/Hill Padre Island/South Austin Padre Island Country Country Padre Island 4 San Antonio Galveston Island Galveston Island San Antonio Galveston Island 5 Galveston Island Austin (tied for 4th)

Q: Rank the following in terms of which Texas destinations you would most like to visit at your next opportunity with #1 being the one you would most like to visit. If you live in one of the cities listed, choose another city. Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study *Top 5 = Destinations most often selected top 3 in rankings ●● Overall, Galveston was selected as a top 5 desired instate destination. ●● Minimal differences emerged by market when the top destinations were explored.

Galveston Island 104 Destination Attributes of Importance Understanding Perceptions

Q: How important are each of the following in a travel destination to you? Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study

Overall Dallas Austin Houston San Antonio (n=79) (n=25) (n=12) (n=25) (n=17) Quality of lodging options 4.3 4.4 4.3 4.3 4.3 Quantity of sightseeing options 4.2 4.2 4.1 4.2 4.3 Variety of attractions 4.1 4.1 3.8 4.1 4.4 Range of dining choices 4 4.1 3.9 3.8 4.1 Outdoor recreation 3.7 3.9 3.6 3.6 3.5 Interesting museums or historic sites 3.7 3.8 4 3.3 3.9 Variety of lodging options 3.6 3.5 3.7 3.6 3.8 On or near a beach 3.6 3.8 3.4 3.4 3.6 Arts & culture 3.4 3.5 3.7 3.1 3.5 Local events (concerts, festivals, etc.) 3.4 3.7 3.3 3.3 3 Signage and wayfinding at destination 3.3 3.4 3 3.4 3.2 Ease of finding visitor information 3.3 3.4 3.1 3.3 3.4 Shopping options 2.9 3.1 2.7 2.9 2.6 Amusement or water parks 2.7 2.8 2.2 2.6 3.2 Sporting events 2.4 2.4 2 2.4 2.5

●● Quality of lodging options, quantity of sightseeing options, variety of attractions and the range of dining choices are the top attributes of importance when choosing and visiting a destination.

Tourism Market Research 105 Awareness Galveston Event Awareness

Q: Have you heard of any events held on Galveston Island? Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study ●● Event awareness was split. More than half had heard of events on Galveston while 43% had not heard of any events on the Island. Galveston Attractions Awareness PSPs: Attraction Awareness Understanding Perceptions Schlitterbahn Waterpark 73% Moody Gardens 68% The Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier 55% Galveston Island State Park 38% The Galveston Naval Museum 32% The Strand Historic District 29% The Moody Mansion Museum 28% The Port Bolivar Ferry 28% Ghost Tours 24% Dolphin or Harbor Tours 23% The Grand 1894 Opera House 19% The Railroad Museum & Terminal 19% Seawolf Park 18% The East End Historic District 17% The 61st Street Fishing Pier 15% The Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum 15% The Children’s Museum 12% Bishop's Palace 12% Pirates! Legends of the Gulf Coast 10% The ELISSA Tall Ship 8% The Rosenberg Library 6% The Bryan Museum 4% None 5% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Q: Which of the following Galveston Island attractions have you heard of? Please select all that apply. Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study ●● Overwhelmingly, participants were aware of Schlitterbahn, Moody Gardens and The Galves- ton Island Historic Pleasure Pier attractions. Other attractions were less well known.

Galveston Island 106 Galveston Visitor Behaviors Those participants who had been to Galveston were asked about their most recent trip.

Length of Stay Understanding Perceptions

Q: Approximately how long was your most recent trip to Galveston? *Note: These averages do not include day trippers. Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study Total Visitors Austin San Antonio Houston Dallas (n=36) (n=4) (n=7) (n=18) (n=8) Average # of nights* 1.7 3.25 3 1.6 3.29

●● On average, participants spent 1.7 nights in Galveston on their most recent trip. ●● Not surprisingly, those from Houston were there for fewer nights (average 1.6) while those from Dallas and Austin were there for longer (Dallas average 3.29 nights, Austin average 3.25 nights).

Trolley Rides

Q: Have you ridden the trolley in Galveston? Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study ●● Most had never ridden the trolley nor was it high on their list of things to do in Galveston.

Tourism Market Research 107 Galveston Cruisers

Q: Have you ever left for a cruise from the Galveston port? Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study ●● More than 1 in 3 had cruised from the Galveston port in the past (40%).

Galveston Visitor Ratings & Recommendations Ease of Way-Finding/Navigation Understanding Perceptions

Q: Do you think Galveston is easy to get around? Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study ●● Overwhelmingly, visitors felt that Galveston was easy to get around.

Galveston Island 108 Galveston Beaches Understanding Perceptions

Q: Please rate the beaches on the following: Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study

Overall Dallas Austin Houston San Antonio (n=49) (n=18) (n=4) (n=20) (n=7) Crowded-ness 3.1 3.06 3 3 3.57 Cleanliness 2.94 2.72 2.25 2.9 4 Amenities 2.9 2.94 2.25 2.85 3.29 Sand color 2.84 2.67 2.25 2.9 3.43 Water clarity 1.94 2.11 1.75 1.45 3

●● Overall, Galveston beaches were rated about 3 out of 5 on various attributes. ○○ Not surprising, water clarity was the lowest rated attribute receiving a rating of slightly less than 2 out of 5. ●● Visitors from San Antonio had the highest ratings overall.

Tourism Market Research 109 Attribute Ratings for Galveston Understanding Perceptions

Q: From the following list, please rate Galveston on each of the following (choose N/A if you don’t know or haven’t experienced): Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study

Overall Dallas Austin Houston San Antonio Amusement or water parks 4.2 4.2 3.3 4.2 4.6 Quality of lodging options 3.9 4.2 3.3 3.8 4.5 Range of dining choices 3.9 4 3.5 4 4 Water activities 3.9 4 3.5 4 3.9 Variety of attractions 3.9 3.7 3.5 4 4.3 Ease of finding visitor information 3.9 4.2 3 3.8 4 Museums or historic sites 3.8 4 3.3 3.8 4 Outdoor recreation 3.8 3.7 2.5 4.1 3.9 Sightseeing options 3.7 3.8 3 3.7 4.3 Variety of lodging options 3.6 3.7 3.5 3.4 4.3 Nature-based experiences 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.6 Arts & Culture 3.4 3.4 2.8 3.4 3.6 Beaches 3.3 3.3 2.8 3.2 3.9 Shopping options 3.3 3.4 2.8 3.3 3.3 Local events (e.g. concerts, festivals) 3 3.1 2 3.2 3

Galveston Island 110 ●● In some areas, perceptions of Galveston varied by origin city. ○○ San Antonio visitors tended to rate many aspects higher than other TX markets including waterparks, lodging, attraction variety, sightseeing, arts/culture, beaches. ○○ Austin visitors rated them relatively lower. ○○ Dallas and Houston visitors rated water activities the highest. ●● Houston visitors enjoyed outdoor recreation opportunities and events. ●● Dallas visitors enjoyed the shopping and the ease of finding visitor information.

Recommending Galveston In the following question, we asked participants to rate how likely they would be to recommend Galveston on a scale of 0-10. This is called the “The Net Promoter Score” question; a management tool that is used to gauge the loyalty of a brand’s customers. In NPS theory, those customers who respond with a score of 9 to 10 are called Promoters, and are considered likely to exhibit value- creating behaviors, such as buying more, remaining customers for longer, and making more positive Understanding Perceptions referrals to other potential customers. Those who respond with a score of 0 to 6 are labeled Detrac- tors, and they are believed to be less likely to exhibit value-creating behaviors. Responses of 7 and 8 are labeled Passives, and their behavior falls between Promoters and Detractors. The Net Promoter Score is calculated by subtracting the percentage of customers who are Detrac- tors from the percentage of customers who are Promoters. For purposes of calculating a Net Pro- moter Score, Passives count toward the total number of respondents, thus decreasing the percentage of detractors and promoters and pushing the net score toward 0.

Q: How likely are you to recommend Galveston Island to a friend or colleague? Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study ●● Galveston has an overall net promoter score of +6 among PSPs. Essentially, this means there are more people promoting Galveston than detracting from the perception of Galves- ton. Although positive, there is room for this rating to increase. ●● When looking further into promoters and detractors of Galveston, their behavior was relatively similar. The main distinctions that emerged were twofold. ○○ First, promoters were able to see past the GI beaches to GI as a whole destination. Detractors, on the other hand, seemed to get caught up with the negative sentiments they held about the beaches – whether it be related to seaweed, lack of water clarity, sand-color or overall. Detractors were not able to see past the beaches and therefore compared GI to other beach destinations, where it lost out. ○○ Second, promoters seemed to be attitudinally different from detractors.They appeared to be more easy-going generally and could typically find enjoyment at a destination even if there was a hurdle (weather, etc.) Tourism Market Research 111 Insights from the Perception Study ●● Online review sites are a significant resource for travelers during the planning phase of a trip as well as while they are in a destination. ○○ Consistently monitor and moderate online reviews, especially on TripAdvisor and Google reviews. ●● The beach is a significant draw for travelers to come to Galveston. However, if expectations are too high, the actual experience can end up being disappointing. ○○ Ensure expectations are set correctly about the beach and water through advertising and education. ●● Leisure travelers are looking for getaways that are easy to plan and execute. ○○ Ensure information for experiential activities is easy to find online. ○○ Consider offering curated experiences for different target audiences could increase certain types of travel (e.g. girls’ weekends, etc.) ●● Being a strong promoter of a destination carries inherent risk. In the case of Galveston, some loyals were hesitant to recommend the Island for fear of the experience not living up to their recommendation. ●● Galveston attractions are strong. Some serve as the main trigger for booking travel, while others are a significant accompaniment to a trip.

Understanding Perceptions ○○ Partnerships between attractions (such as the Island Pass) could encourage longer stays and higher engagement levels with the Island amenities in general. ●● The tourism industry in general is seeing higher demand for leisure trips that are seen as novel/off-the-beaten-path/local. Not only does it create a unique experience for the traveler, the “post-ability” and “brag-ability” of a more exclusive type of trip allows them to elevate themselves, especially through social media. ○○ Increasing access to experiences that are novel, “post-able”, local will continue to increase appeal of the Island to wider audiences.

Galveston Island 112 Understanding Leisure Visitors In order to understand Galveston’s largest visitor segment, this section focuses on Leisure visitors. Two methods are explored in this chapter: the Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) and the Vacation Rental Guest Survey. By excluding other visitor types, we can get a clearer sense of who is choosing Galveston as a leisure destination, what they do, and what they think of the Island. At the end of this chapter, we will return to the Digital Ethnographic Perception Study and how we uesd findings from that study to develop four Leisure Visitor Segments.

Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts): Leisure Visitors For this look at the Visitor Profile Study (based on in-person intercepts), this section will only include Leisure Visitors (n=258).

Leisure includes the following categories: vacation/getaway, pass-through/part of a longer trip, visit- Understanding Leisure Visitors ing local friends and relatives, visit attractions/historic site, and attend a local festival/event. Note: For a complete review of the Visitor Profile Study, including a detailing of the method, please go to page 28.

Leisure Visitor Profile & Demographics Profile Demographics Average Age 48.18 Gender: Male/Female 41%/59% Points of Origin TX/OK/CO Highest Level of Education 50% College Degree Generations Gen Z 1% Millennials 32% Gen X 33% Boomers 31% Silents 4% Travel Party Size Adults Only 57% Average # of Adults 2.47 Visitors traveling with Children 43% Average # of Children* 2.21 Visitors traveling with Pets 6% Average # of Pets* 1.40

The average Leisure Visitor looks and acts very similarly to the average visitor overall, as Leisure Visitors strongly influenced the overall averages.

The average Leisure Visitor is a college-educated Gen Xer from Texas who identifies as a woman. She’s traveling with 1 to 2 other adults (her partner or maybe friends). This travel party is in Galves- ton to enjoy a getaway and appreciate the laid-back island vibe of Galveston. She’s been to Galveston before, so she was able to plan this rather quickly (2 weeks or less). She relies on the prior knowledge of the town and use the internet to get their trip planned out.

Tourism Market Research 113 The travel party drives into town (since Galveston is conveniently only a few hours away at most) and they check into their hotel for their long weekend. They go out to eat, maybe shop, hit the His- toric District, and/or visit Moody Gardens. They also visit the beach (Seawall and/or Jamaica). All the while, our average travel is posting on Facebook and Instagram, telling her friends and family (and followers) about her experience. Our Leisure Visitor had a great time visiting, so she rates her experience at a 5 out of 5, and gives high ratings to all the amenities in Galveston. She’ll also be likely to recommend her experience to family and friends.

