Attraction Visitors Are Completing Their Bucket Lists
… and Then Coming Back for More
It’s a bittersweet phenomenon that has been documented and analyzed by experts ranging from travel specialists to mental health professionals. In a nutshell, these experts have concluded that the pandemic reminded us that life is short, and it’s up to each of us to make the most of it.
PGAV’s 2022 Voice of the Visitor (VOV 2022) report provides further evidence of this bucket-list trend, as 48% of VOV 2022 respondents indicated that they visited a specific attraction for the first time in 2021. Museums and galleries, historic places, and outdoor recreation attractions led the way in first-time visitors, though the boost was consistent across all attraction types.
And while this finding certainly backs the concept of a bucket-list phenomenon, there is a twist. Attraction visitors aren’t subscribing to the concept of checking a box on their lists and moving on. Visitors also set a new VOV record for intent to return to the same attraction in 2022, with a staggering 74% of respondents saying they probably or definitely will return, a jump of 5 points over 2021. Amusement parks, educational attractions, and zoos and aquariums performed especially well in this category, though again, intent to return was higher than historical averages in every attraction category.
Supporting the high intent to return, we also saw loyalty at a record high, with 60% of respondents indicating they held season passes or memberships in 2021 to at least one attraction. Not to mention that 62% of attraction visitors indicated that they would recommend the attraction they visited to friends and family!
All these results bode well for the industry. The resilience and resourcefulness we demonstrated over the past two years is paying off, positioning us to capitalize on the bucket-list phenomenon. And rising enthusiasm and loyalty reinforces the relevance of attractions, as we examined last week.
Right-sizing Our New Bucket
The new year often brings a fresh breath of optimism and an opportunity to stop and reflect on current situations and new goals. But could this also be a chance for the industry to revamp? For some, 2021 was a highly successful year despite the fact that overall attraction attendance, party size, and number of attractions visited all remain below pre-pandemic averages. And when you factor in the high levels of pent-up demand, the upcoming opportunities for growth are exciting!
We’ll take a closer look at these demand indicators next week. In the meantime, we can take heart in this strong evidence of the bucket-list trend, and the knowledge that eventually attractions will see even more opportunity to wow first-time visitors and turn many of them into loyal, returning customers.
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