San Antonio Market Study Part 2 Five Primary Tourism Feeder Markets: Houston Dallas/Fort Worth Austin Waco Corpus Christi

Transcription

1 San Antonio Market Study Part 2 Five Primary Tourism Feeder Markets: Houston Dallas/Fort Worth Austin Waco Corpus Christi January 2014

2 Introduction ARA has been retained by the McNay Art Museum to study both its current and potential visitors. Prior reports were submitted covering members and non-member visitors to the museum. Recently, ARA reported on residents of San Antonio who, while recently having visited another museum in the area, had not been to the McNay. However, there is a significant tourism market for San Antonio and, thus, the McNay. According to data from the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau, 75 percent of its visitors lived elsewhere in Texas. As an extension of the market study, ARA interviewed museumgoers living in the five Texas cities from which the most visitors to San Antonio originated Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, Corpus Christie and Waco. Methodology Using an online panel, ARA screened participants for having visited a museum in their hometown or elsewhere in the United States within the past 12 months. The 11 percent who cleared that threshold were then asked whether they had either visited San Antonio in the past 12 months or were planning to do in the next six months for leisure purposes. Almost two-thirds had been there recently while just over one-third intended to visit. Finally, potential participants were asked whether they had or would be visiting a museum when they are in San Antonio. In all, 402 museumgoing travelers qualified for the full survey. The DMA breakdown was as follows: Home City of Qualified Respondents Houston 38.6 Dallas/Fort Worth 25.6 Austin 19.7 Waco 9.2 Corpus Christi 7.0 The eight-minute questionnaire was constructed with built-in logic to direct respondents to applicable questions. For example, those who had or were going to the McNay were asked whether they had visited previously and, if so, how long ago. Similarly, those who had heard of the McNay but never visited were asked what type of art they would expect to see there. Audience Research & Analysis 1

3 Key Findings Among the other activities museumgoers from the top five Texas tourism markets participated in were visiting friends or relatives and going to the Botanical Garden. The most visited museum in San Antonio was SAMA, followed by the Institute of Texan Cultures and the Witte, and then the McNay. About one-third had heard of the McNay but never visited. The McNay benefits from repeat visits. Sixty-two percent of those coming to the McNay had been there previously. Repeat visitors were driven by new exhibitions, the opportunity to bring friends or relatives, or simply to come again whenever they were in town. First-time McNay visitors from these other markets relied on personal recommendations and web search (e.g., Google, Yahoo) to get information about the McNay. Other influential sources included visitor magazines in the hotel and listings, articles or reviews. First-time and repeat visitors had a good sense of the types of art on display at the McNay, although awareness of prints and drawings, contemporary art, and theatre arts lagged. Eighty-two percent of those who had only heard of the McNay said it was on their list to visit in the future, which represents a perhaps unrealized opportunity. o Reasons cited for not visiting included being less sure of what was offered there as well as not knowing the cost of admission. o When showed images of the McNay along with a detailed description, 85 percent expressed strong interest in visiting. Fifty-six percent of these Texan visitors stayed in downtown hotels, while another 17 percent chose hotels elsewhere in San Antonio. About 20 percent stayed with friends or relatives. o Overall, 94 percent arrived by car, although ten percent from DFW came by air. Nine out of ten who arrived by air rented a car. Eighty-seven percent used social media led by, in order, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Demographics o Females accounted for six out of ten museumgoing visitors. o Mean age of respondents was 49 years. (The study surveyed people between the ages of 18 and 65.) o Forty-two percent had children living in the household, the majority of whom were 6+ years. o Eleven percent were full-time students. Two-thirds were college graduates. o Racial/ethnic background was 60 percent were White; eight percent, each, Black/non-Hispanic and Asian; 30 percent were Hispanic or Latino. o Mean HH income was $97,000. Audience Research & Analysis 2