Origins Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: What is your home zip code? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) States of Origin Texas Cities TX (70%) Houston OK (4%) Irving CO (3%) Dallas

●● Most leisure visitors were Texans, most likely coming from Houston, Irving, or Dallas.

Galveston Island 114 Age & Gender Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: What is your age? Q: Are you…Male? Female? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Leisure Leisure (n=258) (n=258) Average Age 48.18 Male 41% Gen Z 1% Female 59% Millennials 32% Gen X 33% Boomers 31% Silents 4%

●● About a third (33%) of visitors were Gen Xers and another third (32%) millennials. ●● The average age of leisure visitors was 48 years old. ●● 59% of leisure visitors identified as female.

Education

Leisure (n=258) Grade School 0% Technical School 5% Some High School 1% High School Graduate 11% Some College 15% College Degree 50% Graduate School 16% Other 1%

Q: What is your highest level of education? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) ●● Half of leisure visitors had a college degree.

Tourism Market Research 115 Leisure Visitor Behaviors Leisure Travel Purpose

Q: What is the main purpose of this visit to Galveston Island? (Circle only one.) Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Leisure (n=258) Vacation/getaway 69% Attend a local festival or event 14% Visit attractions/historic sites 7% Understanding Leisure Visitors Pass-through/ part of a longer trip (NOT CRUISE) 6% Visiting local friends and relatives 4%

●● Vacations/getaways were the most common leisure travel driver. ●● Festivals and events brought another 14% of visitors to Galveston.

Advance Planning Leisure (n=258) 0-7 days 29% 8-14 days 18% 15-30 days 10% 31-90 days 19% More than 60 days 24% Q: How far in advance did you plan this trip to Galveston Island? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) ●● 29% of travelers planned their trip at the spur of the moment (29% planned within a week.). ●● A quarter (24%) planned their visit more than 2 months out.

Galveston Island 116 Information Sources Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: What information sources did you use to plan your trip? (Circle all that apply.) Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Leisure (n=258) Internet/Website 63% Prior Knowledge 49% Friends/Family referral 14% Galveston Island Tourism: Galveston.com 10% Other 7% Office/Work referral 2% Social Media 2% State/Regional travel guide 1%

●● More than half of leisure visitors (63%) made use of the internet to plan their trips. ●● 49% of leisure visitors also relied on the prior knowledge of Galveston Island.

Transportation Leisure (n=258) Personal Auto 82% Airplane/Rental Car 12% Camper/RV 10% Motorcycle 2% Motorcoach/Bus 0%

Q: What modes of transportation did you use to visit Galveston Island? (Circle all that apply.) Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts)

●● More than three-quarters (82%) of leisure visitors drove to Galveston in their own vehicle.

Tourism Market Research 117 Overnight Visitors

Q: Are you overnighting in Galveston Island? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Leisure (n=258) Yes 81% No 19%

81% of leisure visitors surveyed were staying overnight in Galveston.

Daytrip or Pass Through Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: If no, is this a…? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts)

Leisure (n=258) Daytrip 100% Pass-through 0% ●● All of the leisure visitors who were not staying overnight (19% of 258) considered their trip a daytrip rather than a pass-through, meaning that Galveston was their chosen destination for the day.

Galveston Island 118 Lodging Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: If yes, what type of lodging did you select? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Leisure (n=258) Hotel/motel 66% Vacation Rental House or Condo 17% RV campground/campsite 13% Friend/Family House 4% Bed & Breakfast/Inn 0%

●● If they were staying overnight, leisure visitors tended to choose hotels (66%), but some also stayed in vacation rental units (17%) or RV campgrounds/campsites (13%).

Tourism Market Research 119 Length of Stay

Q: If yes, how many nights are you staying? *More than 10 coded as 11. Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Leisure (n=258) Average nights 3.55 1 15% Understanding Leisure Visitors 2 31% 3 21% 4 11% 5 5% 6 3% 7 5% 8 1% 9 0% 10 0% More than 10 7%

●● The 81% of leisure visitors staying overnight stayed for an average of 3.55 nights (suggest- ing a trip over a long weekend).

Galveston Island 120 Travel Parties Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: Including yourself, how many people are in your travel party? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Leisure (n=258) Average # of Adults 2.47 % with Children 43% Average # of Children* 2.21 % with Pets 6% Average # of Pets* 1.40 *Averages for those parties traveling with children/pets. **More than 10 coded as 11 ●● The average leisure visitor travel party was 2 to 3 adults. ●● Less than half (43%) of leisure visitors traveled with children. ●● Only 6% of leisure visitors came to Galveston with their pets.

Travel Party Relationships

●● Couples and families (unspecified) each represented a third of travel parties. Q: Relationship to travel party? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Question was open-ended and responses were coded into the above categories.

Tourism Market Research 121 Initial & Repeat Visitation

Q: Is this your first trip to Galveston Island? Q: If no, how many times have you visited Galveston before this trip? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Leisure (n=258) Initial Visit Yes 25% No 75% Repeat Visitation Once Previously 3%

Understanding Leisure Visitors 2-5 times 29% 6-10 times 13% More than 10 times 55%

●● Leisure visitors are strongly repeat, with only 25% reporting this trip as their first. ●● 55% of those that had been to Galveston before had been more than 10 times.

Visitor Information & Welcome Centers Use Leisure (n=258) Request Visitor Information prior Yes 8% No 92% Look for Visitor Information once arrived Yes 19% No 81% Find Visitor Information once arrived Yes 28% No 72% Go to Galveston Island Visitor Center Yes 10% No 90%

Q: Did you do any of the following to find information for/on this trip? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) ●● Leisure visitors were not likely to seek out or find visitor information. Galveston Island 122 Trip Activities & Plans Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: The following is a list of activities that people may do while visiting Galveston Island. Please circle all activities that at least one of you did (or has plans to do). Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Leisure (n=258) Dining out 80% Visit historic district 41% Visit Moody Gardens 40% Shopping 39% Visit a museum/attraction/historic house or site 31% Driving/sightseeing 29% Other 26% Ride the ferry 20% Attend a festival/event 14% Kids activities 11% Attend an arts/theater/cultural performance 6% Ride the trolley 2% Business 0%

●● 80% of leisure visitors dined out. ●● Respectively, about 40% of visitors reported visiting the Historic District, Moody Gardens, and going shopping.

Tourism Market Research 123 Outdoor Recreation

Q: While in Galveston Island, did/will any member of your party participate in outdoor recreation? Other includes swimming, visiting the beach, and sightseeing on foot. Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Leisure (n=258) Yes 35% No 65% Activities Understanding Leisure Visitors Walking/jogging 62% Fishing 29% Other 13% Biking/cycling 16% Birding/nature 13% Boating 9% Golfing 4% Motorcycle riding 3% Kayaking 1% Surfing 1% Volleyball 0%

●● Only 35% participated in outdoor recreation. ●● The top two activities were walking/jogging (62%) and fishing (29%).

Galveston Island 124 Beach Visits Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: During this trip to Galveston Island did/will any member of your party visit a beach? Q: Which beach? (Responses were open ends which were coded.) Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Leisure (n=258) Yes 61% No 39% Top 10 Beaches Seawall 35% Jamaica 12% Babe's Beach 11% Dellanera 10% Stewart 8% West End 7% State Park 5% Pleasure Pier 4% East Beach 3% All 2%

●● 61% of Leisure Visitors went to the beach during their trip to Galveston. ●● Seawall beach was the most commonly reported (35%) followed by Jamaica beach.

Tourism Market Research 125 Social Media Use

Leisure ●● Many leisure visitors used social media during their trip (n=258) (60%). Yes 60% ●● Facebook (85%) and Instagram (35%) were the most No 40% popular sources. Source Q: During this trip, will you utilize social media to update your status, post pictures, etc.? Facebook 85% Q: If yes, what sources will you use? (Circle all that apply.) Instagram 35% Other included YouTube, personal blog, and WhatsApp. SnapChat 18% Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Understanding Leisure Visitors Twitter 11% TripAdvisor 3% Other 2% Pinterest 0%

Trip Spending

Q: Approximately how much did/will you spend per day on your visit to Galveston Island? Other expenses included hair salon services, parking tickets, and event tickets. Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Galveston Island 126 Leisure (n=258) Lodging $ 149.48 Food/Meals 114.09 Attractions/Amusements 68.69 Parking 4.16 Shopping 24.82 Transportation 9.10 Other 3.12 Total $ 373.46

●● On average, leisure visitors spent $373 per day in Galveston. Understanding Leisure Visitors

What Makes Galveston Unique?

Q; What makes Galveston Island distinct or unique from other destinations? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) ●● When asked what makes Galveston unique, visitors frequently noted the following: ○○ It’s history, ○○ the beach, ○○ proximity to their home, ○○ and attractions, like Moody Gardens and Seawall.

Tourism Market Research 127 Leisure Visitor Ratings & Recommendations Likes

Q: What did you like most about your visit to Galveston Island? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) ●● Leisure visitors really like the beach, the Island’s history, friendly people, and the convenient location. Understanding Leisure Visitors Dislikes

Q: What did you dislike most about your visit to Galveston Island? Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) ●● Leisure visitors reported not liking the perceived quality of the water and the beach, paying for parking, and the weather. Note that several leisure visitors reported that they did not dislike anything about their trip.

Galveston Island 128 Overall & Amenities Ratings Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: Overall on a 5-point scale where 1 is poor, 3 is average, and 5 is excellent, how would you rate your visit to Galveston Island? Q: Following is a list of amenities offered in Galveston Island. Considering this visit to Galveston Island, please rate each amenity from 1 to 5 on a 5-point scale where 1 is poor, 3 is average, and 5 is excellent. (Circle one for each.) Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) Leisure (n=258) Avg Overall Rating 4.58 Quality of lodging rooms 4.39 Lodging value you received for the price paid 4.34 Range of choices for dining 4.57 Selection of shopping 4.30 Overall appeal of attractions in the area 4.34 Overall appeal of Galveston Island as a destination 4.44 Signage and wayfinding 4.12 Ease of finding visitor information 4.48 Level of service/employee training 4.60

●● Generally, 4.5 is considered an excellent rating, 4.0 is good, and anything under 3.5 needs attention. ●● Leisure visitors gave their visits an excellent rating at 4.58 on average. ●● Leisure visitors rated everything well, with level of service/employee training (4.60), range of choices for dining (4.57), and ease of finding visitor information (4.48) receiving the highest averages. ●● Note that in the above graph, the length of the bar indicates the percent of leisure visitors that rated the item versus those who did not rate or marked “N/A”. ○○ This means just over 40% of leisure visitors rated “ease of finding visitor information”. This follows with what we have learned about leisure visitors: they do not tend to seek out visitor information.

Tourism Market Research 129 Likelihood to Recommend Leisure (n=258) Average Likelihood 4.61 1 0% 2 0% 3 5% 4 28% 5 67% Q: Would you recommend Galveston Island to friends/family as a place to visit? (Circle one) Source: Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) ●● 67% of leisure visitors are very likely to recommend Galveston Island as a place to visit. ●● The leisure visitor average was 4.61, which again, suggests that leisure visitors will likely recommend Galveston. Understanding Leisure Visitors

Source: https://www.galveston.com/how-to-have-a-romantic-getaway-on-galveston-island/

Galveston Island 130 Vacation Rental Guest Study During August 2019, an online survey of Vacation Rental Guests (VRGs) was sent out to Vacation Rental companies’ email databases, specifically: Ryson Vacation Rentals and Sand ‘N Sea. In total, while the survey was open in August and September 2019, GRS received 1,486 responses. Respondents were asked about their experiences in Galveston Island on their most recent visit, including trip planning behaviors, trip activities and spending, and their attitudes towards Galveston Island.

Vacation Rental Guest Profile & Demographics Profile Demographics

Average Age 52.26 Understanding Leisure Visitors Gender: Man/Woman 27%/73% Points of Origin TX, OK, LA Generations Gen Z 0% Millennials 18% Gen X 34% Boomers 43% Silents 4% Travel Party Size Adults Only 32% Average # of Adults 4.47 Visitors traveling with Children 68% Average # of Children* 3.06 Visitors traveling with Pets 19% Average # of Pets* 1.44 *Averages for those parties traveling with children/pets. **More than 10 coded as 11 Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey The average Galveston Vacation Rental Guest is a Boomer who identifies as a woman. She’s a Texan and a regular Galveston visitor bringing her multi-generational family together to experience all the Island fun they can experience over a long weekend, or maybe even a week. Since she is traveling with 4 to 5 other adults and probably couple kids, she needs at least 2 months to plan. A big party means there is a lot to coordinate! Using the internet, her own knowledge of Galveston, and some input from friends and family, she books a vacation rental house right on the beach and builds a full itinerary. Once the whole family drives in, they have a lot to do. They’ll be dining out, shopping, visiting the Historic District, relaxing on the beach, seeing attractions, and maybe more. It’s a busy, but highly enjoyable week. For our average VRG, this is a wonderful destination, full of Texas history and maybe even her own memories of visiting her for her whole life. She might even say she loves it If asked to rate the amenities, our VRG would give excellent ratings to almost everything, except perhaps the shopping selection, which might only get a 4 out of 5 (which is still very good). She is very likely to promote Galveston among her family and friends as a great leisure destination.

