BUILDING TRAVELER SENTIMENT INTO OUR STORYTELLING
A summary of target audience research
In spring of 2023 , we once again enlisted the support of travel industry research partner Destination Analysts to assess Baltimore as a leisure destination . Survey questions of adults 18 + focused on overall perceptions of Baltimore , appeal of our advertising , the competitive landscape and the attributes travelers are seeking from east coast cities .
While safety perceptions continue to be a challenge , primarily due to negative news reporting , there was marked improvement in familiarity with our attractions (+ 5 %), likelihood to visit in the next 3 years (+ 5 %) and advertising recall (+ 8 %) across the I-95 corridor markets in which we advertise . The attributes that we highlighted with our storytelling efforts in FY23 showed significant increases in unaided responses . Sentiments about our dining scene , which was a focus of several paid and earned efforts , increased by 10 % since 2022 .
We continue to dig into the research and apply the learnings to our plans for FY24 , ensuring that we review and optimize not only our messaging and paid tactics , but also the geographic audiences that we target .
WHAT MAKES BALTIMORE UNIQUE ( UNAIDED )
WATERFRONT & HARBOR
20 %
|
CUISINE
HISTORY
|
11.9 % |
16.1 % |
+ 10 PP compared to 2022 |
DIVERSITY & CULTURE DIRTY / CRIME / NEGATIVE RESPONSE
IT ’ S GREAT / GOOD / NICE VARIETY OF THINGS TO DO
PEOPLE / LOCALS SPORTS
AQUARIUMS & ZOOS ATMOSPHERE
8 % 6.9 % 6.2 % 5 % 4.6 % 4.1 % 4.1 %
1.9 %
“ I was surprised by how walkable it was , how safe we felt and how much great food there was in addition to unique experiences .”
10 20 30
8 VISIT BALTIMORE