Day Five: Summary of the"Loves You Back" Visitor Poll

PHILADELPHIA, August 21, 2001 – Blockbuster events like the X Games and the Republican National Convention (RNC) attract first-time visitors to Philadelphia – and according to a survey, the experience at these events entices them to come back. Ninety-five percent of all out-of-town visitors to the X Games said they would return to the city. And for 26% of them, this was their first-ever visit to Philadelphia. Similarly, 84% of the delegates polled at the RNC last year planned to revisit Philadelphia.

The RNC and X Games "Loves You Back" visitor polls were conducted by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC). Both times, the city scored a four out of five, and friendliness and historical sites ranked as Philadelphia’s best attributes. In the X Games survey, visitors were thrilled that the event was free and well organized, although "long lines" were mentioned frequently as the only negative. The average rating from the 300 X Games respondents was a 4.1, but the sub-group with the highest rating was first-time visitors who stayed in a hotel. They gave Philadelphia a 4.5.

"Person on the street" interviews at blockbuster events are invaluable to GPTMC as informal research tools. President and CEO Meryl Levitz explains, "Hard research gives us a sophisticated look at trends and big-picture numbers. But soft research, such as the ‘Loves You Back’ visitor polls, gets us on the front lines to learn what’s really causing the buzz about Philadelphia." Unlike the RNC interviewees, more than half of the X Games respondents were from the region, giving GPTMC some insight about what draws people from neighboring communities into the city. For 18% of the regional residents surveyed, this was their first or second trip to Philadelphia.

The X Games poll surveyed 300 spectators at the First Union Center, the Schuylkill River and City Hall (all competition sites) over six days. Findings about this group are significant because they can help the city prepare for next year’s games. They also provide a demographic sketch of the audience. Key findings:

• 42% of the spectators were out-of-towners; 58% were from the eight-county area
• 32% of the out-of-towners were from New York and New Jersey, 25% were from central or western Pennsylvania, 5% were international, and the rest were from all over the United States including California, Alabama, Florida, Wisconsin, Indiana, Vermont and New Hampshire.
• 44% of out-of-towners stayed in a hotel
• 18% of out-of-towners stayed with friends or relatives
• 26% of out-of-towners were visiting Philadelphia for the first time
• 95% of out-of-towners planned to visit Philadelphia again
• 72% of out-of-towners planned to return to next year’s X Games

• 60% of out-of-towners planned to sightsee in Philadelphia. Top attractions include the Liberty Bell or Independence Hall, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Franklin Institute and South Street.

• What surprised respondents most: games were free and well-organized; games are returning to Philadelphia next year; vendors, locals and X Games staff were very friendly, Philadelphia is much easier to navigate than New York or Boston, Philadelphia’s architecture

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