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The Visitor Market

Executive Summary on Chicago's Visitor Market*

The visitor market is a huge, lucrative market: in 2000, more than 32 million visitors spent nearly ten billion dollars. Is your business getting its fair share?

The visitor market is a larger market than the local market: there are ten times more visitors to Chicago each year than resident Chicagoans. Are you letting them know about your business?

The visitor market is more affluent than the local market: on average, visitors are better educated and have a higher household income than the average Chicagoan. Are you spending the appropriate amount of your marketing budget to reach this lucrative market?

Visitors have the time, the means and the mindset to spend: when vacationing, visitors spend their savings that have been earmarked for pampering themselves. If on business, visitors spend their expense accounts. In either case, visitors have a mindset to spend. According to the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, in 2000, on average, business travelers spent $195 per day and leisure travelers spent $112 per day. Are you tapping into this “free-spending” mindset?

Dining, shopping, sightseeing and entertainment are the top activities of Chicago’s visitors: is your business prepared to compete for the visitor’s dollar in these competitive business categories?

57% of Chicago’s visitors are here for leisure, 43% for business: does your business have a strategy to reach these important market segments?

62% of Chicago’s domestic visitors come via modes of transportation other than airplanes: 38% of Chicago’s visitors fly to Chicago.

Chicago ranks 4th in total domestic travel behind Orlando, NYC and Las Vegas: Chicago ranked 1st in domestic business travel and 4th in domestic leisure travel. Chicago is clearly in the “big league” when it comes to the visitor market. Is your business prepared to play in it?

The average length of stay for Chicago’s visitor is 4 days: visitors have plenty of time to pay you a visit! Are you giving them a reason to stop by?

The Facts on the St. Louis Visitor Market**

The visitor market is a huge, lucrative market: In 2000, more than 16.7 million visitors spent nearly 3.8 billion dollars. Is your business getting its fair share?

The visitor market is a larger market than the local market: There are six times more visitors to St. Louis each year than resident St. Louisans. Are you letting them know about your business?

The visitor market is more affluent than the local market: On average, visitors are better educated and have a higher household income than the average St. Louisan. Are you spending the appropriate amount of your marketing budget to reach this lucrative market?

Visitors have the time, the means and the mindset to spend: When vacationing, visitors spend their savings that have been earmarked for pampering themselves. Business travelers spend their expense accounts. In either case, visitors have a mindset to spend. According to the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission, in 2000, on average, convention delegates spent $814 per stay. Are you tapping into this “free-spending” mindset?

Dining, shopping, sightseeing and entertainment are the top activities of St. Louis visitors: Is your business prepared to compete for the visitor’s dollar in these competitive business categories?

33% of St. Louis visitors are here for leisure, 67% for business and onventions: Does your business have a strategy to reach these important market segments?

Sources: *Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, 2000 Chicago Travel Report demographicsnow.com **2001St. Louis Convention and Visitors ommission, 2000 D.K. Shifflet & Associates report.