M OfficE Of T 2015 ANNUAL REPORT - Massvacation.com · 2019. 12. 30. · LGBT Marketing Program 22...

REPORT DATA

Data in this report are the most current available at the time of publication. Data are based on all travel – domestic and international, leisure and business, unless otherwise specified. Data are reported on a calendar-year basis, unless otherwise specified. A visitor is defined as someone who travels at least 50 miles one way or stays overnight.

TRAVELSTATS

The Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT) publishes a free monthly research e-newsletter, TravelStats, which com-prises lodging, attractions, and airport data; lodging tax collections; Massachusetts Tourism Fund receipts; and site and circula-tion data for massvacation.com. Current and past issues are posted at www.massvacation.com/travel-trade/stats-facts/stats-reports.

2015 ANNUAL REPORTPUbLishEd MARch 2016

chARLiE bAkER kARyN POLiTO GOvERNOR LT. GOvERNOR

JAy Ash sEcRETARy

ExEcUTivE OfficE Of hOUsiNG ANd EcONOMic dEvELOPMENT

MAssAchUsET Ts OfficE Of TRAvEL & TOURisM

massachuset ts 2015 annual report

2 Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

CONTENTS

MASSACHUSETTS TRAVEL INDUSTRY BY THE NUMBERS

Top Numbers 3

Economic Impact 4

Room Occupancy Taxes 6

Spending by Industry Sector 7

Visitor Volume 10

Domestic Visitor Economic Impact By County 11

Domestic Visitor Origin 12

Domestic Visitor Behavior 13

MOTT DOMESTIC MARKETING PROGRAMS AND RESULTS

FY2015 Domestic Marketing Programs 14

Digital Advertising 17

LGBT Marketing Program 22

Print 23

Group Tour 24

massvacation.com 25

Consumer Database & Relationship Marketing 27

Governor’s Conference 27

Public Relations 27

MOTT INTERNATIONAL MARKETING PROGRAMS & RESULTS 29

MOTT REGIONAL GRANT PROGRAM 31

2015 Annual Report 3

top numbersmassachuset ts travel industry by the numbers

ECONOMIC IMPACT

•Direct spending by domestic and international visitors totaled $19.5 billion in 2014 (p. 4).

•Visitor expenditures supported 132,000 jobs in 2014 and $4.1 billion in wages and salaries (p. 4).

•Visitor expenditures generated $1.2 billion in Massachusetts state and local tax revenue in 2014 (p. 4).

•Each dollar spent by a visitor in 2014 generated 3.8 cents in state tax receipts and 2.4 cents in local taxes (p. 4).

•State hotel room occupancy tax collections totaled $230.2 million and local option room occupancy tax collections totaled $185.3 million in FY2015 (p. 6).

VISITOR ORIGIN

• In FY2015, Massachusetts hosted 22.6 million domestic visitors. In CY2014, there were 2.2 million international visitors; 1.5 million came from overseas and 735,000 from Canada (p. 10).

•Domestic visitors accounted for approximately 91% of all visitors; international visitors, 9% (p. 10).

DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL VISITORS

• In FY2015, 57.9% percent of all domestic person trips origi-nated in New England and 17.6% from the mid-Atlantic states (NY, NJ, and PA) (p. 12).

•Visiting friends and relatives is the most frequently reported primary trip purpose (50.0%) (p. 13).

•Travel by personal car is the dominant mode of transporta-tion (70.2%) (p. 13).

• 43.9% of the domestic visitors who spent at least one night in Massachusetts reported staying in a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast (p. 13).

•Seasonality of domestic visitors. 16% of domestic visitors come in the first quarter of the calendar year Q1, 26% during Q2, 35% during Q3 and 23% during Q4.

•Canada, the United Kingdom, and China are the top three countries of origin and accounted for 50% of all internation-al visitors to MA in CY2014 (p. 26).


Direct expenditures by domestic and international visitors to Massachusetts totaled $19.5 billion in 2014, a 5.5% increase from 2013 and a 25.6% increase over 2010.

Massachusetts’ 2014 direct expenditures represented a 2.1% share of all 2014 U.S. direct expenditures ($927.9 billion).

Domestic visitors spent $16.8 billion in 2014, 86.4% of all spending; international visitors, $2.7 billion, 13.6%. An analysis of spending by industry sectors shows major differences between domestic and international visitors’ spending behavior.

In 2014, domestic spending increased 5.1%; international increased 8.0%.

Visitor spending supported 132,000 full-time, part-time, and seasonal jobs, an increase of 2.0% from 2013, and payroll of $4.1 billion, a 4.9% increase.

The state received $749.6 million in revenues through the state sales tax, excise taxes, and taxes on travel-related personal and corporate income, a 5.8% increase from 2013. Local community revenue totaled $471.4 million in sales and property tax revenue, a 5.3% increase.

Direct Economic Impact of Travel on Massachusetts, 2010 – 2014

CalendarYear

Expenditures($ Millions)

Payroll($ Millions) Employment

State Tax Receipts

($ Millions)

Local Tax Receipts

($ Millions)

2014 19,500.7 4,118.8 132,000 749.6 471.4

2013 18,481.8 3,928.1 129,400 708.6 447.6

2012 17,739.6 3,742.0 126,500 676.4 428.3

2011 16,913.8 3,629.0 124,700 652.2 406.1

2010 15,529.9 3,475.7 121,700 622.7 383.6

Source: USTA, The Economic Impact of Travel on MA Counties, 2014

Domestic and International Direct Expenditures by Industry Sector, 2014

2014 ExPENdiTUREsdOMEsTic

($ MiLLiONs)iNTERNATiONAL

($ MiLLiONs)TOTAL

($ MiLLiONs) % Of TOTAL

Public Transportation 5,544.7 312.2 5,856.9 30.0%

Auto Transportation 2,401.7 37.2 2,438.9 12.5%

Lodging 3,601.7 967.7 4,569.3 23.4%

Foodservice 3,288.9 495.4 3,784.3 19.4%

Entertainment & Recreation 964.1 205.1 1,169.2 6.0%

General Retail Trade 1,045.3 636.7 1,682.0 8.6%

2014 Totals $16,846.4 $2,654.3 $19,500.7 100.0%

Percentages 86.4% 13.6% 100.0%

2013 Totals $16,024.1 $2,457.7 18,481.8

Percentages 86.7% 13.3% 100.0%


economic impactmassachuset ts travel industry by the numbers


THE MULTIPLIER IMPACT

Visitors’ direct expenditures have a multiplier impact on the Massachusetts economy through indirect and induced spending. Indirect spending results from Massachusetts’ travel-related businesses purchasing goods and services within Massachusetts. Induced spending results from

employees of travel-related businesses spending part of their income in MA. This multiplier impact is measured for expendi-tures, earnings, and employment. In 2014, the total impact of all travel spending was $30.8 billion, an 5.3% increase from 2013.

