LAKE PLACID, ADIRONDACKS USA - Visitors to Lake Placid and Essex County in 2009 were younger and more affluent than in 2008, according to the latest leisure travel information study.

For the seventh year in a row, the Technical Assistance Center (TAC), based at SUNY Plattsburgh, was contracted by the Lake Placid CVB/Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (LPCVB) to conduct an independent, third party Leisure Travel Information Study.  

The results affirm many of the findings from previous years. Although there are seven years of data, the 2009 report compares to a five year rolling average to smooth out anomalies.

According to the report, the average household income of 2009 respondents was $93,211, which is slightly higher than in 2008 and the 5-year average of $91,610. The average age was 49.9 years, slightly lower than in 2008, with a 5-year average of 48.9 years.  

Respondents live primarily in the Northeast. Hotels remain the most common type of lodging respondents used during their stay. When asked to select the activities which attracted them to the region, the top three were consistent with the 5 year average: outdoor activities, relax/dine/shop and sightseeing.  

The LPCVB is the accredited destination marketing organization responsible for promoting the Schroon Lake, Lake Champlain, Whiteface, Saranac Lake and Lake Placid regions to the traveling public.

The Leisure Travel Information Study is based on a survey of the LPCVB's 2009 trackable leads database.  New leads are added on a constant basis; walk-in visitors, phone and mail inquiries, bingo cards from magazine advertising, and web signups provide a snapshot of the respondents to the 2009 overall marketing efforts.

Although lakeplacid.com alone receives millions of unique visitors, the survey takes only these trackable leads into consideration. In order to calculate the economic impact of the LPCVB's marketing efforts exclusively, the results do not include any standard economic multipliers, such as the impact from group visitation, staff expenditures, sales tax or events.

In addition to valuable demographic data and trends, the study's intent is to determine the effectiveness of the LPCVB's marketing programs, to measure the return on investment (ROI) ratio for public marketing expenditures and the conversion rate factor, or the number of those leads who actually visited the region.

The report found that the percent of visitors who stated that the information or advertisements viewed influenced their decision to visit the region was 79%, which is near the five-year average of 82%. And, for every occupancy tax dollar the LPCVB spent on marketing, visitors to Essex County spent $89, which is slightly higher than in 2008, and lower than the five-year average of 99:1.   

"We make our marketing decisions based on knowledge and research, and this data helps our marketing team plan our program of work," said James McKenna, CEO, Lake Placid CVB.  "The travel industry is fickle, and the only trend is that there is no trend. Research and data separate successful campaigns from those that do not provide a return on investment."

The 2009 report, additional CVB research and more is available for download at the new online resource developed specifically for local tourism-related businesses.  All are encouraged to review essential news, events, marketing opportunities and travel trends that impact the local tourism economy at www.lakeplacidcvb.com.

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The Lake Placid CVB/Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism is the accredited destination marketing organization responsible for promoting the Schroon Lake, Lake Champlain, Whiteface, Saranac Lake and Lake Placid regions to the traveling public via traditional advertising, public relations, and by harnessing the power of electronic media. They operate a main office in Lake Placid and one in Crown Point. lakeplacid.com