Maine Office of Tourism Canada Market Analysis Quantitative Survey Research Report BVK November 2016

1 Contents

• Background, Objectives, Methodology, Segment Membership 3-7

• Executive Summary 8-15

• Implications & Considerations 16-22

• Detailed Findings • Travel Behavior 24-38 • Past Visitors to Maine 39-54 • Decision-Making, Familiarity, and Perceptions of Maine 55-67 • Messaging Impact on Likelihood to Visit Maine 68-87 • Likeminded Brands and Cultural Nuances 88-96 • Self-Reported Media Habits 97-114 • Language Preference 115-123

• Appendix • Respondent Profile 119-123 • Messaging Impact – Verbiage Used in Questionnaire 124-131 • Websites Visited Regularly (Exhaustive List) 132-135 • Magazines Read Regularly (Exhaustive List) 136-138

2 Background

• In discussions with the Maine Office of Tourism (MOT), a clear need was identified for a Canada-focused deep dive research investigation.

• Specifically, we need to ascertain underlying issues and identify any untapped opportunities in Eastern Canada, given the continued decline in visitation, the Canadian dollar exchange rate, and the historical contribution of Canada to the MOT’s visitation.

• The outcome of this research needs to provide critical insights related to key issues that would guide future Canadian marcom efforts—for example, does it makes sense to treat Canada like an in-state campaign; is more of a promotional versus ad strategy appropriate; where in Canada should MOT promote and why; and is it worth it to go all-in on French language translation (necessary for Quebec, Montreal, etc.)?

3 Research Objectives

• Gauge visitor volume from Canada and determine if it’s likely to hold steady, increase, or decline in the near future • Quantify impact of exchange rate on visitation to Maine

• Fill in any holes/gaps in Canadian media habits that weren’t covered in the 2014 Segmentation study • In Quebec, understand what proportion are predominantly French-speaking

• Understand the role advertising and promotions play in motivating past and future visitation • Confirm or deny a potential cultural nuance with Canadians observed in the prior qualitative phase–that they prefer to be directed on what to see/do in Maine vs. discover their own “Maine thing”

• For messaging purposes, prioritize the things to see/do that are likely to have the biggest impact driving future visitation • Understand the extent to which Canadian travelers would be interested in a two-nation vacation or Discover New England trip ideas

4 Methodology • In concert with the MOT, BVK designed an online survey to address the research objectives. • Eastern Canadian residents were sourced through Qualtrics which partners with many panel providers for robust sample sizes. Qualtrics furnished incentives to all respondents. • To qualify for the study Canadian consumers met the following criteria: • Age 25-64 • Mix of men and women • Trip decision-makers • Have taken at least one trip to the US in the past 2 years or plan to take a trip to the US in the next 12 months • Fall into one of Maine’s priority segments: “Balanced Achievers,” “Genuine Originals,” or “Social Sophisticates” • Reside in the eastern most provinces (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador) • The survey was translated into French Canadian (Quebecois) and French verbatim responses were translated into English upon close of fielding.

Qualifying Rate* Median Interview Length Completed Surveys 36% 21 minutes 1,010

*Percent of respondents who qualified for our study upon completing screener questions and the segmentation algorithm.

5 Sampling

• Quotas were set by Province to ensure representativeness. • Survey data were weighted by province to match the 2016 population distribution.

Province 2016 Desired Actual