Multiplier Impact of Direct Spending, 2014

Impact Measure Direct Impact Indirect & Induced Impact Total Impact % change over 2013

Economic Impact (millions) $19,500.7 $11,341.7 $30,842.4 5.3%

Earnings (millions) $4,118.8 $3,743.7 $7,862.5 5.0%

Employment (thousands) 132.0 80.0 $212.2 1.8%

Indirect impact — travel industry operators purchasing goods and services in MA

Induced impact — employees of businesses and suppliers spending part of their earnings in MA


economic impactmassachuset ts travel industry by the numbers


In FY2015, state room occupancy tax collections (including convention centers) totaled $230.2 million, a 9.8% increase from FY2014 and a 37.6% increase over FY2011. Local room occupancy tax collections totaled $185.3 million, an 9.6% increase over FY2014 and a 41.1% increase over FY2011.

In FY2012, Suffolk, Middlesex, and Barnstable counties were the top three room occupancy tax-producing counties, accounting for 66.8% of state and 74.7% of local option room occupancy tax collections. On 10/1/2009 the local option rooms tax rate was increased from a maximum of 4% to 6%.

Room occupancy tax collections are driven by the overall performance of the lodging sector. In CY2015 Massachusetts’ room revenue was up 9.3% compared to the U.S. rate, which increased 7.4%.

Room Occupancy Tax Collections by County, FY2012

County State Collections($000) Share % Local Option Collections

($000) Share %

Barnstable $13,120 10.8% $11,657 8.0%

Berkshire $4,085 3.4% $3,846 2.6%

Bristol $2,777 2.3% $2,384 1.6%

Dukes $1,889 1.6% $1,384 0.9%

Essex $6,880 5.7% $6,579 4.5%

Franklin $488 0.4% $429 0.3%

Hampden $3,708 3.0% $2,535 1.7%

Hampshire $1,511 1.2% $1,516 1.0%

Middlesex $24,363 20.0% $31,533 21.6%

Nantucket $1,968 1.6% $2,023 1.4%

Norfolk $8,414 6.9% $8,376 5.7%

Plymouth $2,645 2.2% $2,396 1.6%

Suffolk $43,780 36.0% $65,891 45.1%

Worcester $6,011 4.9% $5,562 3.8%

Total FY2012 121,639 100.0% 146,111 100.0%

Total FY2011 110,401 131,281Source: MA DOR

Room Occupancy Tax Collections, FY2011 – 2015

Fiscal YearState

$ Millions%

ChangeLocal Option

$ Millions%

Change

2015 230.2 9.8% 185.3 9.6%

2014 209.7 7.8% 169.0 8.5%

2013 194.6 5.9% 155.7 6.6%

2012 183.7 9.8% 146.1 11.3%

2011 167.3 9.9% 131.3 14.0%

Source: MA DOR (state totals include convention center collections)

room occupancy taxesmassachuset ts travel industry by the numbers

Percent Change from YTD 2014

Occupancy ADR RevPAR Room Rev

U.S. 1.7 4.4 6.3 7.4

MA 2.1 5.9 8.1 9.3

NJ 3.9 2.0 6.0 3.4

NY 0.3 -0.5 -0.1 2.1

PA 0.1 3.5 3.6 5.6

Source: Smith Travel Research


In 2014, the largest share of visitors’ direct expenditures was for public transportation, followed by lodging and food service. The lodging sector generated the largest payroll of any category; food service generated the most jobs.

Expenditures, Payroll, & Employment by Industry Sector, 2014

Industry Sector Expenditures($ Millions)

%Total

Payroll($ Millions)

%Total Employment %

Total

Public Transportation 5,856.9 30.0% 721.1 17.5% 15,100 11.4%

Auto Transportation 2,438.9 12.5% 136.2 3.3% 4,000 3.0%

Lodging 4,569.3 23.4% 1,030.9 25.0% 30,400 23.0%

Foodservice 3,784.3 19.4% 1,006.5 24.4% 50,300 38.1%

Entertainment & Rec 1,169.2 6.0% 564.3 13.7% 18,600 14.1%

Retail 1,682.0 8.6% 214.0 5.2% 7,800 5.9%

Travel Planning n/a n/a 445.8 10.8% 5,800 4.4%

TOTAL 19,500.6 100.0% 4,118.8 100.0% 132,000 100.0%

Note: Travel Planning does not generate expenditure data


PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Spending in 2014 for public transportation totaled $5.9 billion, a 5.3% increase from 2013 and a 28.0% increase over 2010.

Public transportation accounted for 30.0% of all expenditures, 17.5% of payroll, and 11.4% of employment.

The public transportation industry comprises air, inter-city bus, rail, boat and ship, and taxicab and limousine services.

Public Transportation Industry: Economic Impact, 2010 – 2014

Calendar Year Expenditures($ Millions)


2014 5,856.9 721.1 15,100

2013 5,563.7 689.5 15,100

2012 5,293.9 644.4 14,800

2011 5,032.4 621.4 14,500

2010 4,575.7 585.0 14,000


spending by industry sectormassachuset ts travel industry by the numbers


LODGING

Spending in 2014 for lodging totaled $4.6 billion, an 8.9% increase from 2013 and an 33.8% increase over 2010.

The lodging industry represented 23.4% of all expenditures. It generated the largest share of payroll, 25.0%, and the second largest share of employment, 23.0%.