Tourism Market Research 131 And, likely, she’ll be back again next year to enjoy Galveston Island all over again.

Origins Understanding Leisure Visitors

States of Origin Texas Cities TX (84%) Houston OK (4%) Spring LA (3%) Dallas

●● Most VRGs (84%) are coming from within Texas. ●● Houston is a very strong market for vacation rentals, followed by the Dallas metro area, San Antonio/Austin, and Northeast Texas. ●● The remaining 16% is concentrated primarily in nearby states (OK & LA in particular). Q: What is your home zip code? Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey

Galveston Island 132 Age & Gender Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: What is your age? Q: What is your gender? Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey Vacation Rental Vacation Rental Guests (n=1486) Guests (n=1486) Average Age 52.26 Man 27% Gen Z 0% Woman 73% Millennials 18% Other 0% Gen X 34% Boomers 43% Silent 4%

●● 43% of VRGs were Boomers. The average age was 52 years old. ●● Another third (34%) were Gen Xers. ●● Respondents were nearly three-quarters women.

Tourism Market Research 133 Vacation Rental Guest Behaviors Most Recent Visit

Q: When was your most recent visit to Galveston Island, TX? Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey Vacation Rental Understanding Leisure Visitors Guests (n=1486) July 2019 41% June 2019 16% May 2019 9% April 2019 4% March 2019 5% February 2019 1% January 2019 1% December 2018 1% November 2018 2% October 2018 2% September 2018 2% August 2018 3% July 2018 3% June 2018 2% May 2018 1% April 2018 1% March 2018 1% Earlier 2%

●● 58% of VRGs had most recently visited Galveston in June or July 2019. ●● 21% visited between January and May 2019. ●● 21% traveled prior to 2019.

Galveston Island 134 Purpose of Visit Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: What was the major purpose of your most recent visit to Galveston Island? Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey Vacation Rental Guests (n=1486) Traveling for Leisure 91% Other 5% Attending a local Festival or Event 3% Traveling with a conference, meeting or group 1% Traveling for Business 1%

●● The vast majority (91%) of VRGs categorized the purpose of their most recent visit as pure leisure (a family/friend vacation or getaway). ●● 5% said other, and listed reasons including family gatherings, birthday and wedding celebra- tions, fishing, tournament/competition. ●● 3% of VR Guests came specifically to attend a local festival or event.

Tourism Market Research 135 Travel Parties

Q: On your most recent visit, how many adults, children and pets stayed in your vacation rental? Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey Vacation Rental Guests (n=1486) Average # of Adults 4.47 % with Children 68% Average # of Children* 3.06 Understanding Leisure Visitors % with Pets 19% Average # of Pets* 1.44

●● VRG parties have 4 to 5 adults on average. ●● Among the 68% of VRG parties that visit with children, have 3 children in their party.

Travel Party Relationships VRGs: Travel Party Relationships

Multi-generational family 42%

Nuclear family 30%

Combination of Friends and Family 18%

Friends 6%

Other 4%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% Q: Which of the below best describes your travel party? Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey

Galveston Island 136 ●● Multi-gen families are the most common party type. ○○ 42% of Vacation Rental guests travel as a multi-generational family (e.g., grandparents, parents, and kids). ●● Over half (53%) of “Other” responses were couples traveling without children. ●● Millennials were most likely to be traveling with their nuclear family.* ●● On the other hand, boomers were likely to be there with their expanded family (multi-generational). ●● A third of Gen Xers were there with their nuclear family and a third were there on multi-generational trips. *For further information, see Appendix A.3.1, p. 170

Information Sources Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: What information sources did you use to plan your trip? Choose all that apply. Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey Vacation Rental Guests (n=1486) Internet search 84% Prior knowledge 47% Friends/family referral or suggestions 37% Galveston Island Tourism website: Galveston.com 20% Social media 14% Other 5% Newspaper/magazine story 5% State/regional travel guide 4% Office/work referral 2% Cruise information 1% Conference/meeting/group referral 1% Team/event provided 1%

●● Vacation Rental guests make strong use of planning resources. ●● Vacation rental guests are more likely to plan their trip through the internet, friends/family referrals, Galveston.com, and social media. Tourism Market Research 137 Advance Planning

Q: How far in advance did you plan this trip? Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey Vacation Rental

Understanding Leisure Visitors Guests (n=1486) 0-7 days 7% 8-14 days 7% 15-30 days 15% 31-90 days 26% More than 60 days 44%

●● Vacation Rental guests were most likely to plan their trips at least a month or two ahead of time. ●● The older the planner and bigger the travel party, the further out the trip is planned.* ○○ Multi-generational groups tended to plan their trips the furthest in advance. ○○ Nuclear families, on the other hand, were least likely to plan their trips 60 days plus in advance. *For more information, see Appendix A.3.2 & 3, p. 170-171

Galveston Island 138 Vacation Rental Booking Habits

Vacation Rental Guests (n=1486) Listing site* 27% Local vacation rental management company 61% Other 11% Name of Company/Listing Site Sand N Sea 39% Ryson 34% VRBO 14%

AirBNB 4% Understanding Leisure Visitors HomeAway 3% OTA 2% Other 2% Don't know or Didn't Use 2% Q: Did you rent through a listing site like AirBNB or VRBO, or through a local vacation rental management company? Q: What was the name of the company or listing site you used? Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey *Listing site includes AirBNB, VRBO, HomeAway, etc. ●● 61% booked their reservation through a local vacation rental management company (mostly Sand N Sea or Ryson). ●● 28% booked it through a listing site (VRBO, HomeAway, AirBNB) ●● 11% said “other”. ○○ However out of 158 “other” responses, 59 of those specified Ryson or Sand N Sea. ●● Overall, local vacation rental management companies were the most common way to book a rental. ●● Millennials, however, also commonly booked through listing sites such as AirBNB, VRBO or another similar site.** ●● Local vacation rental management companies were the top reservation channel for most groups. ●● Multi-generational family travelers were most likely to use rental management companies (70%). ●● Friend groups were the most likely to use listing sites (38%), followed by nuclear families (34%). **For more information, see Appendix A.3.4, p. 171

Tourism Market Research 139 Transportation

Q: What mode(s) of transportation did you use? Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey Vacation Rental Guests (n=1486) Personal auto 95% Airplane/rental car 5% Motorcycle 2% Understanding Leisure Visitors Other 1% Camper/RV 0% Motorcoach/bus 0%

●● Nearly all vacation rental guests drive into Galveston (95%).

Length of Stay

Q: On your most recent visit, how many nights did you stay in your vacation rental? Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey

Galveston Island 140 Vacation Rental Guests (n=1486) Average nights 4.75 1 2% 2 13% 3 25% 4 16% 5 9% 6 7% 7 22% 8 1% 9 1% Understanding Leisure Visitors 10 or more 3%

●● Vacation Rental guests stay for 3 or 7 days. ○○ 22% stayed 7 nights, 42% stayed 3-4 nights ●● Boomers were likely to stay more nights with a third staying 7 nights. ●● Millennials were more likely to be in GI on shorter getaways, staying 3-4 nights. For more details, see Appendix A.3.5, p.171

Initial & Repeat Visitation

Q: How many times have you visited Galveston Island total? Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey Vacation Rental Guests (n=1486) Once Previously 9% 2-5 times 16% 6-10 times 13% More than 10 times 62% I have never visited Galveston Island 1%

●● VRGs are strong repeat visitors. ●● Older generations were more likely to have visited GI more times than their younger coun- terparts. This could be a function of opportunity. For more details, see Appendix A.3..6, p. 172 Tourism Market Research 141 Trip Activities

Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: Which of the following activities did you do while in Galveston Island on your most recent visit? Choose all that apply. Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey

Galveston Island 142 Vacation Rental Guests (n=1486) Dined out 86% Drove around/went sightseeing 71% Shopping 65% Visit historic district 39% Visited a museum/attraction/historic house 33% Kids or children-oriented activities 29% Rode the ferry 26% Visit Moody Gardens 19% Other 12% Attend a festival/event 6% Understanding Leisure Visitors Attended an arts/theater/cultural performance 5% Ride the trolley 3% Conducted business 2%

●● Dining (86%), sightseeing (71%), and shopping (65%) were the most common trip activities. ●● Over a third also visited the historic district (39%) and visited a museum/attraction/historic house. ●● Other responses, in the above word cloud, include visiting the beach, specific attractions (like Pleasure Pier or Schlitterbahn), and fishing. ●● Dining out and driving around/ sightseeing were activities that all age groups participated in.* ●● Millennials were less likely to shop and more likely to do kid friendly activities including Moody Gardens. ●● Boomers were more likely to visit the historic district. *For further details, see Appendix A.3.7, p. 172

Tourism Market Research 143 Beach Visits

Q: During your most recent trip to Galveston Island did any member of your party visit a beach? Q: If yes, which beach? Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey Vacation Rental Guests (n=1486)

Understanding Leisure Visitors Yes 94% No 6% Top 10 Beaches Jamaica 16% Pirate's 11% West Beach/End 9% At/Near Rental 8% Galveston 8% Unsure of name 6% Sea Isle 5% Seawall 4% Stewart 4% Babe's Beach 3%

●● 94% of VR guests visited a beach. ●● More than 40 different beaches were identified. The most mentioned beaches were Jamaica Beach, Pirate’s Beach, and West Beach, as well as the beaches adjacent to their rental.

Galveston Island 144 Outdoor Recreation Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: While in Galveston Island on your most recent trip, did any member of your party participate in outdoor recreation? Q: IF YES, which outdoor recreation activities did someone in your party participate in? Choose all that apply. Other included swimming, visiting the beach, miniature golf, and walking tours (among many other activities). Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey Vacation Rental Guests (n=1486) Yes 80% No 20% Activities Walking/jogging 67% Fishing 45% Other 26% Boating 15% Biking/cycling 12% Birding/birdwatching 11% Kayaking 8% Surfing 8% Golfing 7% Volleyball 6% Stand Up Paddle boarding 4% Motorcycle riding 3% Horseback riding 1%

●● Almost all VRGs participated in outdoor recreation (80%). ●● Walking/jogging and fishing were the top activities.

Tourism Market Research 145 Visitor Information & Welcome Centers

Q: Did you do any of the following to find information for your most recent trip? Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey Vacation Rental Guests (n=1486)

Understanding Leisure Visitors Request Visitor Information prior Yes 22% No 78% Look for Visitor Information once arrived Yes 41% No 59% Find Visitor Information once arrived Yes 49% No 51% Go to Galveston Island Visitor Center Yes 6% No 94%

●● VRGs were not likely to visit the Galveston Island Visitor Center (only 6% did). ●● However, 41% looked for visitor information upon arrival and about half found information (49%).

Galveston Island 146 Visitor Spending Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: On your most recent visit, PLEASE ESTIMATE how much money your party spend PER DAY in the categories below. Please give your best estimate and include everyone who stayed in your vacation rental. Do not include dollar signs. Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey Vacation Rental Guests (n=1486) Lodging $ 646.56 Food/Meals 220.64 Attractions/Amusements 90.82 Parking 50.39 Shopping 166.43 Transportation 119.23 Other 235.68 Total $1,529.74

●● On average, VRGs spent more than $1,500 per day during their trip. ●● Note that this total is for the entire party, which are include an average of 4 to 5 adults (and 68% travel with an average of 3 children).

Tourism Market Research 147 What Makes Galveston Unique? Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: In your opinion and experience, what makes Galveston Island distinct or unique from other destinations? Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey ●● Out of the 991 responses, fifty contained the word love. ●● VRGs also said the following: ○○ If you live in Houston like I do it's close so people can come and go if they want. ○○ Shopping/ dining/ nightlife near secluded beaches. ○○ Close to where we live, laid back atmosphere, small town feel. ○○ Tons of Texas history here! Closest beach to the DFW area! ○○ Beaches were quiet & not crowded; we were able to get a great rental at an exceptional price. ○○ Something for every age group to do. Beaches are clean, locals are friendly. ○○ It's close and has really changed over the years. The beaches are much more beautiful now. ○○ Beach fun, free ferry, beachside food, Long Beach walks, groceries nearby, adult and kid places, variety of hotels year-round, rich history.