4 Visiting San Antonio Among both those visitors who had visited a museum in San Antonio in the past 12 months or planned to do so in the next six, seeing friends or relatives as well as going to the Botanical Garden were the two other activities they participated in most. Other Activities in San Antonio (; multiple responses) Visited Past 12 Months Will Visit Next 12 Months Visit friends/relatives Botanical Garden Live Music Popular Professional Sports Event Live Theatre Live Music Classical Among museums visited or planned to visit, SAAM another art museum led by a wide margin. Just one-third of non-visitors had heard on the McNay. San Antonio Museums (; multiple responses) Visited Past 12 Months Will Visit Next 12 Months Heard of but Not Visited San Antonio Museum of Art Institute of Texan Cultures Witte Museum McNay Art Museum Blue Star Contemporary Briscoe Western Art Art Pace McNay Art Museum Visitors Interestingly, 62 percent of those who had visited the McNay in the past 12 months or were planning to visit in the next six had been there at least once previously more than half within the past 12 months. This augers well for repeat visits. Asked why they returned, almost half cited a new exhibition while about four out of ten, each, said to bring friends or relatives and that they often visit when in San Antonio. Reasons to Visit Again (multiple responses) Visited Before To see new exhibition 45.3 Bring friends or relative 41.5 Often visit when in SA 39.6 Personal recommendation 34.0 Saw ad or listing 17.0 Received e-newsletter 11.3 Member 7.5 Other 7.5 Audience Research & Analysis 3

5 Those who had not been to the McNay prior to their recent or forthcoming visit were asked where they saw or heard something that motivated this visit. Beyond personal recommendations, web search and tourism related sources, such as a magazine in the hotel, were next most influential. Print ads were not of consequence to the extent they had been placed in these markets. Sources of Information (multiple responses) Visiting McNay Now Personal recommendation 57.6 Web search (e.g., Google, Yahoo) 36.3 Visitor magazine in hotel 15.2 Listing, article or review 12.1 Social media 9.1 Visitor information center 9.1 Tour guide or hotel concierge 9.1 Flyer, map or local visitor guide 6.1 Travel agent/tour operator 3.0 Newspaper ad 3.0 Magazine ad 3.0 Travel websites 3.0 Outdoor signage or advertising 0.0 Other 6.1 These first-time visitors were also asked their reasons for coming at this time. While seeing a special exhibition drove repeat visitors, it played a minor role for first-timers who came for a variety of general museumgoing and social experiences. Reasons to Visit for the First Time (multiple responses) Visiting McNay Now Just to see another art museum 63.6 To see art not available in hometown 51.5 Heard the museum grounds were beautiful 51.5 To share experience with friends/relatives 48.5 To see a special exhibition 18.2 Both first-time and repeat visitors had a pretty good sense of what was on display at the museum. Comparing first-timers with repeat visitors, deficits were greatest with regard to prints and drawings, contemporary art and theatre arts. Familiar with Each Type of Exhibition (multiple responses) McNay Visitors Repeat First-time European and American Paintings Sculpture Collection Prints and Drawings Medieval and Renaissance Art Contemporary Art Special Exhibitions Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts Audience Research & Analysis 4

6 First-time visitors were at least as familiar with some programs including performances such as Summer Jazz or Brunch or the Museum Store. On the other hand, they were far less familiar with exhibition-related programs. Familiar with Each Type of Program (multiple responses) McNay Visitors Repeat First-time Museum Store Exhibition-related programs Performances such as Summer Jazz or Brunch Family programs Free Family Day Workshops Programs for Educators Free Second Thursdays Heard of, but Never Visited the McNay Those museumgoers from other Texas cities, who were aware of the McNay but had never been, appeared aware of most of the types of art on display at the museum, but with 57 percent expecting art by local artists and 71 percent not sure of what other art they would see, there is still uncertainty about what is offered. Type of Art Would Expect to See at the McNay Not Yes No ( Heard of but Never Been) Sure Prints and Drawings Contemporary Art Art by local artists European and American Art Sculpture Collection Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts Medieval and Renaissance Art Other Similarly, they were asked whether certain reasons for not visiting were true or false for them. With 82 percent saying they intended to visit in the near future, it is up to the McNay to motivate them. Not having knowledge of art and art history was not salient for these out-of-town museumgoers. Reasons for Not Visiting Not True False ( Heard of but Never Been) Applicable On my list to visit in the future Do not know what is offered there Do not know cost of admission Little knowledge of art and art history Other museums I rather visit Do not know if my children would enjoy Not enough other things to did nearby Featured art exhibitions do not appeal to me Audience Research & Analysis 5

