Case Study: Positive Tourist Sentiment Returns Post-Pandemic

Positive tourist sentiment is back according to a study from Campbell Rinker.  After lying dormant during the pandemic, travelers are ready to hit the road again.

Santa Cruz is a popular northern California county.  The county is known for its beaches, its boardwalk and its towering redwoods.  The local visitors council asked Campbell Rinker to conduct a travel sentiment study among potential visitors.  Our firm wrote a custom survey and programmed it for online fielding. 

Within days of its release, the study saw a 9% response and 4,500 respondents.  Most potential tourists were positive about traveling, proving that positive tourist sentiment is back. Campbell Rinker president Dirk Rinker noted the extent of their travel interest in this local NBC news story.  And nearly 90% of the travelers were open to overnight trips.  Many travelers expected to take three to four trips in the coming months.  These data were backed up by a robust +/-1.8% margin of error at the 99% confidence level. 

Read the Santa Cruz Sentinel article about the study results. Download or view the partner presentation on the Visit Santa Cruz County website.

All this data helped the local visitors council outline positive steps for its members.  County businesses now hope to recapture $1.1 billion in tourism revenue in 2021.  Methodology: Online Survey