Galveston Island 148 Vacation Rental Guest Ratings & Recommendations Likelihood to Recommend & NPS Scoring Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: On a scale of 0-10, how likely would you be to recommend Galveston Island as a place to visit to others? Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey Vacation Rental Guests (n=1486) Likelihood to Recommend Average Likelihood 9.31 0 0% 1 0% 2 0% 3 0% 4 0% 5 2% 6 2% 7 4% 8 13% 9 10% 10 69% NPS Scoring* Promoter 79% Passive 17% Detractor 4% NPS Score +74.63 *See explanation for NPS Score on p.111, in “Understanding Perceptions of Galveston”. ●● 79% of vacation rental guests were “promoters” of Galveston, or likely to recommend it on a 9 or 10 out of 10. ●● Among VRGs, Galveston has an excellent NPS score of +74.63.

Tourism Market Research 149 Amenities Ratings

Understanding Leisure Visitors

Q: Based on your experience, please rate the following Galveston Island amenities/aspects on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). Choose "N/A" if something does not apply to you. Source: Vacation Rental Guest Survey Vacation Rental Guests (n=1486) Quality & variety of lodging 4.54 Overall appeal of Galveston Island as a destination 4.45 Range of choices for dining 4.35 Lodging value you received for the price paid 4.20 Overall appeal of attractions in the destination 4.31 Signage and wayfinding 4.20 Level of service/employee training 4.22 Ease of finding visitor information 4.20 Selection of shopping 3.96

●● Generally, a rating of 4.5 is excellent, 4.0 is good, and anything under 3.5 needs attention. ●● VRGs gave excellent ratings to their lodging quality/variety (4.54) and Galveston as a destination (4.45). ●● These guests were least satisfied with the selection of shopping (3.96)

Galveston Island 150 Insights: Leisure Visitor Segments Broadly, respondents to our Leisure Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) and Vacation Rental Guest Survey fell along a number of different continuums involving their visitor behavior and perceptions about Galveston, as defined below. Understanding Leisure Visitors

The goal for Galveston is to shift visitors further to the right on these continuums, to the extent possible. That is, turn non-visitors or occasional visitors to loyal visitors, improve their perceptions, and so on. One way to do that is to see who your loyal, positive promoters are currently in comparison to other visitors. What stands out about those visitors? What are they doing differently? To do that for Galveston’s Leisure Visitors, GRS used the findings from the Digitial Ethnographic Perception Study, the Leisure Visitor Intercepts, and the Vacation Rental Guest Survey to develop four primary segments: Big-Spending Loyalists, Idealists on a Budget, Contented Refreshees, and Aspring Accepters. Each segment was distinguished by their affinity towards Galveston, as well as their value as a visitor (based on spending and length of stay). In the graph below, you’ll see the higher affinity segements at the top and the higher value segments to the right and vice versa.

Tourism Market Research 151 In the following sections, we will define each segment and provide images and verbatims to illus- trate the segment’s relationship to Galveston Island. Please note: the images and verbatims are from the Digital Ethnographic Perception Study. Big-Spending Loyalists

Big-Spending Loyalists have visited Galveston many times before and enjoy bringing their families back to the Island for their annual holidays. Typically boomers traveling with their adult children and grandchildren, this group is open to staying in vacation rentals so that everyone can be together throughout the trip. With many fond memories, BSLs happily recommend Galveston to others, noting the Island’s quirks but loving it and claiming “it’s OUR beach” all the same. These multi-genera-

Understanding Leisure Visitors tional trips are planned way in advance and groups stay about a week, enjoying multiple attractions, activities, beach visits and restaurants while they are there.

It’s my favorite…Because of all of the memories and because there is something for everyone there ~Dal- las Visitor I really like Galveston. It’s fun so I would recommend it. It’s not like the Caribbean beaches but it’s close and I have a good time there whenever we go. ~San Antonio Visitor Anyone looking for “clear” water in this part of Texas has been lied to. ~Houston Visitor I've been to a lot of beaches around the world and it actually made me value Galveston more. Everyone knows the negatives - Brown water! Here are the positives- warm water with a very gently sloping beach. This is a great beach for kids and anyone who’s not a strong swimmer because you can feel comfortable going up to your knees, waist, etc. and feel pretty safe. Many other beaches were more beautiful like Hawaii, Malibu, etc. but often the waves are rough and if you take one step off you might be in a deep spot accidentally. ~Houston Visitor

Galveston Island 152 Idealists on a Budget

Idealists on a budget choose Galveston for its convenient location and variety of amenities. Making their budget work for them, they often stay in vacation rentals or limited service hotels. A mix of Gen Xers and Boomers, most are travelling

with their kids and would prefer a picture-perfect relaxing beach trip. With more Understanding Leisure Visitors than a month of planning time, many use groupon and other deal sites to help in their planning process. Typically staying about a week, IOAB’s visit the beach, dine out, sightsee, shop and visit a few attractions. IOAB’s are less likely to recommend Galveston than the BSL’s, often due to their perceptions of the water and beach as “questionable”.

With regard to the beaches and the water, it gets the job done if you’re just looking for a trip to the beach but if you're looking for something really nice it's probably not the one for you. ~Dallas Visitor It’s a cheap beach town… but the beach isn’t that great. ~Austin Visitor

Contented Refreshees

Happy travelers looking for a getaway, Contented Refreshees always enjoy their trips to Galveston, even in the winter. Convenience, variety of offerings, familiarity and the attractions continue to bring them back again and again. Skewing millennial, the typical getaway is a long weekend in a hotel, either with or without kids. Some dine out but in general they are open to grocery shopping or other options as well. Some plan far in advance while others plan much closer to the time of travel. The CR’s want Galveston to continue to evolve while remaining “their Galveston” and areas of focus for updates included restaurants and hotel upgrades. Overall, with a high affinity for Galveston, CR’s are very likely to recommend the destination to Friends and Family and will defend the Island to others when questions arise.

Tourism Market Research 153 It’s water on both sides and fun in the middle—what’s not to like? It’s simple and unpretentious. It is easy to fit in there and no social pressures to be a certain way. ~San Antonio Visitor Basically, when I think of Galveston, I think of a nearby place with so many things to do!! There is something for everyone and I'm ready for an adventure and ready to go to Galveston year-round ~Houston Visitor

Aspiring Accepters

Aspiring Accepters are seeking an idealized/exotic sea-side escape, but “settling” for Galveston (or leaving for a cruise). They do appreciate that Galveston is convenient, affordable and the amenities are familiar. Skewing millennial, the AA’s trips tend to be long weekends at hotels that are not nec- Understanding Leisure Visitors essarily booked very far in advance. With quicker trips, not all travelers have time to visit the beach nor dine out. Most are travelling only with other adults, even though some still travel with kids. Most feel Galveston could use some updating and wish the beaches were “clearer and cleaner”, therefore giving them hesitation to recommend the destination. This expands to social media where they are not likely to post about their trip in general but will highlight unique experiences or “hot spots” to friends and family. To encourage more frequent trips to Galveston, the AA’s would be looking for more all-inclusive type resorts with more amenities, even services to drop off their kids while the adults have an opportunity to rest and reset. I love the beach, but I prefer clear waters. And Galveston has a beach, but not the clearest waters. ~Austin visitor It's fun but the beaches are nasty. ~Houston visitor We’ve booked several cruises and are in the process of booking another. Aside from one or two business trips, I would likely only drive into Galveston to get on my cruise. That being said, when we do Cruise, we try and get into Galveston a few hours early so we can see the sites or grab a bite to eat there. ~San Antonio We only go there to leave for cruises. ~Dallas visitor

Galveston Island 154 Insights & Implications Insights & Implications

Overall Insights Trip Planning Journey

Source: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study See p.86 for a full explanation.

Dreaming Most individuals have a continuous consideration set of destinations in mind. These “floating” destinations are primarily influenced by past experiences, friend/ family/ colleague recommendations, media (including social media) and advertising. In order to be truly considered, a destination must be in this set.

Trip Trigger To bring a specific destination down to the research phase of the decision process, a specific trigger needs to occur. Insights & Implications Triggers can include schedule (e.g. work, fellow traveler, children school), value perceptions for transportation or accommodations, specific life events or specific novel experiences or events at the destination.

Destination Choice & Trip Planning Once a decision has been made to travel, one or more destinations are researched. Many travelers, especially younger generations are hoping for a “post-able” experience or images. With limited time and resources to use for getting away, they want to be able to brag about their trip and feel like they got the most for their time and money.

The Trip (Generates Content) The positive stories, posts, and reviews encourage destinations to be added to friends’ and families’ consideration sets creating a positive feedback loop for that destination.

Galveston Island 156 Why This Matters What this journey shows is that all Tourism Partners have a part to play in bringing visitors to Galveston, from maintaining a presence on review sites and promoting social media use to providing easy to use planning tools and an excellent trip experience.

Love Letters to Galveston When asked to share their feelings about Galveston, many visitors expressed love.They feel a connection, perhaps through nostalgia or family traditions. It’s their “perfect place”, “my beach” where they can feel at home. Insights & Implications

Source: Selected verbatims from Visitor Profile Study (Intercepts) and Vacation Rental Guest Survey. For a list of these selected verbatims, see Appendix A.5, p 175. These folks are an incredibly valuable asset for Galveston Island Tourism: they LOVE Galveston and don’t care who knows it. As we’ll explain further down (see “Use your Loyalists” on p.157), this love can turn your visitors into ambassadors that feel true and authentic.

Tourism Market Research 157 Implications: GRS’s Strategic recommendations for Galveston Island Galveston Opportunities ●● Educate on brown beach/water I would emphasize a lot on it being family friendly ○○ Own the brown water and use it to edu- and in-the-now. Galveston seems older and historic. cate about the Gulf I would want younger people to know it’s a hip place ○○ Use a sense of humor just like people flock to South Beach for Spring ○○ Celebrate blue water days, explain WHY breaks, Galveston is just is nice. ~Dallas Visitor ●● Highlight history ○○ Especially importance of Galveston to I had no idea there were so many activities and Texas events going on at all times of the month and year! ○○ Storms/Hurricanes and resilience (Sea- Really intriguing. I was surprised I didn’t see any- wall) thing on underwater(scuba) activities. ~Dallas ●● Curate experiences Visitor ○○ Think unforgettable, history, learning, To me, what is most important in life is following nature your passions, and experiences are near the top of ○○ Push harbor/dolphin tours, surfing les- the list in my case. ~San Antonio Visitor sons, guided kayak tours, ghost/pub A long time ago there was a car meet/show that tours, history tours took place in the summer that we would always go ○○ Use bucket list and rainy day list! to but that was years ago and I haven’t heard of any ●● Increase events awareness others ~Austin Visitor ○○ Events give people a reason to visit I wish Galveston had an annual “on the beach” mu- ○○ Consider a beach music festival sic festival along the lines of the Hang Out festival ○○ Encourage girls’ and guys’ trips they do in Gulf Shores, AL. We would go every year. ●● Develop more dining/shopping ~Dallas Visitor ○○ Think beach restaurants/restaurants on the water, local cuisine, cool/hip, foodie I’ve never heard of any Festivals or other events ○○ Think small local boutiques ~San Antonio Visitor

Lean on Texas ●● “It’s our beach” was a major theme of the most loyal visitors, by which they meant their family’s beach that they visit often and the one that is the closest to them, but also “their” refers to Texas. It’s OUR Texan beach and we’re proud of it. Texans love everything Texas, and Galveston has more to do and more going on than South Padre Island or Corpus Christi. ○○ Use “Texas” and “your beach” in messaging as easy emotional connections. Take advantage of their pride and sense of ownership/shared identity. ○○ Educate and fascinate on the role Galveston played in creating and shaping Texas Insights & Implications today—play on their loyalty to create the need for homage and pilgrimage by making a visit and standing where Texas history was made. ○○ Consider developing a “find your roots here” style experience where people can look up their ancestors. Perhaps tie- in with Ancestry.com to help people understand how/where people went when they migrated in through the Port of Galveston.

Encourage Movement around the Island ●● Some visitors stayed “stuck” in one area and don’t venture other places. They don’t believe there is anything of value/interest to them personally in other areas, and either think they’ve seen it all or aren’t interested in checking them out. ○○ Moody Gardens visitors at Moody Gardens, vacation rental guests at the West End, beach guests at the beach, cruisers at the Port of Galveston… ●● However, often times they were surprised to learn about something they would actually enjoy doing that they didn’t know they didn’t know about (e.g., dolphin/harbor tours, Great

Galveston Island 158 Storm film, West End beaches, fishing excursions, etc.) ○○ Utilize best of, insider tips and can’t miss type lists/articles to encourage movement across the island. Promote via social and digital media and have a strong presence on the CVB website. ○○ Local partners must cross-promote each other! Ask visitors what else they have done and make suggestions for what they should check out on the rest of the island.

