! " Project Background & Research Objectives. Methodology

Transcription

1 ! " Project Background & Research Objectives Fáilte Ireland commissioned Ipsos MORI to conduct a comprehensive research programme to inform the development of a 3 year strategic plan for the development of the Islands of Ireland product. The main research objectives were to identify how best to move forward and develop the islands product and to inform the manner in which the islands can best be promoted to consumers. Methodology Qualitative research was conducted with the following key target groups: 25 telephone depth interviews with domestic and overseas (US, UK, German and French) holidaymakers who had recently visited at least one of the islands of Ireland; and 6 face to face depth interviews and 1 focus groups with domestic holidaymakers and 15 telephone depth interviews with overseas visitors who had recently holidayed in Ireland but had never visited one of the islands. J

2 Summary of Main Findings Island Visitors Overview of Island Visitor Experiences For both domestic and overseas holidaymakers who visited one of the islands most intended to visit the island prior to the start of their holiday; For island visitors (both domestic and overseas) overnight stays are generally planned, while day trips are more spontaneous and more weather dependent; For domestic visitors, the island is the main part of their holiday most are repeat visitors who stay overnight on the island; Due to high level of repeat visits, little formal information searches are conducted. Key information sources are the Internet, mainland local recommendations and ferries; For overseas visitors US and French visitors are mainly adult parties, while UK and German visitors are more skewed towards families; For overseas visitors, key influencers to visit an island include previous visits to Ireland, family links (particularly for UK and US), recommendations from family and friends and mainland local recommendations e.g. B&B proprietors; Ireland is generally viewed by both domestic and overseas visitors to be expensive, with the islands either on a par or somewhat more expensive than the mainland. Motivators to Visit an Island Domestic Market The main motivators to visit an island for domestic visitors are: links to the island such as friends, friends or holiday homes; to experience island life - peace and quiet, slower pace of life, less commercialism than the mainland and friendly locals; the natural beauty of the landscape including beaches, mountains and the sea. Beaches in particular are a huge draw for families; and to have a real Irish cultural experience e,g. learn Irish and experience the Irish culture. A supporting motivator to visit an island is the perception that the islands are safer for children than the mainland. J

3 Motivators to Visit an Island Overseas Market The main motivators to visit an island for overseas visitors are: Family links to the island (for US and UK visitors); To experience island life different and more relaxed pace of life, more simplistic, less developed and more unspoiled than the mainland, to experience the Ireland of old and friendly locals; The natural beauty of the landscape and nature / wildlife; An Irish heritage experience to learn about the history of the place. There is also a perception that Irish heritage is better preserved than on the mainland; Other key motivators include the fact that many islands can be visited in one day, the adventure of the ferry trip and a perception that the islands are safer than the mainland for children. Areas for Improvement on the Islands (Island Visitors) The key areas for improvement on the islands are: The food offer in terms of limited access to fresh local produce e.g. fish and vegetables, the poor quality and lack of value for money of food in cafés and restaurants; There is no formal distribution of information and a lack of display of information on arrival at many of the islands (e.g. what to do and see, where to eat and drink and accommodation options); Information provision and signage improvements are needed in terms of trail signs, more information on historical sites, and consistency in quality and detail of island maps; Lack of activities at night and in bad weather (particularly activities for children); Other suggested improvements include better maintenance of port areas, picking up litter and improving the standard of self-catering accommodation; All suggested improvements must take into account the preservation of the natural landscape. J

4 Overview of Irish Holiday Experiences (Non Island Visitors) Domestic holidaymakers generally view Ireland as a weekend destination, with their main sun holiday taken overseas; In choosing a holiday destination in Ireland, location drivers include accessibility, special offers and word of mouth recommendations. Information searches are generally conducted via the Internet or by phone; It is important to note that most domestic holidaymakers think of an island visit in terms of an overnight trip. Overseas holidaymakers tend to stay in Ireland for an average of 1 week and tend to travel to different places. Holiday research and booking is mainly conducted on the Internet and the trip is generally planned in advance in terms of travel and accommodation; Most overseas holidaymakers perceive an island trip as a day trip and cannot see the value in staying overnight due to the perceived lack of night time activities; There is a general low level of awareness among domestic and overseas holidaymakers of the islands of Ireland including the number of islands, accessibility and what island life has to offer; There is recognition among both domestic and overseas holidaymakers that an island visit is not for everyone. It is perceived to be for those with a specialist interest (e.g. nature, hiking, culture), for older people or those looking for a quiet break; Most perceive the motivators to visit an island to be very similar to those cited by actual visitors above the key difference is that non-visitors perceive an island visit to be more structured than actually experienced by visitors in terms of organised activities and guided tours. Barriers to considering a visit to the Islands (Non Island Visitors) For domestic holidaymakers the key barriers to considering an island visit are: Accessibility in terms of too much effort and hassle, too far to travel, too remote, too much travel time for a weekend break and the hassle of lugging luggage over on the ferry; J

5 Uncertainty about the weather is a barrier to considering islands as a holiday option; Other barriers include the perception that an island visit would be too quiet with not enough activities; Domestic non-visitors are also unconvinced it is a destination for families due to the perceived difficult travel logistics and lack of activities for children. For overseas holidaymakers the key barriers to considering an island visit also relate to accessibility (but not as strong a barrier as for the domestic market) and lack of activities; As previously mentioned, there is more reluctance among overseas visitors to overnight on an island due to the belief that a day trip is sufficient to see the island, a perceived lack of night time activities, hassle of bringing luggage over to the island and the fact that most have pre-booked accommodation on the mainland. Development & Marketing of the Islands of Ireland - The Way Forward There is an initial requirement to address the areas identified for improvement particularly the food offer, information provision, signage and maps, promotion of activities particularly for children, general maintenance and improving the standard of self-catering accommodation; Any strategy must also address the key barriers for each market (as outlined above). Of note is the key uncontrollable barrier the bad weather, to counteract this concern, indoor activities (particularly for children) need to be further developed and promoted; For the domestic market the east coast (Dublin) market is the hardest sell for a day or weekend trip. Therefore initial communications should be focused in west coast areas nearer the islands and then build on this experience as the islands develop in their offer and profile; For the overseas market a key segment is repeat visitors to Ireland and those with family links (for the UK & US markets); J

6 The aim of an initial communications campaign should be to raise awareness of the different islands and their unique offering, with the ultimate aim to have the islands in their consideration set at the time of booking; Internet is the key planning and booking tool and must be given priority over development of any hard copy brochure; There are more similarities than differences between the domestic and overseas market in terms of experiences of the island and barriers to consider an island visit, therefore it is appropriate to consider one co-ordinated strategy with tailoring of messages and bundled packages; Bundled packages for the domestic market should be built around the key motivators. While overseas packages must be built into a one or two week Ireland holiday package, as the islands alone are not a strong enough motivator to visit Ireland. #$ % & Internet Revising Brochure TIO s / Island Stakeholders (e.g. amenity, attraction, accommodation providers, ferry operators) Supplements/Editorials in Key Newspapers Corporate - Fáilte Ireland / Tourism Ireland Island Events Discover Ireland Ad Campaign Updating content* of and developing links with other travel websites Revising images and content* (* See required Info & appendix 1 for improvements) Distributing revised brochure, communicating and advertising package deals, key relevant messages, website & testimonials TIO s near islands distributing brochure to local businesses e.g. accommodation providers) Advertising package deals, key relevant messages, website & testimonials Developing links with travel agencies / groups to incorporate islands into organised trips Longer term strategy - Island specific food, music, craft events Budget permitting, develop specific island ad using key island messages J

7 For further information please contact Michelle Conlan at or J