The lodging industry comprises hotels and motels, inns, resorts, campgrounds, and ownership or rental of vacation and second homes.

FOOD SERVICE

Spending in 2014 for food service totaled $3.8 billion, a 5.2% increase over 2013 and an increase of 20.4% over 2010.

Food service accounted for 19.4% of total expenditures. It generated the second-highest share of payroll, 24.4%, and the largest share of employment, 38.1%.

The labor-intensiveness of the food service sector and the large share of visitor expenditures spent on food results in this sector’s major contribution to the travel industry’s economic impact and to employment.

Food service comprises restaurants, other eating and drinking establishments, and grocery stores.

AUTO TRANSPORTATION

Spending in 2014 for auto transportation totaled $2.5 billion, an increase of 5.8% over 2013 and an increase of 28.1% over 2010.

Auto transportation accounted for 12.5% of all expenditures, 3.3% of payroll, and 3.0% of employment.

Auto transportation comprises privately owned vehicles used for trips (i.e., automobiles, trucks, campers, and other recre-ational vehicles), gasoline service stations, and auto rentals.

Lodging Industry: Economic Impact, 2010 – 2014



2014 4,569.3 1,030.9 30,400

2013 4,194.1 980.2 29,900

2012 3,977.5 933.6 29,300

2011 3,695.6 912.0 28,700

2010 3,415.8 870.9 28,200


Food Service Industry: Economic Impact, 2010 – 2014



2014 3,784.3 1006.5 50,300

2013 3,597.7 950.3 49,100

2012 3,473.6 905.2 47,800

2011 3,345.0 876.2 47,400

2010 3,143.8 842.6 46,300


Auto Transportation Industry: Economic Impact, 2010 – 2014



2014 2,538.9 136.2 4,000

2013 2,400.2 136.3 4,000

2012 2,364.1 130.9 3,900

2011 2,275.3 129.1 3,900

2010 1,982.0 124.7 3,800




ENTERTAINMENT & RECREATION

Spending in 2014 for entertainment & recreation totaled $1.2 billion and increase of 4.5% over 2013 and an increase of 17.3% over 2010.

Entertainment & recreation accounted for 6.0% of all expenditures, 13.7% of payroll, and 14.1% of employment.

Entertainment & recreation comprises user fees, sporting events, admissions at amusement parks, and attendance at movies and other cultural events.

RETAIL

Spending in 2014 for general retail totaled $1.7 billion, an increase of 4.7% over 2013 and an increase of 18.8% over 2010.

General retail accounted for 8.6% of all expenditures, 5.2% of payroll, and 5.9% of employment.

General retail comprises gifts, clothes, souvenirs, and other incidental retail purchases.

TRAVEL PLANNING

In 2014, travel planning accounted for 10.8% of payroll and 4.4% of employment. This sector does not generate direct expenditures in Massachusetts because the expenditures take place in visitors’ points of origin.

Travel planning comprises travel agents, tour operators, and others involved in planning trips.

Travel Planning Industry: Economic Impact, 2010 – 2014

Calendar Year Payroll($ Millions) Employment

2014 445.8 5,800

2013 425.4 5,600

2012 407.0 5,500

2011 384.5 5,500

2010 366.3 5,300


Retail Industry: Economic Impact, 2010 – 2014



2014 1,682.00 214.0 7,800

2013 1,607.10 207.1 7,700

2012 1,546.20 201.3 7,600

2011 1,510.80 202.8 7,600

2010 1,415.4 195.0 7,400


Entertainment & Recreation Industry: Economic Impact, 2010 – 2014



2014 1,169.2 564.3 18,600

2013 1,118.9 539.3 18,000

2012 1,084.4 519.6 17,500

2011 1,054.7 503.0 17,100

2010 997.0 491.2 16,900




Massachusetts hosted 22.7 million domestic person trips in FY2015. See the chart of domestic visitor origins on p. 12.

In CY2014, Massachusetts hosted 2.2 million international visitors. 66% of the visitors were from overseas, 34% from Canada.

Massachusetts’ share of all Canadian travel to the U.S. in CY2013 was 3.2%, up from 3.0% in 2012. Massachusetts’ share of overseas travel to the U.S. increased from 4.3% to 4.4% in CY2014.

For visitation numbers from top international markets, see p. 29.

visitor volumemassachuset ts travel industry by the numbers


In 2014, domestic visitors spent $16.8 billion in direct expen-ditures, a 5.1% increase from 2013 and an increase of 25.0% over 2010.

Greater Boston - Suffolk, Middlesex, and Norfolk counties - generated 70.2% of all travel expenditures, 62.3% of state tax receipts, and 58.5% of local tax receipts.

Domestic Economic Impact on Massachusetts Counties, 2010-2014

CountyExpenditures

($ Millions)

Payroll

($ Millions)

Employment

(Thousands)

State Tax Receipts

($ Millions)

Local Tax Receipts

($ Millions)

Barnstable $956.6 $240.0 8.79 $40.3 $57.5

Berkshire 386.9 93.8 3.5 18.8 11.1

Bristol 465.1 92.0 3.1 23.9 9.1

Dukes 133.3 32.1 1.2 5.0 7.6

Essex 861.8 192.2 6.7 44.7 21.9

Franklin 61.0 10.7 0.4 3.3 2.0

Hampden 489.0 106.4 3.2 26.5 9.9

Hampshire 125.3 26.1 0.9 6.6 3.4

Middlesex 2,457.8 633.0 20.6 133.2 65.3

Nantucket 162.2 33.7 1.0 4.8 5.6

Norfolk 1,052.5 308.2 10.0 55.3 23.2

Plymouth 563.3 107.9 3.8 26.9 25.9

Suffolk 8,306.9 1,508.7 44.7 213.6 154.9

Worcester 824.7 155.4 5.5 42.9 18.7

Statewide 2014 16,846.42 3,540.24 113.27 645.85 416.10

Statewide 2013 16,024.05 3,383.64 111.14 612.71 396.33

Statewide 2012 15,405.84 3,225.69 108.75 585.89 379.72

Statewide 2011 14,619.81 3,113.70 106.81 562.21 358.63

Statewide 2010 13,474.99 2,992.62 104.73 538.88 339.88


domestic visitor economic impact by countymassachuset ts travel industry by the numbers


In FY2015, visitors from New England and the mid-Atlantic states (NY, NJ, and PA) accounted for 75.5% of all domestic person trips to the state.