Use your Loyalists ●● Repeat/frequent visitors (particularly Big Spending Loyalists segment) are very loyal to Galveston Island, bordering on defensive. They describe how the water color changes (it’s not dirty!) and that they don’t care what others say about the beach. ○○ Consider an ambassador program (see Makers’ Mark and others) for these loyal visitors, where they get discounts and perks for sharing the good word about Galveston to others and in their social media (especially on TripAdvisor Reviews). ○○ Consider a series of storytelling videos from Loyalists/Ambassadors where they describe what they love about Galveston Island and what they would say to someone who has a negative perception.

Expand the Use of the “Beach” in Messaging ●● The beach is the biggest driver of visitation, and the first thing people think of when they think of Galveston. ○○ However, the beach is also polarizing. Some celebrate it, some complain about it. ●● By “the beach”, visitors aren’t just referring to sand and water but everything that comes with being a destination beach town—atmosphere, sea air, a slower pace, relaxation, smiles and fun. ○○ This is likely the strongest single driver of visitation—the actual sand and water and the ability to go on the beach are often secondary benefits.

●● Beach and water lovers who are landlocked (especially Houstonians) often come down to Insights & Implications get their “beach fix” in between annual Caribbean or other blue water/white sand destinations. ○○ For them, it’s about the FEELING of actually being on the beach--hearing the waves, feeling the sun, and being near the water. They often watch the weather and drive down for the day (or even overnight) if it’s going to be a beautiful one. ●● Pull visitors away from the Seawall and towards the Strand/other attractions by using this connection—the spirit of the beach extends all over the island.

Use Festivals & Events ●● Non- and Lapsed Visitors with a passive barrier to visitation (e.g., they just haven’t had a reason) often mentioned that an event might be the trigger that made them book a trip. ●● Fun events/festivals are excuses to go places, especially when it comes to adult getaways. ○○ A music festival and wine/beer festival were specifically mentioned. ○○ Girls’ getaways specifically were mentioned several times by visitors (e.g., wine festival, etc.) ●● Events that happen in the evening or extend into the evening encourage overnight stays. ○○ Pair evening events with lodging promotions/discounts

Build Relationships across Lodging & Attractions ●● Get Tourism Partners involved in the Certified Tourism Ambassador Program! ○○ Educate frontline staff and encourage cross promotion to enrich the visitor experience

Tourism Market Research 159 Appendices Appendix A: Tables A.1: Combined Visitor Data A.2: Combined Attractions Patron Data A.3: Generational/Party-Type Graphs, Vacation Rental Guests A.4: Leisure Visitor Segment Infographics Appendix B: Questionnaires B.1: Lodging Survey B.2: Attractions Manager Survey B.3: Attractions Patrons Survey B.4: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study B.5: Visitor Intercept Survey B.6: Vacation Rental Guest Survey Appendix A

A.1: Combined Visitor Data Appendices

Tourism Market Research 161 Appendices

Galveston Island 162 Appendices

Tourism Market Research 163 A.2: Attractions Patron Data Appendices

Galveston Island 164 Appendices

Tourism Market Research 165 Appendices

Galveston Island 166 Appendices

Tourism Market Research 167 Appendices

Galveston Island 168 Appendices

Tourism Market Research 169 A.3: Generational/Party-Type Graphs, Vacation Rental Guests 1. Travel Party Relationships, by Generation

2. Trip Planning, by Generation Appendices

Galveston Island 170 3. Trip Planning, by Party Type

4. Booking Habits, by Generation

5. Average Nights Stayed, by Party Relationship Average Nights Stayed, by Party Relationships Nuclear Family 4.41 Multi-generational family 5.19 Friends 4 Appendices Combination of friends and family 5.01

Tourism Market Research 171 6. Previous Visits, by Generation

7. Trip Activites, by Generation Appendices

Galveston Island 172 A.4: Leisure Visitor Segment Infographics

Demographics Planning Behavior

Advance 69% Planning 49%

25% 24% 19% 7% 7% 0-7 days 8-30 31-60 60+ days First-Timers 1-5 Visits 6+ Visits days days Big-Spending Loyalists Trip Behaviors Visitor Attitudes

Demographics Planning Behavior

Advance 56% Planning

32% 39% 23% 28% 12% 11%

0-7 days 8-30 31-60 60+ days First-Timers 1-5 Visits 6+ Visits days days Idealists on a Budget Trip Behaviors Visitor Attitudes Appendices

Tourism Market Research 173 Demographics Planning Behavior

Advance Planning 60% 29% 28% 29%

24% 14% 16%

0-7 days 8-30 31-60 60+ days First-Timers 1-5 Visits 6+ Visits days days Contented Refreshees Trip Behaviors Visitor Attitudes

Demographics Planning Behavior

Advance 52% Planning

30% 30% 26% 26% 17% 16%

0-7 days 8-30 31-60 60+ days First-Timers 1-5 Visits 6+ Visits days days Aspiring Accepters Trip Behaviors Visitor Attitudes Appendices

Galveston Island 174 A.5: Love Letters to Galveston Verbatims The following is the selected verbatims used to create the word cloud on page 157. These were selected because they contained the words “love”, “home”, “perfect”, or sentiments of nostaliga. As indicated there, this verbatims were taken from both the Visitor Profile Study and Vacation Rental Guest Survey. ●● Although we didn't visit the historic district on our most recent trip, we LOVE the fact that Galveston has such a rich historical area and the beach to enjoy. ●● Always lots to do and see. LOVE the beaches and the port. The historic district is so colorful and fun to walk thru as well as the treasure hunt of the tree sculptures ●● As family we LOVE Galveston and visit at least 23 times each summer. We live in North Texas and enjoy the beach so much. ●● "Beautiful island ●● great shopping experiences ●● LOVE the beach " ●● Brings back childhood memories ●● close to Houston area for cultural events if wanted and ideal relaxation at a beach that isn't crowded. LOVE the nature centers that are nearby and trails ●● close to me can't get to CA beaches so come here. I LOVE CA beaches but I don't live in CA so I come here. ●● Closest beach ! We LOVE we come every year, several time a year! ●● Downtown area LOVED ●● Easy drive from Dallas area. LOVE the beach area. There are wonderful restaurants and most people are very friendly ●● Easy to reach, historical, LOVE the oceanl ●● family history of visiting over many years making special memories. ●● "family memories ●● We live in The Woodlands so easy getaway where friends and family can drive and sty" ●● For us, it's a short trip by plane from home and has simply become a familiar place that we LOVE and try to visit annually if possible. ●● Galveston is culture. It is peace and serenity from the everyday lifestyle for us. It is kind- ness. It is joy, and the history .. well, the history that lives. We LOVE Galveston, and while we could go other places, Galveston remains our favorite. Galveston is our home away from home. ●● Galveston is just unique, brings my peace and serenity through the Ocean, and the locals and historical places as well as the Strand are unsurpassed. Galveston just rocks! And there's just no other place I'd rather go on vacation. ●● Galveston is one of a kind!!! Extremely unique with a rich history with so much do and explore!! You can never get bored in Galveston. And we LOVE 💕 the large selection of places to stay and places to eat!! A dream destination!! ●● Galveston is rich in history. I LOVE this island. ●● Galveston Island is truly a diamond in the rough. It has so much to offer and the beach

houses are beautifully furnished and maintained. The beaches are clean and there are so Appendices many activities to do. But the greatest part of the stay is just being able to relax on the balcony or enjoy a walk on the beach and feel the cool ocean breeze! I LOVED every minute of my vacation! ●● great and fun place lots to do! LOVE going to Galveston ●● great location and perfect weather. ●● great time we LOVED it, my husband used to come down every year as a kid so it was much more emotional for him and he didn’t want to get married any other way. Now we both

Tourism Market Research 175 have a positive memory of Galveston. We traveled from Wisconsin to get married ●● Grew up close to there and LOVE going back ●● "history ●● Brings back childhood memories" ●● home away from home, casual, friendly ●● home town feel. Very relaxing. ●● hometown ●● I don't know if it was unique or not, first time visiting any beach honestly! But we LOVED the quiet, primarily why we went in the off season, got to sit on the beach and listen to nothing but the waves! ●● I grew up going there, so memories. ●● I grew up visiting family here and just LOVE it ●● I have a salt water soul and it's a beautiful place close to home to runaway too ●● I have been going to Galveston for a week or more per year since I was 3. I’m 48 now. There may be a year or 2 in my 20’s I can’t remember. I LOVE the way west beach is not crowded yet I can go to the strand and shop, have a wonderful meal and a beer. My family LOVEs it just as I do. I know the water in Mexico and Florida is clearer but I still like Galveston more! ●● I have been to Galveston almost every summer for my whole life. There is so much history that makes Galveston unique from other destinations such as the 1900 storm. ●● I LOVE Galveston because of how "Real" it is. Other places I go to like Carolina beach, Myr- tle beach and North Myrtle have the homes and hotels right on the beach force you to pay outrageous fees to park and walk to the beach. Either you pay for parking or you get a room close enough to walk to the beach. Your pretty much stuck in your room for the entire time and can only do things within walking distance. Galveston Island is obviously much different. The beach and the Gulf is right there. You can walk down Seawall Blvd and experience everything. There is always somewhere to walk to but driving is no problem. There is also no shortage of Outstanding Restaurants. I LOVED Tortugas and Jimmy s on the Pier. Those where my go to for a great view of the Gulf and great food and drinks. The drink side would definitly be from Tortugas. Chris makes an outstanding drink and is Sooooo knowledgeable of the Island and can tell you where to go and enjoy yourself. The other thing I LOVE about Galveston Island is all the birds and Natural Wildlife. Moody Gardens was awesome too. So many things are awesome about Galveston. ●● I LOVE Galveston! We have been coming for years. Its a safe family community with lots to offer. We have a 4 year old and we were never bored! so MUCH to do and we didn't even get to do it all! I look forward to another trip to Galveston in the near future! ●● "I LOVE Galveston. I have been going since I was a little girl and I’m almost 60 now. ●● It’s gone through so many changes through the years but one thing stays the same... it’s history. ●● Absolutely LOVE the way the economy is coming back after out most recent hurricane.. ●● It just keeps getting better and better.. ●● Even the water seems prettier " ●● "I LOVE Galveston. We owned a beach hoi ●● Use during my childhood years. Now we rent from sand n sea every year. " ●● I LOVE seawall area so many things to do you can walk up and down ●● I LOVE that it’s not so far from home ●● I LOVE the atmosphere and the people ●● I LOVE the atmosphere! ●● I LOVE the beach Appendices ●● I LOVE the island so much so we bought a condo here ●● I LOVE the island. Everyone is so friendly and there is so much to do.

Galveston Island 176 ●● I LOVED the Visitors Convention help all through planning the Process it was Ryson and we rented Be Here Now and although the property was right on the beach and was a beautiful home the whole weekend I was dealing with property problems all weekend long and didn't enjoy the stay at all house was needing all kinds of fixing and cleaning and couldn't use half of the amenities because things were broken or not working. Also had bed bugs and when I sent pictures and everything that happened I was told they would work with me and in the end they never followed thru with it ignored my emails and phone calls.so every time I have an opportunity to let some one I know I let them know I am not one to post o n FB like that but with this when someone asks me I do let them know. ●● I spent my childhood there and it holds a special place in my heart. ●● I think the Vacation Rentals are definitely a better way to go when visiting Galveston because the beach area is not as crowded and you’re away from the hustle and bustle of every day life in Galveston along with its growing tourism! One could never get bored of sitting on a private balcony while listening to the sound of the ocean and it’s LOVELY view! We will be back in two weeks! ●● I was born here, so that makes Galveston special to me ●● I was born on the island but I LOVE the history of the island. ●● I'm a BOI, so of course I would recommend Galveston. The beach is what makes Galveston Island unique. ●● In January it was quiet yet had numerous things to do. Perfect way to relax for us ●● Island Locals, Beauty, Clean, history, food, Bars, Shopping, Festivals. I LOVE everything about Galveston and return several times during the year for Mardi Gras, Lonestar Bike Rally and family summer vacation. ●● It feels like home away from home but still feel like a vacation ●● It gets you close to an ocean island paradise without having to leave Texas! ●● It has a fun, casual atmosphere. We LOVE renting a house right on the beach and just relaxing. ●● It has a small town vibe to it. Some days there are a lot of visitors but it’s always easy to navigate the town. I LOVE all the mom and pop shops. ●● It has so much history. I have been coming to Galveston since I was two. It isn't too far, has everything we need. Galveston is LOVE. ●● It is close to Dallas. I LOVE the small town feel, and there are so many varied attractions. I LOVE The Strand. The beach by the condo was not crowded and very clean. I like the fact that we could drive on the beach. ●● It is close to Katy, Texas where we live so it's easy to get to. Plus it has a large variety of things to do. We LOVE to attend all the tours (electric bikes, walking tours, duck boat tour, etc) plus all the different activities that happen in and or close to The Strand. We also LOVE going to the restaurants that have outdoor seating such as Fisherman's Wharf in The Strand, The Spot, etc. We do miss the Board Walk Game store where we could sit outside, have snacks, and play board games. That place was great! We haven't attended the Kayak photo and art tour yet because it's a bit pricey. We would LOVE to see more activities for people 50+ years old such as marine biology day tours on the boats, that Galveston offers for the kids camps. ●● It is my happy place! I LOVE everything about it but there is something about the West End Appendices of the Island that literally calms me and soothes me. I hope to retire there at some point. ●● It is the closest Leland to us and we just LOVE it there ●● It just has a nostalgia to it ●● It makes you feel like your home. ●● It’s a great low key beach vacation. We LOVE going. ●● It’s a vacation with home away from home feel,

