Who's Visiting?
The desire to connect remains strong. Extended families are getting back together, friend groups are reuniting, and visitors are willing to make more than one trip.
Who traveled in 2022? Families.
Families once again broke a record, reaching 55% of those surveyed.
The age of the children is also higher at 9.1—are they finally tired of screen time? Or are adults just demanding that they leave the house?
Additional research reinforces families traveling with children. The 2022 US Family Travel Survey, conducted by the Family Travel Association in collaboration with the NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, found that 85% of parents are very likely to travel with their children in the next 12 months, with travel intent this year higher than in 2019. The survey showed that 76% of respondents indicated children as the inspiration for their travel.
VOV 2023 shows attractions visitation continues to rebound (91%) but remains slightly below 2019 levels (94%). Party size gained 6% and the number of different attractions visited was up 14%.
First-time visitation among attractions visitors (46%) was higher in 2022 than the historical average of 43%. It was particularly high among visitors to historic places and museums.
“Historically important places have a direct link to our present and future. I feel it is invaluable to visit such places and learn as much as one can consume with clarity to embrace what has passed and what lies ahead. “
VOV 2023 survey response
VOV 2023 revealed people of color accounted for 27% of attraction visitors in 2022. This is above average (25%) but lower than 2020 and 2021. People of color account for 40% of the U.S. population, so they remain underrepresented at most attractions.
Maya Angelou said, “I have great respect for the past. If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going. I have respect for the past, but I’m a person of the moment. I’m here, and I do my best to be completely centered at the place I’m at, then I go forward to the next place.”
Brigette Jones
Historic places and museums are working to tell stories more authentically and honestly, allowing them to connect to a broader audience and share more stories. Historic places and museums give visitors a tangible connection to the past. Images, artifacts, and stories breathe life into the words. And the stories of a wider swath of people are being told, allowing more of our visitors to feel a connection to the stories. Visits to National Park Service historic sites have steadily increased since 1979. Since 2000, which has shown strong visitation data, new sites that share the history of African Americans, women, Indigenous people, LGBTQ people, and immigrants have opened.
Historical sites that include authentic voices pave the way for visitors to better navigate the future by gaining a fuller understanding of the past. Belle Meade Historic Site & Winery in Nashville, TN, offers a “Journey to Jubilee” tour. The tour explores the horrors of slavery, including the enslaved people at Belle Meade and what happened to those people after emancipation. Brigette Jones, Director of Equitable Partnerships at Belle Meade, feels that telling the story of slavery can help people understand current racial issues, including health outcomes, policing of Black communities, socioeconomics, and representation in the media.
Visitors continue their loyalty with season passes and memberships. Sixty percent reported they were season pass or membership holders. Most belong to theme parks, amusement parks, water parks, aquariums, and zoos. After people stayed close to home in 2020 and 2021, season pass memberships grew. The best news? The numbers held steady in 2022, higher than the 48% historical norm.
Jerry Henry, CEO of H2R Research, says, “I believe the Covid pandemic changed people’s perspective. It caused Americans to realize just how fragile life can be. Many attraction visitors purchased season/annual passes this past year because they anticipated and had every intention of returning to the local/regional attractions they’ve come to love over the years and to visit in much greater frequency.”
Kansas City Polar Bear Passage - LEED Living Green Roof
Kansas City Polar Bear Passage
Sustainability continues to be a growing concern for visitors, particularly Generation Z. Those visitors are increasingly interested in seeing authentic action. In Booking.com’s 2022 Sustainability survey, 71% of respondents said sustainable travel is important to them—a 10% increase over 2021. And half said recent news about climate change influenced them to make more sustainable choices. Focusing efforts on sustainable choices provides an opportunity to connect with visitors and the local community in a valuable way.
Expedia’s Travel Trend Report showed that electric charging stations, solar use, recycling, the elimination of single-use plastics, and eco-friendly LED lighting were factors visitors found valuable.
Sustainability isn’t just about the environment, however. It also includes protecting cultural heritage and providing benefits for the local community. Social sustainability, including social inequity and racial injustice, is top of mind for many visitors. This can include fair working conditions and fair wages.
Your attraction can be an outlet for local artisans selling products made in the community, by the community. A t-shirt printed elsewhere may be cheaper, but one printed locally supports locals. Restaurants can focus on using regional and seasonal produce when possible.
Ruby Falls Solar Panels
Ruby Falls, home to an underground waterfall in Tennessee, is focused on environmental sustainability. Ruby Falls sees a positive environmental impact and guest reaction from protecting natural habitats, capturing rainfall for irrigation, and composting. Hugh Morrow, President and CEO of Ruby Falls, said, “By providing options like efficient lighting, renewable energy, water use reduction, local culture, and waste reduction, we have measurably increased our guests' satisfaction. Ruby Falls is committed to bringing even more options to our guests in the future. It is a winning strategy.”
Clearly explaining and being transparent about sustainable practices will go a long way with visitors. The explosion of sustainability means people have a choice—they can choose to visit attractions that also value and commit to sustainable practices.
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