The largest source of visitors was Massachusetts residents* themselves, 7.0 million person trips, 30.7% of all domestic trips; followed by New York state with 2.6 million person trips, 11.4% of trips; and Connecticut, 2.3 million person trips, 10.1% of trips.

Again, the definition of a visitor is one who travels 50 or more miles one way or who stays overnight in paid accomodations.

Domestic Visitor Origin: Top 10 States, FY2015

StatePerson Trips

to MassachusettsShare of all Person Trips

Massachusetts 6,954,000 30.7%

New York 2,595,500 11.4%

Connecticut 2,286,500 10.1%

New Hampshire 1,739,500 7.7%

Rhode Island 1,024,500 4.5%

California 788,500 3.5%

Florida 684,000 3.0%

New Jersey 735,000 3.2%

Maine 779,000 3.4%

Vermont 346,500 1.5%

All Other States 4,076,000 18.0%

All New England States 13,129,500 57.9%

All Mid Atlantic States 3,998,500 17.6%

Source: TNS, Travels America, FY2015

domestic visitor originmassachuset ts travel industry by the numbers


DOMESTIC TRIP DURATION, COMPOSITION & SATISFACTION

Approximately 2/3 of all person trips in FY2015 included an overnight stay. Overnight visitors averaged 4.5 nights in Massachusetts. All visitors — overnights and those on day trips — averaged 3.3 nights. 20.0% of all travel parties included one or more children less than 18 years of age. 40% included only one adult, 46% had two adults and 14% had three or more adults.

DOMESTIC TRANSPORTATION MODE

The majority of visitors, 70.2%, drive their own vehicle to Massachusetts. Air travel ranks second at 17.4%.

DOMESTIC LODGING

41.6% of overnight visitors stay in a hotel/motel/inn or B&B, 48.7% in a private home.

DOMESTIC TRIP PURPOSE (PRIMARY)

Visiting friends or relatives is the dominant trip purpose and accounts for 50.0% of all domestic trips. Other pleasure/personal travel accounts for 16.1% of all trips.

DOMESTIC TRIP ACTIVITIES

Visiting relatives and friends combined is the most frequently reported trip activity by domestic visitors, 47.8%, followed by shopping, 19.7%. Fine dining, beaches, rural sightseeing, urban sightseeing, historical places/churches, and museums follow in rank order.

Domestic Visitor Primary Trip Purpose, FY2015

Visit Friends/Relatives 50.0%

Other Pleasure/Personal 16.1%

Entertainment/Sightseeing 12.3%

Personal Business 6.0%

Outdoor Recreation 4.2%

Other 6.5%

No Answer 5.0%


Domestic Visitor Top 10 Activities: FY2015

Visiting Relatives 29.3%

Visiting Friends 18.5%

Shopping 19.7%

Fine Dining 17.1%

Beaches 16.1%

Rural Sightseeing 11.7%

Urban Sightseeing 12.6%

Historical Places/Churches 12.4%

Museums 10.2%

State/National Parks 7.5%

Art Galleries 4.5%


Domestic Visitor Transportation Mode, FY2015

Own Auto/Truck/Motorcycle 70.2%

Airplane 17.4%

Rental Car 3.1%

Bus 2.3%

Train 2.7%

Ship/Boat 1.4%

Motorcoach 0.2%

Camper/RV 0.4%


domestic visitor behaviormassachuset ts travel industry by the numbers

Overnight Domestic Visitor Lodging, FY2015

Hotel/Motel/Inn 41.6%

Private Home 48.7%

Condo/Timeshare 2.7%

RV/Tent 1.5%

Bed & Breakfast 2.3%

Other 3.3%


mot t domestic marketing programs and results

14 Office of Travel & Tourism

MOTT MISSION

MOTT is the state agency dedicated to promoting Massachu-setts as a leisure travel destination in order to stimulate the Massachusetts economy by generating state and local tax revenues, creating jobs, and supporting the growth of

travel-related businesses.

DOMESTIC MARKETING OVERVIEW

MOTT’s domestic marketing programs focus on generating overnight leisure travel by consumers in selected media markets within Boston, New England and New York. Research is used extensively to determine best customer prospects, markets, campaign timing, messages and collateral materials. It’s also used to evaluate results. Advertising spending is focused on the summer, fall & winter seasons. Public relations is used year-round to help keep MOTT’s messaging in the marketplace. MOTT’s marketing programs are fully integrated

with a mix of broad-based traditonal and social media.

FY2015 DOMESTIC MARKETING PROGRAMS

MOTT’s programs are research driven and targeted at best customer prospects and are rigorously evaluated both during and post program. All marketing programs target Massachu-setts’ best customer prospects: 35-64 years old with a house-hold income of $75,000+. Media is skewed toward women, who have a greater propensity to plan and make travel decisions.

•Radio

•OnlineAdvertisingCampaign

•www.massvacation.com

•PublicRelations

•TargetedConsumerOutreach

•SocialMedia:Facebook,Twitter,Pinterest,Instagram,Google+, YouTube

•NicheProgramming:

MA Green

LGBT

Multicultural

Weddings

Disability

Massachusetts Market Share From Target DMAs, FY2015

DMATotal Visitors from DMA

(000)

Visitors from DMA to MA

(000)