Tourism Market Research 177 ●● It’s close to home and we LOVE the condos we stay in ●● It’s great so much stuff to do and kids LOVE it ●● It’s just perfect. Beautiful, uncrowded beaches ●● It’s my hometown. I LOVE the beaches, easy going atmosphere mostly. ●● It's my beach ●● Its a perfect getaway if you don't want travel to far. everyone is so nice and respectful. the vaction rental was everything we looking for. ●● It's an island! It has a very interesting history. LOVE the ferry ride. ●● It's beaches, the nostalgia feeling, the peace you feel seating on the beach, all the fun sights and awesome restaurants some much selection. ●● It's close and holds lots of nostalgia for my family ●● It's definitely great to fish, we chose to have our anniversary in Galveston because my husband and I both LOVE fishing. So we did just that the whole time we we're there lol. I will always use Ryson's rental whenever I plan to stay in Galveston. They are such a great company all the way around. This is my second time using them to book our condo and I was not disappointed at all. ●● it's home away from home ●● It's my happy place. I've been visiting all my life. :) ●● It's not too busy, not too many people but perfect destination at a great price!! Plus, close to my home, so it's a great get away ●● Just LOVE it ●● Location family tradition Ocean ●● Lots of things to do and see. Very convenient. We LOVE the beach! ●● LOVE everything about GI nature people ●● LOVE everything, laid back, green, lots of water, fish tales spot ●● LOVE Galveston! Always came when I was a kid, teenager, adult. Nice place to come and not too far. Lots to do! ●● LOVE it all, visited all my life ●● LOVE it grew up here ●● LOVE my island, so proud of the recovery from Hurricane and the resilience of the galveston community ●● LOVE the beach ●● LOVE the beaches. Easy access to the cruises. great food. LOVE the historical areas. Lots of history. ●● LOVE the island ●● LOVE the Island & beaches ●● LOVE the island! ●● LOVE the island, food ●● LOVE the island, food, ocean, shopping ●● LOVE the people and the history! great vacation rental ●● LOVE the rental property and the fishing. ●● LOVE the variety of attractions, beautiful beaches, historical district and attractions. I have been going to Galveston most of my life. The last time I visited, was a once in a lifetime family vacation. The weather wasn't cooperative, but it was a good time. ●● LOVELY easy access beaches ●● Moody Gardens (LOVE!!!!) ●● Moody Gardens perfect for families ●● Nostalgic Appendices ●● Nostalgic old beach feel ●● Not to far from home, familiar with area and attractions. Acapulco beach house is a picture

Galveston Island 178 perfect place to vacation! ●● Proximity to Houston, NASA, etc. also, I feel as if we've stepped back in time going to the Strand. There is literally something for everyone on the island. We LOVE it! ●● Small enough island to drive from one end to the other end but large enough to find lots of things to do and see! We LOVE Galveston! ●● Small town, easy to get around, good restaurants,great beach houses, good variety of family activities. We LOVE Galveston and have been coming there for over 35 years. We have recommended Galveston and Sandnsea to many of our friends. Easy to get to from Dallas area. ●● So close to Houston. Very historic and LOVE the Strand shopping and eating ●● So much to do, LOVE the shops on the Strand, LOVE the people and all the attractions. And it's close so we can drive and not fly. ●● Th atmosphere was so relaxing. I LOVED the shopping and numerous activities that were available... horseback riding on the beach, harbor cruises, shopping, dining, the carnival on the pier, and then of course the the long walks on the private beach. ●● The beach is wide and accessible. The waves and swimming are great. Low key. Quiet on west end. Just LOVE it here ●● The beaches were LOVELY, fresh seafood available right off the boats multitudes of different restaurants. ●● The history, the local island flair, the food, the arts and theatre, the beach houses.... all makes Galveston a home away from home! ●● The history, the town, the personal memories ●● The home feel of still being in Texas but getting to be on the beach without having to take a flight or long drive. ●● The locals are very welcoming, the food is unique and always good. We always have a good time and create great memories! ●● This is my perfect place. Why wouldn't you on an island? ●● To me it feels like home. It's a place I've always been able to relax and have fun. ●● Very wide range of things to do and see, easy to get around and feels like home everywhere you go because of the people. ●● We are world travelers and have been to some of the finest beaches in the world. We were in Galveston for the first time last year and found it to be absolutely fabulous in every way! The beach was absolutely pristine. The water was blue and the perfect temperature and the restaurants and accommodations were impeccable! There is no need for Texans to travel further than Galveston. Everything you could possibly want is there, and we are very picky travelers! We had a fabulous time and hope to be back soon! ●● We just LOVE it ●● We just LOVE it. ●● We just LOVE the beach ●● we live in the Houston area and LOVE to go to the beach that's close by ●● We LOVE Galveston ●● We LOVE Galveston beach and there at least 3 times out the year ●● We LOVE Galveston. It’s not too far from home to have a nice weekend getaway. We LOVE the island vibes and friendly people. Appendices ●● We LOVE it ●● We LOVE it because it is an island get away not too far from home. ●● We LOVE staying in the beach houses. ●● We LOVE the beach & Nick’s Diner the food there is the Best! ●● We LOVE the complete feeling of relaxation that we experience as soon as we cross the causeway. The history and amazing food along with the beautiful sights keep us coming

Tourism Market Research 179 back year after year. ●● We LOVE the family feel ●● We LOVE the history in Galveston. You can not beat the dining options. Galveston is our heaven on earth. ●● We LOVE the locals. The sights and attractions are nice but we LOVE the local hangouts and the vibe. ●● We LOVE the old part of Galveston Island...LOVE the harbor area. ●● We LOVE the vacation home rentals & the family oriented entertainment opportunities. ●● We LOVED being able to walk right from the beach house rental onto the beach each day. It was easy, relaxing, and felt like our own private beach. The water was a comfortable temperature & we LOVED all the shells. Most relaxing vacation we’ve ever had. ●● We LOVED Galveston! The people were friendly, the attractions were unique and the beaches were clean and family oriented. ●● We LOVED the pier and schlitterbahn ●● We LOVED the quietness in Isla Del Sol where we stayed. The beaches were perfect for building sand castles with the kids. ●● We visit every summer. Galveston feels like our 2nd home. ●● Winter Texan focus is recognized and felt ●● friendly people ●● Comfortable & safe ●● Feels like home Appendices

Galveston Island 180 Appendix B

B.1: Lodging Survey

Galveston Island CVB ______2018 Lodging Study: Hotels

Lodging Property: ______Number of Rooms: ______

Survey completed by: ______Email: ______

1. 2018 Monthly Occupancy Percentage: Phone: ______Note: Lodging properties that report monthly to Smith Travel Research can skip to Question 2. Seasonal properties – please indicate months that you are closed & the occupancy for months open. % January 2018 % May, 2018 % September, 2018 % February, 2018 % June, 2018 % October, 2018 % March, 2018 % July, 2018 % November, 2018 % April, 2018 % August, 2018 % December, 2018

2. In 2018, what percentage of your total guests… • Were walk-ins or same day bookings (no advance reservation)? % • Were adults traveling without children? % • Booked their reservation through an OTA (Virago, Booking.com, Expedia)? % • Came for business or meeting but stayed at least one extra night for leisure? %

3. Do you allow pets? Yes No If yes, what percent of your 2018 guests traveled with pets? %

4. What was your guests’ average party size in 2018 (incl. children)? Average length of stay (days)?

5. 2018 Annual Overall Market Mix: Please estimate what percentage of your TOTAL 2018 guests fell into each category: Business: 2018 Individual business travelers (white collar) % Blue collar workers (rig workers, construction laborers, etc.) % Conference/Meeting/Group: Conference/meetings/corporate groups % SMERF groups (social, military, education, religious, fraternal) % Family/social events (weddings, reunions, birthdays, graduations, etc.) % Sports (cheerleading, etc.) % Leisure: Typical sightseeing tourists visiting the area % Tourists passing through for one night as part of a longer trip (NOT cruise visitors) % Cruise visitors % Visiting local friends & relatives % Attending a local festival or event % Nature/outdoor recreation (incl. birding, fishing, etc.) % Other (specify):______% TOTAL (Please note that that when combined, the above percentages must total 100%) %

6. Describe your typical guests: 1) On Sunday nights:______

2) On weekday nights:______

7. For each season/time period below, please describe: 1) what type of visitors you tend to get (why they come), and 2) what cities rank as your top origin markets (where they tend to be from).

Winter Spring Summer Fall Holiday (Jan 7 – Feb 28) (Mar 1 – May 31) (Jun 1 – Aug 31) (Sept 1 – Nov 17) (Nov 18 – Jan 6) 1) Top 5 Visitor Types 2) Top 5 Origin Markets

8. Please rank the following customer segments to indicate your priority for future tourism marketing efforts.

Place a 1 next to the segment you deem highest priority, a 2 by the segment next highest and so on until Appendices you have ranked all segments. Leisure/Vacations Family Vacations (children) Seniors (AARP, etc.) Team Sports Events Groups (SMERF, weddings…) International Visitors Conferences/Meetings Cruise Visitors Other: ______

9. How else could the CVB support you and your business?

EMAIL TO: [email protected] | FAX TO: 1-610-643-3178 | CALL: (615) 925-1304

Tourism Market Research 181 B.2: Attractions Manager Survey

Galveston Island Attraction Survey

Attraction Name: ______Year opened: ______

Contact Name: ______Phone number: ______E-Mail: ______

1) Annual Attendance: 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

2) Please describe your visitor types. Last year, about what percentage of your overall visitors fell into the following categories? (The percentage of INDIVIDUALS + GROUPS must total 100%)

Visitor Types Example 2018 Individual Visitors (regular daily admissions): Local/regional (within 30 mile radius) residents 15% % Out of town visitors (beyond 30 mile radius) 10% % Groups: Group tour/motorcoach 0% % Educational/school groups 25% % Senior Groups (AARP, etc.) 15% % Other (please describe):______0% % Individual and Group percentages added together must total 100 100% 100%

3) 2018 Visitation Patterns

• Which was the busiest month in 2018? Which was the slowest month in 2018?

• Please rank order the four seasons from busiest (1) to slowest (4) in terms of visitation.

Spring Summer Autumn Winter

• How much time does a typical visitor spend at your attraction? 30-60 minutes 1-2 hours Other

• What CITIES ranked as your 2018 top five origin markets for out of town visitors?

1. ______2. ______3. ______4. ______5. ______

4) 2018 Admission Fees: Do you charge an admission fee? Yes No If yes, what is your fee? ______

5) Do you keep an email database of customers? Yes No How many are in your database overall? ______

How many are in your database from the past two (2) years? ______

6) Social Media • Do you promote your attraction utilizing social media? Yes No

If yes, which one(s)? Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest TripAdvisor Other (specify) ______

7) Staff/Budget • How many people do you have on staff? Full time Part time Volunteers

2018 Financial Information: 2018 Total Budget $______2018 Advertising/Marketing Budget $______

8) Please rate the following CVB services by their importance to you: (Please rate on a scale of 1-5 where 1 is low and 5 is high) Co-op advertising Seasonal promotions Helping you design marketing materials News Release distribution Free brochure distribution Galveston Island Visitor Center Social media assistance, Free Visitor Guide & website training & implementation listings Other: (describe)______

9) Is there a service you need that the CVB is not currently providing? How else could the CVB support you and your attraction?

