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Maine Skier SurveyThe Summer Vacation Planning Study of Maine Skiers Given the recent challenges in the financial markets and the spillover effects in the country’s mainstream economy, tourist are expected to react to the growing uncertainty about employment and the loss of investments by changing their leisure travel behavior. The expected behaviors could range from completely curtailing leisure travel behavior and vacations, opting for day trips to relatively nearby destinations avoiding fuel and lodging expenditures, or reducing vacation expenditures by trading down in accommodations and avoiding expensive attractions. Some of these behavioral changes could favor travel to Maine, while others may not. It is important to understand how leisure travel behavior is likely to respond to the growing uncertainties in the economy and particularly how consumers will define “bargain” travel. Particularly, it will be important to understand how that is likely to affect travel to Maine. So, this research will explore tourist responses to the US financial crisis with respect to tourism behavior and plans for summer vacations. The purpose of this project was to help identify new tourist products in response to the current economic downturn. It also identified the reaction of Maine’s tourists in terms of vacation and leisure travel planning. By sampling skiers at Sunday River ski resort, the sample for the survey exclusively included travelers to Maine. The survey was conducted in 2 parts. Part one was an on-site survey conducted at Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry, Maine, on 3 weekends; the last 2 weekends in March and the first weekend in April. Part two was an on-line follow-up questionnaire that sought more in-depth information about summer travel in Maine.
These findings have been replicated in national research conducted by Deloitte’s US Tourism and Hospitality Division . The decline in gas prices is offered as a reason for the resiliency in tourism and the decline in plans for “staycations” compared to last year. "Overall, the survey found only 42 percent of Americans plan a leisure trip this summer, down from the 49 percent who said they planned to take a summer trip in an AP-Ipsos poll conducted in May 2005.
Petroni, Christina (May 12, 2009), “Americans Warm Up to Summer Travel in 2009”, PR News Wire, Hill & Knowlton. http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/05-12-2009/0005024457&EDATE=
Participants in the Ski Survey were asked if they would participate in the online version. Those giving email addresses were sent the online version and a chance to enter a random drawing for an L.L. Bean gift certificate. The winner of the drawing was:
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