News & Events
Florida’s Tourism Economy Reaches New Heights in 2023
December 16th, 2024 |
Tourism isn’t just a part of Florida’s economy—it’s a driving force. A VISIT FLORIDA-commissioned study, conducted by Rockport Analytics, highlights the continued strength of Florida’s tourism industry in 2023. The study measured the economic impact of out-of-state visitors, focusing on Gross State Product (GSP), jobs, wages, and tax revenue.
Florida’s tourism sector contributed $127.7 billion to the state’s economy, with visitor spending reaching a record $131 billion. The state welcomed 156.9 million out-of-state visitors, with international travel rebounding by 19.6%. Tourism supported over 2.1 million jobs—14% of Florida’s nonfarm employment—and generated $36.9 billion in tax revenue, saving each household an estimated $1,910 in state and local taxes.
While growth has stabilized post-pandemic, Florida’s tourism sector remains a major economic driver, significantly outpacing national recovery trends.
Read more about the findings at flgov.com
Unlocking Northwest Vietnam’s Tourism Potential: A Comprehensive Destination Assessment
November 20th, 2024 |
This research study, commissioned by the Gender Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism (GREAT) Program and conducted by Rockport Analytics, presents an in-depth analysis of tourism in Vietnam’s Son La and Lao Cai Provinces. It offers valuable insights into visitor demographics, travel behaviors, and strategic opportunities for growth in the post-pandemic landscape.
Key findings highlight Son La’s appeal to domestic and international travelers, driven by cultural experiences, adventure tourism, and farmstays/homestays. However, challenges such as infrastructure limitations and service quality gaps present opportunities for strategic investment. With an estimated 3.6 million visitors in 2022, the report identifies actionable priorities, including infrastructure upgrades, accommodation improvements, eco-tourism development, and enhanced digital marketing strategies.
This research serves as a crucial resource for tourism operators, government agencies, investors, and development partners looking to capitalize on Northwest Vietnam’s growing tourism market. Explore the full report to review key findings from our study.
Rockport Analytics & GBTA Unveil 2024 Business Travel Outlook
August 7th, 2024 |
In partnership with GBTA, Rockport Analytics spearheaded the 2024 Business Travel Index Outlook, revealing key trends shaping corporate travel.
Global business travel spending surged 30% in 2023 and is set to hit a record $1.48 trillion in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. By 2028, spending is projected to exceed $2 trillion, driven by strong demand despite inflation and economic uncertainties.
Growth varies by region and sector, with financial, entertainment, and professional services leading the way. Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing market, while North America and Western Europe have stabilized at pre-pandemic levels. Business travelers are also adapting, with 64% spending more than last year and mobile wallets gaining popularity, especially in Asia Pacific.
While risks like inflation and geopolitical tensions remain, stabilizing economies and technological advancements indicate a strong future for business travel.
Read more from MeetingNet’s press release of the study.
The Economic Power of U.S. Business Travel
June 18th, 2024 |
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), in partnership with Rockport Analytics, presents its latest report on the impact of business travel on the U.S. economy, offering key insights into spending trends, job creation, and industry’s recovery post-pandemic. In 2022, U.S. business travel spending reached $421.1 billion, supporting 6 million jobs and contributing $484 billion to GDP.
This comprehensive study highlights the significance of business travel across industries, its role in economic growth, and the benefits it provides to businesses, governments, and local communities. With business travel expenditures projected to surpass pre-pandemic levels this year, this report is an essential resource for policymakers, travel industry leaders, and corporate decision-makers.
GBTA members can explore the full report to understand how business travel continues to drive economic resilience and innovation across the United States. The study’s press release is available via Business Wire here.
Visitation to the Chesapeake Bay Region Delivers $3.2 Billion in Economic Impact to the State of Maryland
June 5th, 2023 |
A recent study conducted by Rockport Analytics finds that 8.9 million people visited the Chesapeake Bay region in 2021, driving $4.2 billion in visitor spending and $3.2 billion in new Gross State Product (GSP). Visitor spending supported nearly 60,000 jobs and added $610 million to state and local tax receipts. The research also uncovered key psychographic characteristics of visitors to help tourism-related businesses craft compelling messaging and better understand key drivers of visitation. Learn more.
NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament Helps to Lift College Sports Out of COVID’s Shadow
January 5th, 2022 |
The NCAA men’s basketball tournament bolstered the local economy by about $46.5 million when it was held in central Indiana earlier this year, according to a new research study conducted by Rockport Analytics.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire tournament was played in one state for the first time. The study found about 66,000 “unique fans” attended games in Indianapolis, Bloomington and West Lafayette during the tournament, which took place from March 18 to April 5. Total attendance for the 68-team event was 173,592. Learn more.
Rockport Helps Visit San Antonio & Travel Texas Assess the Future Impact of IPW 2023
September 7th, 2021 |
San Antonio is slated to host IPW, the travel industry’s premier “speed-dating” event that brings U.S. destinations and travel suppliers together with international travel buyers from all over the world. Rockport Analytics conducted an analysis of survey responses from past IPWs along with an assessment of the inbound international tourism market in Texas and San Antonio to forecast the impact of hosting the event. In the three years following the event, we expect an additional 603,000 international visitors will be driven to Texas (395,000 to San Antonio) and future visitor spending will surpass $1 billion in Texas ($614 million in San Antonio) across the 3-year period. Read more about the findings in the San Antonio Express.
Rockport Analytics Analyzes the Effect of Sargassum on the Florida Keys Economy
August 2nd, 2021 |
Rockport supported the Monroe County Tourism Development Council (TDC) to better understand sargassum’s impact on the tourism industry in the Florida Keys. Sargassum is a seaweed-type material (macroalgae) that collects in floating mats that have become more prevalent on the shorelines on the Atlantic coast of Florida and the Caribbean basin since 2010. Rockport conducted an assessment of visitor perceptions around the sargassum blooms and the impact that the presence of sargassum has on visitation. These results were pitted against the cost of various mitigation methods to assist the TDC and other stakeholders in determining a plan of action in the control of annual sargassum blooms. An executive summary of the study’s results can be found here.
Rockport’s COVID-19 Travel Impact Index Assists Indiana’s Tourism Industry in Developing a Roadmap for Recovery
July 10th, 2021 |
The Indiana Destination Development Corporation (IDDC) commissioned Rockport Analytics to develop an index to measure the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the leisure and travel-related (LTR) sectors throughout the state. The study included a series of surveys to gain measures of consumer and business sentiment. Survey results were combined with other high-frequency indicators such as unemployment claims, epidemiological metrics, hotel demand, and TSA throughput to create a comprehensive view of performance across the LTR sectors. Watch Elaine Bedel of the IDDC discussing some of the results on Inside Indiana Business.
The Chesapeake & Ohio National Historic Park Generated $309 Million in Visitor Spending in 2019
June 11th, 2021 |
The Maryland Office of Tourism Development (OTD) partnered with Rockport Analytics to perform a study for the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal National Historical Park (NHP). The goal of the study was to assess the visitor profile for the park, measure key drivers of visitation, better understand stay patterns associated with park visits and assess the economic impact that visitor spending has on the surrounding region. The research found that 1.3 million non-residents visited the C&O Canal Park in 2019. Those visitors spent $309 million dollars in the area, supporting 3,900 jobs across an array of sectors and generating $46 million in state and local tax revenue. Download the full study here or read the press release here.