MA Market Share

New York City DMA 74,205 2,515 3.4%

Hartford/New Haven DMA 10,760 1,758 16.3%

Albany/Troy DMA 7,527 1,162 15.4%

Providence/New Bedfrd DMA 5,945 1,563 26.3%

Boston DMA 32,017 6,761 21.1%

Sprgfld/Hlyke DMA 2,927 796 27.2%

Source: TNS, Travels America FY2015



Domestic Marketing Budget

Marketing, collateral, and research FY15: $5.59m FY14: $5.98m

Public relations FY15: $305,000 FY14: $305,000

Total FY15: $5.80m FY14: $6.285m

Media

FY15 FY14

Net media $2.75m $ 2.943m

Allocation by market

New York DMA 23.21%

Massachusetts 34.45%

Connecticut N/A

All Markets/National 42.33%

Allocation by media

TV 5.09%

Radio 7.42%

Print 3.49%

Digital 65.81%

Out-of-Home 18.18%



FY15 AT A GLANCE

FY15 DOMESTIC MARKETING CAMPAIGN

Tagline: It’s All HerePrimary Markets: Massachusetts, New York DMADomestic Marketing Total Budget - $5,591,154

#PulseofBoston

In the fall of 2014, we concepted, designed and developed the #PulseofBoston microsite, which is a medium to show, by the hour, what a typical day in Boston looks like. Starting at 6am and running to midnight, the site showcases usergener-ated Instagram photos and videos of the city at specific times throughout the day. The goal of this site is to visually repre-sent the vibe and energy that someone will experience when they visit Boston, through the eyes of people in the city. The content dynamically changes so that users never see any static content and users can scroll to view a different hour by using a navigational element at the bottom of the page.

The program has been supported by a few print placements and paid social media, however, we wanted the site to grow more organically by increasing awareness of thehashtag within the Instagram community. We also developed a :30 promotional video that was pushed out through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the MassFinds blog.

Results of Campaign:Pageviews: 8724Avg. Time on Site: 6:42User Generated Photos: 5000

#NoSummerRegrets Spring/Summer Campaign

With the spring/summer campaign historically being one of MOTT’s strongest as consumers begin to start planning their summer vacations, Connelly Partners developed afully integrated new summer campaign to increase aware-ness of Massachusetts as a premiere summer vacation destination. The #NoSummerRegrets campaign taps into theemotional insight that each year, summer goes by too fast and we all regret not doing something we had wanted to do – taken more summer Fridays, ate one more lobster roll,etc. This campaign encourages people to visit Massachusetts to take their summer to the next level and make it more epic than their last, leaving no summer regrets behind.

The campaign was supported through high-impact out-of-home media units (Penn Station Domination, digital bill-boards and hand-painted Colossal unit), digital banners, paidsocial ads, print and radio live reads throughout New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and surrounding New England states.

Trip Advisor Integration

As an effort to make the business listings featured on Massvacation.com more robust, we partnered with Trip Advisor to implement a widget on individual business listings on the site (those which had matching Trip Advisor listings). This widget displays Trip Advisor’s ratings for each business and also allows for the user to be one-step closer to booking their trip after looking for information on Massvacation.com.The widget launched with a 46% automatic match rate which is currently live on the site. We will be working with Trip Advisor to manually input the necessary data tobring this match rate up to 80%, thus making Massvacation.com that much more credible for those looking to visit the state.



FY15 Canada Spring Campaign

Building upon FY14’s spring Canada campaign, we launched a spring campaign on 6/3/15. This campaign focused heavily on TV in Toronto, where we ran our two :30 “Colors” TV spots and also, digital media advertising in both Toronto and Montreal. The digital media ran on past top-performing sites such as Expedia, Travel Zoo and Trip Advisor.

We continued the “Colors” campaign in Canada for a third year, as we continue to see an increase in brand awareness and affinity for these spots, based on the consumer research we’ve done in both FY13 and FY14. This campaign includes visuals of iconic Massachusetts imagery such as Fenway Park, whale watching, lobsters, etc. The messaging positions Massachusetts as a colorful summer travel destination for Canadians.

Massvacation.com Trade Portal Microsite

One of the major objectives of 2014 was to curate more video-based content across all channels. No digital project personified this initiative better than the re-build of the Trade Portal. The goal of the rebuild was to create a resource for Travel/Trade operators that showcased the contemporization of the brand and state, while also educating this audience on how they should be selling Massachusetts as a premiere vacation destination for domestic and international travelers.

Connelly Partners designed and developed a highly creative yet intuitive site experience that utilizes full-screen video, which was captured as part of our 2014 summer b-roll shoot.The site acts as a quick resource for these operators to find information regarding Trip Planning, Getting Around, Stats and Facts, and has a Digital Asset section with curated content for use in their own materials.

The sample itineraries provided on the site have accounted for 8 of the top 10 pages within the microsite, with the Stats and Facts page also being very popular. Of note, the Cape Cod half-day itinerary has averaged 4:35 on page per session.

Massvacation.com Press Room Redesign

In the spring of 2015, we utilized the same framework and full screen video treatment from the Trade Portal to develop a new digital press room on Massvacation.com. In 2014, the press section of Massvacation.com received nearly 13,000 page views. Given the substantial amount of traffic to this section of the site, we redesigned this section to be more engaging and further contemporize the brand in the eyes of the press. The content within the Press Room is similar to that of the Trade Portal, though the four key content areas and navigation include an Asset Library, Itineraries, “What’s New” and a section that houses all press releases. This launched 6/30/15.



#No Summer Regrets Creative



FY15 Pay-Per-Click Campaign

IFY15 brought big changes to MOTT’s Pay-Per-Click cam-paign as Connelly Partners implemented a new structure for the account that has proven, as with other clients, to in-crease overall performance metrics. Our keyword strategy changed as we incorporated terms that better reflect the Massvacation.com, so that searches made on Google will lead users to a page relevant to their search interest. These keywords were developed around “Brand”, “Eat”, “Stay” and “Explore” and all sub-categories were accounted for.

Results of FY15 PPC Campaign35,028,026 Impressions Delivered122,616 Clicks to Massvacation.com.35% Click-thru-rate545 Sign-ups

FY15 MASportsOffice.com Improvements

In early 2015, MOTT launched a redesigned version of the MA Sports Office website. Since the new site launched, Connelly Partners has been participating in ongoing updates to the new site to help improve the user experi-ence. This included revisions to the site architecture (specifically the “News” & “Events” pages/subpages) as well as the development of content/functionalities on the homepage (e.g. “Events” calendar). By doing so, MASO has seen more site engagement & traffic YoY. For example, the “News” pages were restructured to house evergreen articles/content (“The Hub”) as well as “Latest News & Announcements”. This has allowed for better placement of targeted keywords, such as “history of ice skating”, which has helped drive overall increased site traffic of 170.64% in April YoY through organic search.

