RESEARCH & REPORTS

Tourism is the largest industry in Greater Palm Springs, supporting 1 in 5 jobs in the region. Because tourism is such a vital part of the local economy, the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau conducts ongoing research to support visitation to the destination.

Below, you can view our latest research reports as well as current tourism industry trends and updates.

Industry Trends & Reports

Contactless interactions have become crucial during these times of crisis. Surveys are showing that guests want it, and the result is a major jump in the adoption of contactless technology. The four most popular types of interaction seeing the highest level of adoption are: contactless payments, guest engagement tools, online check-in or self-service kiosks, and keyless entry. Contactless technology can add to the feeling of safety, especially as it allows for easier social distancing. According to a recent Skift and Oracle Hospitality survey, increasing the frequency of cleaning (60% of respondents) was the most important change to make travelers feel safe, but technology also contributed considerably. Contactless payments (35%), mobile room keys (26%), self-service check-in kiosks (23%), and digital messaging to avoid contact with staff (20%) were all significant factors.

Visit California is reporting new consumer research indicating 82% of California residents were “travel ready” – either actively traveling, intending to travel or open to the idea of travel. This compares to 77% nationally. Mindset toward resuming activities was stable for California, while national consumer sentiment continued to shift toward the "risk averse" mindset segment (correlating to increasing case counts nationally.) Mindset toward travel has remained relatively stable for both California and the U.S. You can view Visit California’s latest COVID-19 updates via this link.

The November 5 report from Tourism Economics and the U.S. Travel Association show that travel spending ended its two-week slide last week and grew 3% from the prior week. In the week ending October 31, travel spending tallied just $12.9 billion and reflected a 42% drop below last year's levels (a $9.3 billion loss)—an improvement from the 44% drop in the prior week. Since the end of the summer travel season, weekly travel spending has remained relatively flat, with the percentage loss oscillating between -45% and -41% in each of the past eight weeks. The complete report can be accessed via this link.

For questions or more info, please contact Gary Orfield at gorfield@gpscvb.com.

CVB Research & Reports

2020 GPSNEXT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The 2020 GPSNEXT Executive Summary includes recommendations from the CVB's original 2016 Destination Development Plan, as well as additional key components for the plan moving forward that were based on findings from the 2019 Destination NEXT study.

Click here to view the presentation deck from the 2nd annual gpsnext meeting held in march 2020. to view the presentation deck from the 2nd annual GPSNext meeting held in March 2020.

2019 ECONOMIC IMPACT OF VISITORS IN GREATER PALM SPRINGS

To quantify the economic significance of the tourism sector in Greater Palm Springs, Tourism Economics prepared this study, which shows the scope of the travel sector in 2019 in terms of direct visitor spending, as well as total economic impact, including employment, household income, and tax revenue in the broader economy.

2019 ANNUAL REPORT

Every year, the CVB releases a report highlighting key stats and results within each department to summarize the organization’s overall impact to Greater Palm Springs.

2019 SALES & MARKETING PLAN

The 2019 Sales & Marketing Plan outlines the CVB's strategy and execution of all marketing initiatives developed through research and collaboration, including key market prioritizations and detailed strategies such as co-ops, digital campaigns and increased brand awareness.

2016 DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Working with leading strategic agencies Minding Your Business and Convention, Sports & Leisure, the CVB created a Destination Development Plan in mid-2016 as a blueprint for short-term and long-term success, with goals for growing visitation and resultant jobs for all travel segments, from leisure to meetings.

2019 DESTINATIONNEXT

In 2019, the CVB commissioned NEXT Factor to administer a DestinationNEXT study for Greater Palm Springs. The study measured destination strength and community support for tourism development to ensure the destination and nine cities are aligned and moving in the right direction.

2018 CONSUMER IMAGE AWARENESS STUDY

The CVB partnered with Strategic Marketing & Research Insights (SMARInsights) to identify consumer perceptions of the destination and what attitudes and viewpoints may have changed since the original study was conducted in 2011.

018 GREATER PALM SPRINGS RELOCATION STUDY

The CVB collaborated with fuseResearch to develop, conduct and analyze a survey to assess the interest level among a targeted sample set in relocating to Greater Palm Springs for a preferred employment opportunity.

2018 IMAGE & AWARENESS STUDY - MEETINGS

The CVB commissioned Destination Analysts to conduct a Meetings Image Study that revealed important insights on how to optimize Greater Palm Springs’ brand messaging for groups and grow our meetings market.

2017 CANADIAN ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT

The CVB contracted Tourism Economics to undergo an in-depth analysis of Canadian visitor spending across various sectors, including lodging, food, retail and recreation, and its impact on the destination.

2017 ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TOURISM

To gain insight into the overall economic impact of tourism in Greater Palm Springs, the CVB contracted with Tourism Economics to undergo an in-depth analysis of visitor spending and its impact on the Coachella Valley. The CVB conducts economic research every odd year.

2017 ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TOURISM - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Executive Summary of the 2017 Economic Impact Study features the study's key results, including total visitor spending, tax revenues and tourism-supported jobs as well as the increases in these sectors since 2015.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF A PROPOSED HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

This study, prepared by Tourism Economics, analyzes the potential long-term economic benefits that the proposed hospitality management program at the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus would generate in Greater Palm Springs in terms of economic and fiscal impacts, including total economic output, labor income, jobs and taxes generated.

SALTON SEA ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY

The CVB commissioned Tourism Economics to outline the potential damage to the tourism industry of Greater Palm Springs over a five-year scenario in which the degradation of the Salton Sea continues without effective remediation.

SALTON SEA ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY

The CVB commissioned Tourism Economics to outline the potential damage to the tourism industry of Greater Palm Springs over a five-year scenario in which the degradation of the Salton Sea continues without effective remediation.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF A FULLY UTILIZED CSUSB PALM DESERT CAMPUS

This study, prepared by Tourism Economics, analyzes the potential economic benefits the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus master plan would generate in Greater Palm Springs in terms of economic and fiscal impacts, including total economic output, labor income, jobs and taxes generated.

NON-PRIMARY RESIDENCES BY LOCATION OF OWNER

The CVB commissioned Lauren Schlau Consulting to analyze a net sample of 66,578 Greater Palm Springs properties, identified as both single family and condo properties (many in both categories with multiple owners) to determine the total number, percentage and actual ownership for the properties in the destination, as well as for each of the nine cities.

2015 VISITOR INTERCEPT STUDY

In October 2014, the CVB contracted Custom Intercept Solutions of Minneapolis to launch a 12-month Visitor Profile and Perceptions Study, which proved beneficial to both the CVB and its Partners as an important resource for sales and marketing planning, as well as attracting new and increased visitation.