FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE…
Contact: Charlene Perkins Cutler
Executive Director & CEO
860-774-3300
Charlene@tlgv.org
Tourism Worth $278 Million to The Last Green Valley
During the past tourism season, The Last Green Valley, Inc. (TLGV) worked with Witan Intelligence Strategies to update its tourism impact survey for the National Heritage Corridor. Since The Last Green Valley has its own unique geography (26 towns in Connecticut and 9 in Massachusetts) a customized intercept survey is required. Visitor interviews were conducted at 22 sites on different occasions during the summer and fall of 2013. The results were analyzed and compared with statistics gathered for the State of Connecticut.
The Last Green Valley visitors are 66% day trippers, compared to Connecticut’s 35%. In the past that figure was 74%, indicating a substantial increase in overnight stays to the region. The average spending per party per trip is $349, an increase of 25% from the 2010 baseline survey. Visitors make 5.5 trips per year to the region.
The economic value of each visiting party to The Last Green Valley annually is $2,477, an increase of 21% over the 2010 baseline. The total economic impact of tourism to the National Heritage Corridor is $278 million for 2013, based on documented attendance figures of 1.9 million people.
Ninety-five percent of visitors to The Last Green Valley stated that they have been here before and 91% are likely to return. Those numbers are steady from 2010. Seventy-eight percent reported a high degree of satisfaction with their visit to The Last Green Valley compared to a 75% rating for the State of Connecticut.
“The results of the 2013 survey clearly support what we have been saying all along – The Last Green Valley has a loyal customer base and the tourism industry is steadily growing in the National Heritage Corridor,” stated Charlene Perkins Cutler, TLGV Executive Director & CEO. “The really interesting fact emerging from the analysis this year is that 18-34 year olds have the greatest economic impact on the region, spending $426 per visit and making 8.7 visits per year.”
Cutler also stressed the importance of attractions and businesses participating in the 2014 Guide to The Last Green Valley, TLGV’s signature printed piece. The publication provides visitors with a colorful, well-organized and beautifully written and designed guide to the National Heritage Corridor. It is distributed in more than 65 regional locations, state visitor centers, and mailed to thousands who see TLGV’s ads and request information each year.
“By supporting the Guide, businesses can really multiply their marketing dollars and be represented as part of a region that people repeatedly visit and where they spend money,” said Cutler. Listings in the 2014 Guide to The Last Green Valley start at $50 for nonprofits and $100 for businesses but time is running out to be included. The deadline is February 21. Call Valerie Imre, TLGV Program Coordinator, immediately at 860-774-3300 to be included.
The Last Green Valley is a National Heritage Corridor – the last stretch of dark night sky in the coastal sprawl between Boston and Washington, D.C. A dynamic nonprofit organization, TLGV is a steward of that special place, working to celebrate our heritage, conserve our natural resources and respect our working lands.
It’s Where You Live!