7 Since they had never been to the McNay, we presented them with a description of the museum its history, offerings, entrance fees and free day programs as well as images of both gallery spaces as well as the façade of the original home and Stieran Center. Then we asked them, based on what they saw or read, how interested they were in visiting in the near future. As shown below, the results were very positive more so than San Antonio museumgoers who had not been to the McNay. How Interested In Visiting the McNay General Visitor Information Heard of But Never Been Five Tourism Markets Heard of But Never Been San Antonio Extremely Very Somewhat Not very Not at all More than half of visiting museumgoers from these other cities stayed in hotels in downtown San Antonio. About one-fifth stayed with family or friends. Where Staying in San Antonio () Hotel in downtown SA 56.0 With family or friends 21.4 Hotel elsewhere in SA 17.2 Other 5.5 Virtually all visitors from Texas arrived by car. The only market with any significant travel by air was Dallas/Fort Worth at ten percent. Type of Transportation Getting to San Antonio () Car 94.3 Airplane 4.5 Train 0.5 Other 0.7 Of those arriving by airplane, 89 percent were renting a car. Audience Research & Analysis 6

8 Social Media Usage Eighty-eight percent of these visiting museumgoers used social media regularly, which was higher than the 83 percent observed among San Antonio museumgoers. All but Flickr experienced comparably greater usage. Social Media Sites Visited Regularly (; multiple responses) Facebook 82.3 YouTube 51.2 Twitter 33.8 Instagram 22.9 Pinterest 29.4 Foursquare 3.2 Tumblr 9.2 Flickr 3.7 Other 1.5 Do not use social media 11.7 Audience Research & Analysis 7

9 Demographics Gender Females accounted for about six out of ten museumgoing visitors. Age (The study surveyed people between the ages of 18 and 65.) The mean age was 49 years, with a median (half below and half above) of 50 years both within five years of the San Antonio market. Age to to to to to Mean (years) 48.9 Median (years) 49.8 Children Under 18 Years Forty-two percent had children living in the household, a quarter of whom had taken them to the McNay (net, about ten percent of all museumgoing visitors). The ages of most of the children, like San Antonio museumgoers, were over six years ago. Ages of Children Under 18 ( with children) Audience Research & Analysis 8

10 Full-time Student Eleven percent were full-time students. Level of Education Two-thirds were college graduates including almost one-quarter who had a graduate or professional degree. Education Some high school 1.0 High school graduate 10.7 Some college 21.6 College graduate 37.1 Some graduate school 5.7 Graduate school or professional degree 23.9 Race or Ethnic Background While the percentage of white, non-hispanic museumgoing visitors was comparable with those living in San Antonio, the incidence of people of Hispanic or Latino background was about a third less. The gap was made up by more Asians and non-hispanic Blacks. Race or Ethnic Background White, non-hispanic 60.0 Hispanic or Latino 20.9 Black, non-hispanic 7.5 Asian, South Asian or Pacific Islander 8.0 American Indian 1.5 Multiracial or other 0.5 Decline to answer 1.7 Audience Research & Analysis 9

11 Annual Household Income The sample s mean annual household income was about $97,000, more than $10,000 higher than the San Antonio market. Similarly, the median income of $79,300 exceeded the local market by about $7,000. Specifically, there were fewer people in the less than $50,000 category. Household Income Less than $50, $50,000 - $74, $75,000 - $99, $100,000 - $149, $150,000 - $199, $200,000 - $249, $250,000 - $299, $300,000 - $399, $400,000 or more 0.0 Decline to answer 4.5 Mean income ($) 97,070 Median income ($) 79,321 Audience Research & Analysis 10