Regional Customer Insight Programme

2. Regional Customer Insight Programme Sergi Jarques Customer Insight Manager

3. To review • Aims & Objectives • Who visits the East of England? • What do East of England target visitors want? • Why visit the East of England? • How can we attract future customers?

4. Aim and Objectives: • Provide comprehensive understanding of the East of England’s key markets: • profile and characteristics of current visitors; • what attracts visitors or prospects to the region and barriers to visiting. • Used to inform future marketing/communication strategies and campaigns

5. Research Programme:

6. Who visits the East of England - Visitor Profile • Leisure day-trips account for 50% of all visits. 39% were on a holiday or short-break, with the remaining 11% visiting friends or relatives. • Purposes of the visit include a holiday (43%) as well as visiting friends and relatives (42%) • Three-quarters (74%) of visitors had visited the destination previously, with 60% of these saying that they had made 6 or more previous visits in the last 5 years • Only 17% of the sample described their holiday as their main holiday for the year • Two thirds of visitors originate from East of England, London, South East and East Midland or up to three hours drive time from the destination.

7. Who visits the East of England - Segmentation • ArkLeisure: values-based consumer segmentation system. • It identifies: • Motivations and purchase drivers • What influences people’s choices in relation to tourism • Activities they undertake during their visits.

8. Who visits the East of England - Segmentation

9. Who visits the East of England - Segmentation

10. Who visits the East of England - Segmentation

11. Escapism Relaxation Luxury ‘Quality’ Time Discovery/Exploration Special Celebrations Specific Destination Types Themed Experiences What do visitors want: Importance Higher Lower

12. Escapism Relaxation Luxury What do visitors want: “I go on a trip with a collection of other guys who you know want to play golf. So you have an intense weekend of golf and drinking and then back to reality two days later” (Family, E.Mids) • From regular activities • Change of scenery “It’s just emptying your mind. You’re not under pressure, you can relax if you’re not under pressure” (Pre-family, Watford) • Always to relax mentally • Sometimes to relax physically “Somebody else waiting on you, making your breakfast, your lunch, your dinner” (Family, Watford) • Pampering • Facilities

13. Why visit East of England – Activities:

14. Eating out/ drinking Shopping What do visitors want: “I would rather have fish and chips on the sea wall with a good looking woman, then be in a five star hotel having a great meal with an ugly girl” (Empty Nester, Functionals) “I prefer localised shops that have got a lot more atmosphere, you get a lot more service, people are a lot more pleasant, they’re not 18 year olds on minimum wage. These are people’s livelihoods and they put their effort into these businesses” (Pre-family, High Streets)

15. Influences of visit

16. NEGATIVES Attract more visitors - Imagery: POSITIVES • Local character – people or built landscapes • Luxury, pampering – champagne encapsulates this, yet achievable • Unique, or at least different – therefore not reminded of ‘home’ – history a bonus • ‘Quality’ time • Water evokes sense of relaxation • Authenticity = CREATING SENSE OF WELLBEING • Generic images – could be anywhere (or more importantly, could be ‘home’) • Be careful of niche themes – individual activities

17. Exemplar Image (I) • Relaxing (water, someone else doing work) • Quality time (no distractions) • Luxury, pampering (champagne) • History (architecture) • Local, authentic tradition (punting) • Local destination (different from home) • Romantic (couple)