FY15 LGBTMassVacation.com SEO

MOTT continued to perform Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for the LGBTMassVacation.com site in 2015, an engagement that began in January 2013. This year, we optimized over 50 pages of the LGBTMassVacation.com website, including multiple blog posts being pushed out to MOTT’s social channels. The site received 34,358 visits in 2015 compared to 23,253 in 2014 (+47.76%).



FY15 MassFinds Blog

With a total of 356,468 page views during FY15, the blog saw a drop in visits due to the lack of targeted advertising driving traffic to it. The blog remains a uniquely valuable part of MOTT’s digital marketing effort, providing consumers with more context and storytelling than a Facebook post, tweet or email will allow.

Social Media Growth

In FY15, MOTT’s social presence continued to grow:Facebook: 220,416 likesTwitter: 77,121 followersPinterest: 3,667 followersInstagram: 10,600 followersGoogle+: 1,306 followers

In FY15, we continued to manage and execute MOTT’s social media presence, which has continued to grow rapidly. One of our goals for FY15 was to grow MOTT’s social reach while protecting engagement across channels. Although gaining more likes/followers is still important, we’ve also been making sure that we have a qualified audience who engages with the brand.

In FY15, we’ve seen social community growth, along with an enormous increase in engagement, which is a testament to the fact that people are interested in what we’re putting out there. This increase is especially notable on Facebook, where our focus is far more on generating engagement than it is increasing Page Likes.

In FY15, Connelly Partners moved forward with a social media strategy that has shown itself to be extremely effective for several years. That strategy is rooted in utilizing captivating photography and engagement tactics, while also providing useful and practical information. As mentioned above, this strategy has been become vastly more effective with the consistent inclusion of user-generated content, primarily from Instagram. We have also imbued the MOTT social platforms and MassFinds with a younger, more conversational voice to aintain a consistent tone across all channels. This has helped to

generate better engagement and present our content in a more compelling way.MOTT’s weekly content mix is as follows:•Useful&Resourceful:drivingtoMassvacation.comfortravelinformation, planningtools and the like•Events&Activities:frequentlyfeaturingsignificanteventsthattake place in Massachusetts•Entertaining&Fun:visuallycaptivatingphotos,sunsets,landscapes and the like•Engagement-driven:questions,conversationstartersandprompting MA advocatesto make their voices heard in the social space

Overall, everything that we do on MOTT Social is aimed at inspiring travel to Massachusetts and influencing both potential visitors and residents. Each post, tweet, photo or video is designed to accomplish a specific objective, whether that is creating curiosity to explore, generating a response or raising awareness about what Massachusetts has to offer.

FY15 LGBT Marketing Program

In FY15, the LGBT Massachusetts social communities continued to grow, increasing the reach of the LGBT-geared social content that we share on social:

Facebook: 29, 945 LikesTwitter: 2,719 followers



FY15 Mass Insider E-mail Program

In 2015, we continued to improve upon the Mass Insider consumer email program by leveraging the insights gained from our monthly reporting dash-board. Ouranalytics-driven approach has allowed us to continue to implement improvements (e.g.testing delivery times and subject lines) throughout the year. Some of the trends noted in 2014 included continued high click-thru and open rates seenfor the “Welcome Email” (49.7% open rate) and season-al campaign emails for the General Email category (e.g. Vacation You, #MAInstafoliage), as these emails consis-tently surpass the average industry open (17.52%) and click-thru (2.07%) rates. The LGBT, Arts & Culture, and Dining & Nightlife interest email subscribers also have continued to be the most engaged in 2014, with over 77% of subscribers having engaged with MOTT’s emailsin the last 6 months. Through continued testing, we’ve been able to identify the days of the week with the greatest potential for engagement (Tuesdays, Fridays, & Sundays), and are looking to better understand the role time of day plays in open and click-thru rates for our subscribers.

As part of the redesign being conducted in 2015, we plan on developing a new “Welcome Email” strategy, as this high open rate is an opportunity for us to further cross-sell the services in MOTT’s portfolio. We also plan to strengthen the subscriber profile informationcaptured during the sign-up process and utilize Exact-Target capabilities (e.g. “Add to Calendar”) to help better serve engaging and custom content to subscrib-ers. In light of recent trends, such as mobile traffic to the site surpassing that of desktop views, we’realso in the process of redesigning our current tem-plates to enhance user experience through mobile.



BLOG

MAFinds Blog Redesign

This project presented an opportunity for us to give the blog a modern look and feel that worked cohesively with Massvaca-tion.com. We also added some key unctionality enhancements to allow for a better user experience, including the reorganiza-tion of blog content so that users can filter by 8 different categories – Regions, Seasons, Arts, Family Fun, Food & Drink, History, Outdoors and Sports. We wanted to develop a more user-friendly vehicle to navigate the blog archives and make it easier for users to discover additional relevant content based on which blog post they’re reading. We also implemented func-tionality that allowed for the easier sharing of images, video, and other content. Since it’s launch, the blog has been the most popular page on Massvacation.com and has seen outstanding on-page metrics with an average of 3 minutes and 8 seconds spent on the page per visit.



GROUP TOUR

MOTT markets Massachusetts year round as a group travel destination, working proactively with tour operators and travel agents.

Group Tradshows:

MOTT attended key group tour trade shows in Canada & the U.S. to promote Massachusetts.

Group Travel PromotionsMassachusetts participated in the National Tour Association Tour Operator Profile Book, American Bus Association Conference, National Tour Association Conference and ONtario Motorcoach Association Conference.

GOALS

Consistently educate domestic tour operators and travel agents on the newest Massachusetts product and position Massachusetts as a top group tour destination.



