Consumer segmentation
 
There is no substitute for time spent identifying and understanding target markets before thinking about what you are going to offer and what you’re going to highlight as the special features of your destination.

Consumer segmentation research will inform future marketing, provide a better understanding of the visitor market, help develop future strategies, and ensure an excellent return on marketing investment.

• Determine what visitors’ trip habits are: how often they are coming, for how long, what they’re doing in the area, where they’re  going within the destination, and where else they’re going afterwards
• Determine the perception of the area as a visitor destination
• Determine the reasons for visiting.
• Determine what would make day trippers become staying visitors.

Why are they not coming?  What puts them off? What might make them change their mind?

• Determine what deters people from visiting your destination
• Provide rated emotional intelligence of visitors’ perceptions, e.g. ‘It is easy to get to’, ‘It has great food’, ‘It is good value for money’, It offers unique experiences’
• Provide comparative intelligence against other counties, e.g. ‘How appealing is this area against other UK destinations?’
• Provide evidence of what might make people visit your destination if it were better promoted.

This essential research will provide you with the best fighting chance to compete against other destinations for the lucrative short-break domestic market.