Thank you for participating in our study! Instructions: Scan and email to [email protected], fax to (610) 643-3178 or mail to PO Box 5493, Timonium, MD 21094-5493. Appendices

Galveston Island 182 B.3: Attractions Patrons Survey Thank you for taking our survey! We appreciate your feedback. Please begin. ●● 1.What is your zip code? ○○ If Galveston zip = “local” [Galveston zips = 77550, 77551, 77552, 77553, 77554, 77555] ●● 2.[IF NOT LOCAL] Do you live within approximately 50 miles of Galveston Island? ○○ If Yes = “regional” ○○ If No = “visitor” ●● 3.[ASK VISITORS] About how often do you travel overnight for leisure? ○○ Less than once per year ○○ 1-2 times per year ○○ 3-4 times per year ○○ 5 or more times per year ●● 4.[ASK VISITORS & REGIONALS] How would you rate Galveston as a destination overall? ○○ 5 point scale ●● 5.[ASK VISITORS & REGIONALS] How many times have you been to Galveston in the past 3 years? ○○ 1 ○○ 2 ○○ 3 ○○ 4 ○○ 5 ○○ 6 or more ●● 6.Please indicate which of the following attractions you have visited before, which ones you have heard of but never visited, and which you would like to visit in the future (either for the first time or again if you have been there before). Have visited Heard of but Would like to before never visited visit in the future Moody Gardens Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston Island State Park Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier Bishop’s Palace Port Bolivar Ferry ELISSA Tall Ship Strand Historic District Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum Railroad Museum & Terminal East End Historic District The Grand 1894 Opera House Appendices 51st Street Fishing Pier Moody Mansion Museum Bryan Museum Rosenberg Library Dolphin or Harbor Tours

Tourism Market Research 183 Children’s Museum Pirates! Legends of the Gulf Coast Ghost Tour

●● 7.Which [OF ATTRACTIONS VISITED] have you visited in the past two (2) years? ●● 8.Please rate each attraction you have visited in the past two (2) years on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is poor and 5 is excellent. Poor Average Excellent [ATTRACTIONS THEY HAVE VISITED FROM ABOVE QUESTION] For the next few questions, we will be focusing on [PIPE ONE RANDOMLY SELECTED VISITED ATTRACTION HERE]. ●● 9.When was your most recent trip to [ATTRACTION]? ○○ Within the past week ○○ Within the past month ○○ Within the past 6 months ○○ Within the past year ○○ 1-2 years ago ○○ 3-4 years ago ○○ 5 or more years ago ●● 10.For your most recent visit, how did you purchase your admission tickets? ○○ Online or by phone ahead of our trip ○○ Through an island pass ○○ When we arrived at the attraction ○○ During our trip but before we went to the attraction ○○ A colleague, friend, or family member purchased them ○○ Admission was included with the tour I was on ○○ Other, please specify ●● 11.How many times have you been to [ATTRACTION]? ○○ 1 ○○ 2 ○○ 3-5 ○○ 6-10 ○○ More than 10 times ●● 12.On your most recent visit to [ATTRACTION], did you stay the night in Galveston? ○○ Yes ○○ No ●● 13.[IF YES, STAYED THE NIGHT] How many nights did you stay? ○○ 1 ○○ 2 ○○ 3 ○○ 4 ○○ 5 ○○ 6 ○○ More than 7 ●● 14.[IF YES, STAYED THE NIGHT] Where did you stay? Appendices ○○ Hotel/Motel ○○ Bed & Breakfast/Inn

Galveston Island 184 ○○ RV Campground/Campsite ○○ Vacation rental house or condo ○○ Friends/Family home ○○ Other______●● 15.On your most recent trip to [ATTRACTION] please choose the description below that best matches your travel party. ○○ Individual visitor (with friends, family, or alone) ○○ Before or after departing on a cruise from the Port of Galveston ○○ With a group/motorcoach tour ○○ With an educational/school group ○○ With a wedding/reunion/family event ○○ With a social club/church group ○○ With a corporate event/meeting ○○ With a military group ○○ Other ______●● 16.During which month was your most recent visit to [ATTRACTION]? ○○ January ○○ February ○○ March ○○ April ○○ May ○○ June ○○ July ○○ August ○○ September ○○ October ○○ November ○○ December ●● 17.Did you visit on a weekday or weekend? ○○ Weekday (Monday – Friday) ○○ Weekend (Saturday – Sunday) ●● 18.What would have improved your visit to [ATTRACTION]? ●● 19.How did you originally find out about [ATTRACTION]? ○○ Print advertisement (e.g. magazine ad, newspaper ad) ○○ Billboard ○○ Drove past ○○ Friend/family ○○ Radio or television advertisement ○○ Social media advertisement ○○ Online search ○○ Magazine/blog story or article

○○ Galveston Island Visitors guide and/or visitor brochures Appendices ○○ Other ______●● 20.Which of the following best describes your age? ○○ Drop down list 18 - 85 or older (include prefer not to answer)

Tourism Market Research 185 ●● 21.Gender? ○○ Male ○○ Female ○○ Prefer not to answer ●● Please enter your name and email here for [INCENTIVE INFO] ○○ Name: ○○ Email: Appendices

Galveston Island 186 B.4: Digital Ethnographic Perception Study Galveston Island QualBoard Discussion Guide Objectives: ●● 1)Why do people NOT visit Galveston Island? Why? Where do they go instead? ●● 2)For those who DO visit regularly, what do they see in it that non-visitors don’t? What drives that loyal visitor? ●● 3)What is the perception of Galveston Island’s beaches, and where do those originate? What ultimately changes them for the positive?

<> Thank you for being here! For the next 3 days we will be discussing leisure travel, like getaways and vacations. It’s a great topic and we are excited to get started. For this first day we would like to learn about how and where you typically travel for fun.

DAY 1: GETTING TO KNOW YOU – FAMILY STATUS AND LEISURE TRAVEL HABITS ●● First: tell us about you! Give us the basics. What do you do? Who do you live with or spend most of your time with? What in life is important to you? ●● Now, how does travel fit into your life? Your family? What does it do for you, why do you do it, and what do you take away from a trip? ●● Do you travel more for leisure or business? Do you ever mix business with pleasure when traveling? ●● Where do you like to stay when you travel? Have any favorite brands or resources you use consistently? ●● QUANT: In the past 12 months, how many vacations have you taken where you spent at least one night away from home? ●● Can you briefly tell us about the most recent overnight vacation you took? ●● QUANT: How many of these trips were to destinations within Texas? ●● What do you like about traveling within Texas? ●● What do you not like about traveling within Texas? ●● Share meme or photo of ○○ 1) your idea of the perfect vacation ○○ 2) your idea of the perfect weekend getaway ○○ Tell us about the meme or photo you chose and why you chose it ●● What types of activities do you like to do when you travel? Now for some logistical information: ●● QUANT: Do you prefer to fly or drive when you travel for leisure? Fly Drive Other ○○ Why? ●● QUANT: What type of accommodations do you typically stay in? Hotel/Motel/Resort Rental Property (like AirBnb, Friends/Family’s House VRBO, etc.)

Bed & Breakfast/Inn Campground/ Campsite Other Appendices ○○ Why? ●● QUANT: Who do you typically travel with? Family (children under 12) Friends Spouse/Partner Work colleagues Self/Alone Extended family Other

Tourism Market Research 187 ●● Can you tell us a bit about who you typically travel with?

DAY 2: COMPETITIVE FRAME AND DECISION MAKING ●● For your next weekend getaway, what destinations would you consider? Why? ●● Video Diary: What do you look for when choosing a destination? ○○ Talk about your typical process for choosing a destination. ○○ Tell story of a recent leisure trip/getaway you took and how you picked that destination. What was your trip planning and research process like? ○○ Talk about the resources—inspiration or information sources you use to help you decide. ●● QUANT: What information/resources do you reference to help you choose? Internet – search (Google, Bing, Yahoo, Articles that come up on my various feeds etc.) Internet – destination website (e.g. visitor Prior knowledge/been there before bureau or visitor information site, etc.) Internet review sites (e.g. tripadvisor, yelp, Social media etc.) Friends/family referral Newspaper/magazine story Visitor or destination guides (either online or TV in hardcopy) Radio/music feed Other ●● If you use the internet to search for information, what terms do you typically use or what terms have you used successfully before? ●● Where is the last place you remember finding really great information about a place that made you decide to go there? ●● How does information about a place typically “find” you? ●● QUANT: How important are each of the following in a travel destination to you? (scale 1-5) Not important at all Essential 1 2 3 4 5 Quality of lodging options Variety of lodging options Range of dining choices Amusement or water parks Shopping options Variety of attractions Signage and wayfinding at the destination Ease of finding visitor information Quantity of sightseeing options Local events (concerts, festivals, etc.) Outdoor recreation On or near a beach Interesting museums or historic sites Arts & culture Sporting events Appendices Other, please specify

Galveston Island 188 ●● QUANT: Okay, time to use your imagination. You have an opportunity to take a 3-day getaway somewhere WITHIN TEXAS—your ideal type of in-state trip, completely paid for. Which of the following activities would you most like to do on that trip? (Remember, money is not a factor but you only have three days! What activities would you realistically choose?) ○○ Eat at a local (non-chain) restaurant ○○ Stay in a house, condo or cottage rental ○○ Stay in a hotel or resort ○○ Ghost tour ○○ Entertaining/informational carriage or bus tour ○○ Visit a local brewery ○○ Visit a local winery ○○ Shop in local (non-chain) shops ○○ Fishing/hunting ○○ Boating, kayaking or canoeing ○○ Hang out on a beach ○○ Bike riding/rental ○○ Visit a place for the kids ○○ Visit a local museum ○○ Learn about the local history ○○ Visit a historical home ○○ Walk around a lively or charming downtown ○○ Learn something new ○○ Have some type of unforgettable adventure ○○ Gamble/visit casinos ○○ Hiking/spending time in nature ○○ See animals or wildlife ○○ Visit an amusement or adventure park ○○ See a great play or theater show ○○ Listen to live music ○○ Spend time in a spa ○○ Attend a sports event ○○ Attend a local festival ○○ Do nothing/relax/take it easy ○○ Other (describe) ●● For your next weekend getaway WITHIN TEXAS, what destinations would you consider? Why? ●● QUANT: Rank the following in terms of which Texas destinations you would most like to visit at your next opportunity with #1 being the one you would most like to visit. If you live in one of the cities listed, choose another city. ○○ Dallas ○○ Fort Worth ○○ Houston ○○ Austin ○○ San Antonio Appendices ○○ Galveston Island ○○ Padre Island/South Padre Island ○○ El Paso ○○ Fredericksburg/Hill Country ○○ Lubbock ○○ Amarillo

Tourism Market Research 189 ○○ Corpus Christi ○○ Beaumont ○○ Fort Worth ○○ Grapevine ○○ Waco ○○ Other (why?)______●● Of the in-state options you ranked highly, if you could go to one of them tomorrow, which would it be and why? ●● Which Texas cities or places would you AVOID visiting and why? For the next few questions today we’re going to focus on Galveston Island. ●● What comes to mind when you think of Galveston Island? ●● Using only a meme, how would you describe Galveston Island? ○○ Now please describe your meme and why you choose it. ●● For you, what three words would best describe Galveston Island to someone who had never heard of it? Be sure to give your honest opinion. ●● What’s the last thing you remember hearing or reading about Galveston Island? Where/from whom? ●● Do you remember seeing any advertisements or promotions about visiting Galveston Is- land? Where? What do you remember about it? ●● QUANT: Which of the following attractions have you heard of? Please select all that apply. ○○ Moody Gardens ○○ Schlitterbahn Waterpark ○○ Galveston Island State Park ○○ The Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier ○○ Bishop’s Palace ○○ The Port Bolivar Ferry ○○ The ELISSA Tall Ship ○○ The Strand Historic District ○○ The Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum ○○ The Railroad Museum & Terminal ○○ The East End Historic District ○○ The Grand 1894 Opera House ○○ The 61st Street Fishing Pier ○○ The Moody Mansion Museum ○○ The Bryan Museum ○○ The Rosenberg Library ○○ Dolphin or Harbor Tours ○○ The Children’s Museum ○○ Pirates! Legends of the Gulf Coast ○○ Ghost Tours ○○ The Galveston Naval Museum ○○ Seawolf Park ○○ None ●● Have you visited Galveston Island in the past three (3) years? Yes – Recent Visitor No ○○ LOGIC: If no, have you ever visited? Yes – Past Visitor No – Non-visitor Appendices

Galveston Island 190 DAY 3: GALVESTON ISLAND PERCEPTIONS AND VISITOR BEHAVIOR Recent Visitors & Past Visitors ●● QUANT: When was your most recent visit to Galveston Island? ○○ 2019 ○○ 2018 ○○ 2017 ○○ 2016 ○○ 2015 ○○ 2014 or earlier ●● QUANT: Which of the following attractions have you visited in Galveston Island? Please select all that apply. ○○ Moody Gardens ○○ Schlitterbahn Waterpark ○○ Galveston Island State Park ○○ The Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier ○○ Bishop’s Palace ○○ The Port Bolivar Ferry ○○ The ELISSA Tall Ship ○○ The Strand Historic District ○○ The Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum ○○ The Railroad Museum & Terminal ○○ The East End Historic District ○○ The Grand 1894 Opera House ○○ The 61st Street Fishing Pier ○○ The Moody Mansion Museum ○○ The Bryan Museum ○○ The Rosenberg Library ○○ Dolphin or Harbor Tours ○○ The Children’s Museum ○○ Pirates! Legends of the Gulf Coast ○○ Ghost Tours ○○ The Galveston Naval Museum ○○ Seawolf Park ○○ None ●● RECENT VISITORS: Have you been to any of them recently (within three years?) ○○ Why/why not? Which ones have you done just once vs. repeatedly? ●● Can you tell us about your most recent trip to Galveston including the purpose of the trip, where you stayed, who you traveled with, what you did, how long you were there? ●● Approximately how long was your most recent trip to Galveston? ●● Talk about the following topics, either in comments or in a video: ○○ What do you like about Galveston? ○○ What do you NOT like? ○○ What do you wish Galveston had but currently does not? (Or what do you wish they had more of?) Appendices ○○ Of the in-state destination options you mentioned earlier, when/why would you choose to visit Galveston and when/why would you choose to visit elsewhere? ●● QUANT: How likely are you to recommend Galveston Island to a friend or colleague? Not at all likely Extremely likely 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ○○ Please tell us why you selected that response.