FY15 ANALYSIS & MASSVACATION.COM UPDATE

Measurement and Analytics

In FY15, MOTT continued to use and improve upon their monthly analytics dashboard. This dashboard has led MOTT to identify key performance indicators and testing opportuni-ties that have allowed us to continue to optimize and grow MassVacation.com, in addition to the Mass Insider E-mail program. This monthly dashboard delivers a more compelling presentation of all online marketing initiatives and perfor-mances with a very strong emphasis on actionable metrics. This leads us to easily identify trends, how marketing initia-tives impact one another and ultimately provide more intelligent recommendations/optimizations to move forward with.

The dashboard has also helped MOTT to create a more robust e-mail segmentation that will evolve MOTT’s 1:1 communica-tion efforts beyond a ‘one size fits all’ approach to a more targeted set of communications.



Winter MassFinds Blog Creative

Spring MassFinds Blog Sample

CY2015 Traffic Recap (All Traffic)

CY2015 CY2014

% Change

Users massvacation.com 2,075,504 2,047,563 +1.36%

Sessions massvacation.com 2,614,731 2,656,297 -1.56%

Pages/Session massvacation.com 2.54 2.67 -4.83%

Avg. Session Duration massvacation.com 00:01:47 00:02:08 -16.23%



CONSUMER DATABASE AND RELATIONSHIP MARKETING

In 2015, MOTT’s email marketing / CRM efforts focused on developing a deeper level of engagement from the consumer database. MOTT customized email content and messaging by analyzing data and user behavior across its multiple market-ing channels. For example, MOTT leveraged the website (i.e. highly trafficked ‘business listings’), media campaigns (i.e. display advertising results) and social media (i.e. social ‘interactions’) as well as conducted A/B testing and post email delivery results to optimize all email campaigns throughout the year. MOTT also continued to leverage the ‘Interests’ list/segmentation as well as geo-targeting based on subscribers’ zip codes (ex. weather triggered emails to MA residents only).

GOVERNOR’S CONFERENCE

There was no Governor’s Conference held in 2015.

FY15 Domestic Media Relations Campaign Results

Total Impressions: 985,878,555*213 million more than FY1427.5% increase in coverage

Total Shares: 137,375

*Impressions for FY15 through May 1, 2015

FY15 Notable Domestic Coverage

Vogue, “Three Stories Seaside Hotels Get a Modern Twist” (July 2014)•Departures,“ANewEnglandInnTurnsontheCharm”(July2014)•FoodRepublic,“6PlacestoStopDuringaBeerandSeafoodCrawl Along Massachusetts’s North Shore” (July 2014)•SmarterTravel,“LobsterTales:SeafoodShacksofBoston’sNorth Shore” (July 2014)•WhereMagazine,“BostonHarborIslands”(August2014)•NewYorkPost,“TravelBackinTimeinStoriesLexingtonandConcord” (August 2014)•WeBlogtheWorld,“BrasserieStyleMerchant;BostonWowswith Presentation” (September 2014)•TravelandLeisure,“NewNortheastBandBs”(September2014)•USAToday,“TheHolidaysareHappierWhenYou’reCelebrat-ing…” (September 2014)•BudgetTravel,“10Car-FreeFallFoliageTripsoftheNorth-east” (October 2014)•DestinationWeddingsandHoneymoons,“WheretoHoney-moon in 2015” (October 2014)•NewYorkTimes,“OutoftheShadowofBostonandCam-bridge” (October 2014)•YahooTravel,“ThanksgivingSmackdown:Plymouthvs.Washington D.C.” (November 2014)•CNN,“8WaystoLoveaNewEnglandWinter”(November2014)•GoNomad,“UndergroundBoston:TheHub’sBest-KeptSecrets” (November 2014)•ChicagoTribune,“2015Travel:Frommajoranniversariestosporting events” (December 2014)•Parents,“16PlacestoTaketheKidsOvertheHolidays”(De-cember 2014)•Saveur,“BostonUncommon”(December2014)Huffington Post, “Top 10 Places to Pop the Question in the Northeast U.S.” (January 2015)•TheDailyMeal,“TeenTravel”(January2015)•Newsday,“WinterBreakVacationIdeasforFamilies”(January2015)



•WakeUpwithAl,“HappiestSeasideTowns”(February2015)•BBC.com,“TheBostonImmortalizedinGoodWillHunting”(February 2015)•CoastalLiving,“Top10America’sHappiestSeasideTowns”(February 2015)•GypsyNester,“Eat,Bike&BeMerry”(March2015)•BostonGlobe,“NewEngland’sMudSeasonOozesintoSpas”(March 2015)•RedbookMagazine,“SpringTravelGuideinMA”(April2015)•MatadorNetwork,“8Children’sMuseumstoPlanYourVaca-tion Around” (April 2015)

FY15 DOMESTIC FAMS

July 16-22: Leticia Rodriguez, BellaVidabyLetty.com (Plym-outh, Boston, Salem)•July26-27:JamieKimmel,GoNomad.com(NewBedford)•July25-27:UrbanMoms.ca,SonyaDavidson(Boston)•August7-11:PedroandAbbyRamirez,ElBoqueronViajero.com (Boston, Concord)•August9-16:ReneeBlodgett,WeBlogtheWorld.com(Boston,Salem, Cape Cod)•September11-13:ConnieHum,ShermansTravelandConnvoyage.com (New Bedford)•October10-13:SuzanneRusso,offMetro(Plymouth,Ware-ham)•October14-18:MortonHochstein,VirtualGourmet.com,LuxuryWeb.com (Boston, Newburyport)•October27:HillaryRichard,BBCTravel(Boston)•December29:JulieHatfield,Examiner.com(Boston)•January23-25:EdCondran,BucksCountyCourierTimes,TheIntelligencer (Boston, Somerville)•March15-18:DavidandVeronicaJames,GypsyNester.com(Boston)•March26-29:JackieLaulainen,Yahoo!Travel(Boston)•March25-29:RonBernthal,NPRaffiliate,BusinessTraveler(Boston, Cape Ann)•April23-27:HeatherMikesell,AmericanSpa(CapeCod)•April28-May1:MalerieYolenCohen,GetawayMavens.com,The Huffington Post (Boston, Wellesley, Worcester, Fitchburg)•May26-29:MikeRichard,Vagabondish.com(CapeCod)

MASSVACATION.COM PRESS ROOM

In CY2015 MOTT further updated its press room with new images, information, press materials, and story ideas. In

addition, HD footage is available free of charge to promote the state via broadcast. The press room also posts leads for the entire industry to take advantage of, and get the opportu-nity to, showcase their properties, attractions or events for interested journalists. Our image library is now located on Flickr.