Tourism Market Research 191 From the following list, please rate Galveston on each of the following (choose N/A if you don’t know or haven’t experienced): Poor Excellent 1 2 3 4 5 N/A Quality of lodging options Variety of lodging options Range of dining choices Shopping options Variety of attractions Signage and wayfinding at the destination Ease of finding visitor information Sightseeing options Local events (e.g. concerts, festivals) Outdoor recreation Beaches Museums or historic sites Arts & Culture Sporting events Amusement or water parks Water activities Nature-based experiences

●● QUANT: Do you think Galveston is easy to get around? Yes No Why/Why not? ●● QUANT: Have you ridden the trolley in Galveston? Yes No ●● Have you heard of any events held on Galveston Island? Which ones? ○○ LOGIC: QUANT: If yes, have you ever visited during any of the events? Yes No LOGIC: If yes, please briefly describe your experience visiting during an event. ●● QUANT: Have you ever left for a cruise from the Galveston port? Yes No ○○ LOGIC: If yes, Why did you choose to take the cruise from this port? Can you tell us about your experience? ○○ LOGIC: If no, would you ever consider it? Why or why not? ●● FOR FAMILIES WITH KIDS: Where are your favorite places to go with the kids? ○○ What is missing? What would make it an even more family friendly destination for your family? ●● Now, we’re going to focus on the beaches. Can you tell us about the beaches on Galveston Island? ●● QUANT: Please rate the beaches on the following: 1 Star 2 Stars 3 Stars 4 Stars 5 Stars Appendices Cleanliness Crowded-ness

Galveston Island 192 Water clarity Amenities Sand color

●● Are there any other comments you want to add about the beaches? ●● QUANT: Do you plan to visit Galveston again in the near future? Yes No ○○ LOGIC: If yes, what is the main reason you would visit again? ○○ LOGIC: If no, what is the main reason you would not visit again? Non-visitors: ●● What is your general perception of Galveston Island? ●● Why haven’t you visited GI in the past 5 years? ●● Have you wanted to visit? Why or why not? ●● What would make you more likely to visit? ●● What have you heard about GI and from whom? ●● Do you know anyone who travels to Galveston regularly? What do you hear about it from them? ●● What is your perception of the beaches on Galveston? ●● Can you upload a photo that describes your perception of the Galveston beaches? ALL ●● Get ready to be creative here: If Galveston Island were a vehicle, what vehicle would they be and why? Please include a photo if you can find one online. ●● Please visit Galveston.com and take a few moments to look around the site. ○○ Did you learn anything you didn’t already know? ○○ Do you feel the site represents the Galveston you know/perceive? Why or why not? ○○ Please visit Galveston.com and take a few moments to look around the site. ○○ Did you learn anything you didn’t already know? ○○ Has your general perception of Galveston changed at all after looking at the site? ○○ Do you feel the site represents the Galveston you know/perceive? Why or why not? ●● Please view these two visitors guides with the following questions in mind. One is a pocket guide and one is a full destination guide. ○○ QUANT: If you were planning a visit to Galveston Island, which of these brochures would you prefer to use? Pocket guide Destination guide Both Neither ○○ QUANT: How would you prefer to use it? Online before trip Online during trip Appendices Printed, ordered before trip Printed, picked up during trip Combination None of these ○○ Explain your answers and if/how you typically use destination or visitors guides when you travel. ●● If you were in charge of advertising for Galveston, what would you say or show in your ads?

Tourism Market Research 193 B.5: Visitor Intercept Survey

Free Weekend Getaway! Just complete this tourism survey for Galveston Island, Texas to register to win.

We are conducting a survey to learn more about the visitors to Galveston Island, Texas. The information obtained will help us improve future travel marketing efforts and experiences. Your answers will be held in strict confidence. For helping us, you will have your name entered in a drawing for a free weekend for two in Galveston Island, Texas. To be included in the drawing, you must complete the survey and fill in your name and address at the end of the survey. Thank you for your help.

Shannon Gray--Project Manager Melody Smith—Director of Marketing Gray Research Solutions, (615) 925-1304 Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau

Date: ______Interview Location: ______RESEARCHER NOTES: 1. What is your home zip code? ______

2. Including yourself, how many people are in your travel party? 1- Adults:____ 2 - Children:____ 3- Pets ______

Relationship to travel party? (grands, parents, kids, friends) ______

3. Are you overnighting in Galveston Island? Y N 3a. If no, is this a… 1- daytrip 2- pass thru

3b. If yes, how many nights are you staying? ______nights

3c. If yes, what type of lodging property did you select? (circle one) 1- hotel/motel 3- RV campground/campsite 5- friends/family house 2- bed & breakfast/inn 4- vacation rental house or condo 6- other: ______

4. Is this your first trip to Galveston Island? Y N 4.a. If no, how many times have you visited Galveston Island before this trip? 1- once previously 2- 2-5 times 3- 6-10 times 4- More than 10 times

5. What is the main purpose of this visit to Galveston Island? (Circle ONLY one) Business Leisure Meeting/Convention 1- business trip 6- vacation/getaway 12- corporate 2- working here temporarily 7- pass thru/part of longer trip (not cruise) 13- government Group 8- cruise ship passenger 14- association 3- attend/participate in a sports 15- social, military, education, religious, 9- visiting local friends & relatives tournament (specify):______fraternal or other meeting groups 4- attend a family/social event 16- other meeting (specify): 10- visit attractions/historic sites (weddings, reunions, graduations, etc.) 5- other group (specify):______11- attend a local festival or event 17. Other: ______

6. What information sources did you use to plan your trip? (circle all that apply)

1- internet (web site?)______5- newspaper/magazine story 9- social media (specify)______2- friends/family referral or suggestions 6- state/regional travel guide 10- prior knowledge 3- office/work referral 7- team/event provided 11- Galveston Island Tourism: Galveston.com 4- conference/meeting/group referral 8- cruise information 12- other (specify)______7. How far in advance did you plan this trip to Galveston Island? 1- 0-7 days 2- 8-14 days 3- 15-30 days 4- 31-60 days 5- more than 60 days

8. What modes of transportation did you use to visit Galveston Island? (circle all that apply) 1- personal auto 3- camper/RV 5- airplane / rental car → → → → 5a- airport: 2- motorcycle 4- motorcoach/bus 6- other: ______5b- airline:

9. While in Galveston Island, did/will any member of your party participate in outdoor recreation? Y N 1- biking/cycling 4- walking/jogging 7- kayaking 10- surfing 13- other: 2- motorcycle riding 5- fishing 8- birding/nature 11- volleyball 3- horseback riding 6- boating 9- golfing 12- SUP

10. During this trip to Galveston Island did/will any member of your party visit a beach? Y N Which beach? ______

11. The following is a list of activities that people may do while visiting Galveston Island. Please circle all activities that at least one of you did (or has plans to do). If starred(*) , please list specifics below. 1- business 4- driving/sightseeing 7- shopping 11- attend a festival/event* 2- attend an arts/theater/ 5- visit a museum/attraction/ 8- visit historic district 12- kids activities* cultural performance* historic house or site, etc.* 9- ride the trolley 13- other: 3- dining out* 6- ride the ferry 10- visit Moody Gardens*

11a. If * above, list SPECIFICS:______

Appendices 12. During this trip, will you utilize social media to update status, post pictures, etc.? Y N

12a. If yes, which sources will you use? (Circle all that apply) 1- Facebook 2- Instagram 3-Twitter 4- Pinterest 5- TripAdvisor 6-Snapchat 7- Other (specify) ______

Galveston Island 194 2 13. Did you do any of the following to find information for/on this trip?

NO Specifics: YES Request visitor information prior to your visit? (from where?)

Look for visitor information once you arrived? (Where?) Find visitor information when you got here?

Go to the Galveston Island Visitor Center?

14. Overall, on a 5 point scale (where 1 is Poor, 3 is Average, and 5 is Excellent), how would you rate your visit to Galveston Island? (Circle one number) Poor Average Excellent 1 2 3 4 5

15. What did you like or dislike the most about your visit to Galveston Island? (write in your answers) Like: a.______Dislike: a. ______b.______b. ______

16. Would you recommend Galveston Island to friends/family as a place to visit? (circle one) Unlikely - Possibly - Very Likely 1 2 3 4 5 17. What makes Galveston Island distinct or unique from other destinations? ______

18. Following is a list of amenities offered in Galveston Island. Considering this visit to Galveston Island, please rate each amenity from 1 to 5 on a five point scale where 1 is Poor, 3 is Average, and 5 is Excellent. (circle one for each)

Poor Average Excellent

a. The quality of the lodging rooms 1 2 3 4 5 n/a

b. The lodging value you received for the price paid 1 2 3 4 5 n/a c. The range of choices for dining 1 2 3 4 5 n/a d. The selection of shopping 1 2 3 4 5 n/a e. The overall appeal of the attractions in the area 1 2 3 4 5 n/a f. The overall appeal of Galveston Island as a destination 1 2 3 4 5 n/a g. Signage and wayfinding 1 2 3 4 5 n/a h. Ease of finding visitor information 1 2 3 4 5 n/a i. Level of service/employee training 1 2 3 4 5 n/a

19. Approximately how much did/will you spend PER DAY on your visit to Galveston Island? 1. $ __lodging 5. $ __shopping 2. $ __food/meals 6. $ __transportation, fuel, airfare, etc. 3. $ __attractions/amusements 7. $ __Other (specify):______4. $______parking 8. $ __TOTAL

20. For each of the following activities, check if you 1) are aware of it here, 2) have done it here, 3) would like to (again).

Activity Aware? Done it? Like to? Activity Aware? Done it? Like to? 1- Ghost Tour 5- Holiday Events 2- Dinner Theater 6- Waterpark (Schlitterbahn) 3- Dolphin or Harbor Tour ($10 for 1 hr) 7- Water activities (SUP, kayaking, surfing) 4- Birding /Birding Tour 8- WWII Submarine/WWI Warship

THESE LAST FEW QUESTIONS ARE ABOUT YOU. YOUR ANSWERS WILL HELP US TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE WHO VISIT GALVESTON ISLAND. YOUR ANSWERS WILL BE TREATED AS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

21. Education? (circle one) 1- grade school 3- some high school 5- high school graduate 7- some college 2- technical school 4- college degree 6- graduate school 8- other

22. What is your age? ______23. Are you? 1 – Male 2 – Female

24. What is your occupation? ______

25. Would you like to receive email coupons, travel offers / packages, and information about visiting Galveston Island? (check one or both): be entered to win a drawing for a free weekend getaway for two? RESEARCHER CODE:

Appendices Email address:______

RESEARCHER NOTES:

Tourism Market Research 195 B.6 Vacation Rental Guest Questionnaire Appendices

Galveston Island 196 Appendices

Tourism Market Research 197 Appendices

Galveston Island 198 Appendices

Tourism Market Research 199 Appendices

Galveston Island 200 Appendices

Tourism Market Research 201 Appendices

Galveston Island 202 Appendices

Tourism Market Research 203 Shannon Gray [email protected] www.grayresearchsolutions.com