FY15 EVENTS/MEDIA TOURS

NYC MOTT Media ReceptionOn May 11, MOTT hosted a media reception and a series of deskside meetings in New York to let relevant journalists know what is new in Massachusetts and encourage coverage and future visits. MOTT also hosted a series of seasonal #Instafams.

Media Attendance & Desksides:

•JanAaron,freelance(LuxuryTravelMagazine)•KatarinaAlaupovic,freelance(Refinery29,RUBYMagazine)25•ChristineAmarose,C’estChristine•MaddyBuxton,SELF•AmandaFirst,Brides•KatieGoldstein,freelance(HuffingtonPost,ForbesTravelGuide)•ConnieHum,Connvoyage•KatieJames,Travel+Leisure•LauraKidder,freelance•CandiceKilpatrick,MomMostTraveled•NoahLederman,freelance(BBCTravel,Islands,TheEcono-mist, surfing and beeroutlets)•JaneLevere,freelance(Forbes,NewYorkTimes,LosAngelesTimes)•SandyMacDonald,freelance(Fodor’s,RandMcNally)•DeniseMattia,Tripwich•HeatherMikesell,AmericanSpa•AnnaOlson,Brides•HillaryRichard,freelance(BBCTravel,SELF,BostonGlobe)•SimoneScully,Weather.com•KayShowker,freelance(TheSmartTravelerGuide,travelbook author)•AlisonTibaldi,offMetro


mot t international marketing programs and results

TRAVEL TRADE PROMOTION

MOTT’s travel trade promotion consists of proactive outreach to tour operators whose brochures feature New England and Massachusetts product. MOTT works to secure current product, to expand product offering, to support cooperative opportuni-ties (consumer promotion, direct mail, point of purchase, etc.), and to assist in itinerary development. As needed, MOTT will provide tour operators with videos, promotional items, and literature to support promotion.

MOTT works in partnership with major airlines in each primary and secondary market to develop cooperative promotions. In FY15 MOTT took on a larger role in Massport route development collaborating to promote training and collatoral for new markets.

MEDIA RELATIONS

Media relations conducted in MOTT’s primary and secondary markets generate valuable earned media coverage for the state. MOTT’s international, in-market agencies provide story ideas, issue press releases, develop/distribute e-newsletters. They work closely with MOTT to assure allignment with MOTT’s goals and branding.

INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION

Familiarization Tours; Event Information; Thematic ItinerariesNew Product; Imagery; Events/Shows: Governor’s Conference,

Pow Wow, Discover New England Summit

International Visits to MA & Share

CY2014Visitor Volume

(000s)

Share of

Country Market

Canada* 735 3.0%

ALL OVERSEAS 1,514 4.4%

EUROPE 728 5.3%

United Kingdom 183 4.6%

Germany 93 4.7%

PROC (china) 177 8.1%

France 81 5.0%

Japan 75 2.1%

India 65 6.8%

Australia 63 4.9%

Italy 65 7.0%

Brazil 41 1.8%

South Korea 64 4.4%

iRELANd 53 13.5%

Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, OTTI *2013

EcONOMic iMPAcT iN MA by ORiGiN cOUNTRy

mot t international marketing programs and results


Canada

Marketing Firm: VOX International Inc

Visitation 735,000

Spending $390 Million

State and Local Taxes $24 Million

Germany

Marketing Firm: Buss Consulting

Visitation 93,000



Japan

Marketing Firm: Global Consulting

Visitation 75,000



France

Marketing Firm: Express Conseil

Visitation 81,000



Italy

Marketing Firm: Thema Nuovi Mondi

Visitation 65,000



China

Marketing Firm: Thema Nuovi Mondi

Visitation 177,000



United Kingdom

Martketing Firm: Travel & Tourism

Marketing

Visitation 183,000



India

Visitation 65,000



Brazil

Visitation 41,000



Australia

Visitation 63,000





REGIONAL TOURISM GRANT PROGRAM

Massachusetts’ 16 Regional Tourist Councils (RTCs) are independent, membership-based, not-for-profit organiza-tions that market their regions as travel destinations. Each RTC focuses on the travel market segments that generate the greatest economic return for its region: domestic visitors, international visitors, leisure visitors, group travel, meetings, conventions, and sports events. RTCs are funded by member-ship fees, other private-sector revenues sources, and funds from the Regional Grant Program.

The Regional Grant Program was established by statute (Chapter 23A, Section 14) and is managed by MOTT. It provides state funds to each RTC to support its destination marketing programs. The grant program requires that RTCs match their grants with a minimum one-to-one match of nongovernmental funds. Grants are awarded based on a performance-based formula which evaluates the economic impact of RTCs’ efforts (50%), their marketing plans (30%), and their abilities to raise matching funds (20%).

REGIONAL GRANT PROGRAM

RTC FY2015 Final Summary

Regional Tourist Council Allocation

Berkshire VB $307,839.01

SE Mass CVB $148,705.76

Cape Cod Chamber $495,874.67

Franklin County $119,343.06

Greater Boston CVB $1,921,645.76

Merrimack Valley CVB $323,406.54

Greater Springfield $204,834.03

Martha's Vineyard $228,601.37

Nantucket Chamber $222,872.09

North of Boston CVB $313,410.70

Plymouth County CVB $243,872.74

Central Mass CVB $156,866.01

MetroWest $261,266.24

JOhNNyAPPLsEEd $156,071.65

hAMPshiRE $178,858.38

MOhAwk TRAiL AssOc $129,480.00

TOTAL $5,412,948.00

Photo Credits:

Tim Grafft, MOTT

Greater Boston CVB

Berkshire Visitors Bureau

Greater Merrimack Valley CVB

Mohawk Trail Association

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REGiONAL GRANT PROGRAM

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