Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and tour suppliers reported higher visitation this year, with increased optimism for 2025, according to a new survey from the National Tour Association (NTA). Among the suppliers who participated—which includes hotels, attractions, restaurants, experience providers, transportation and sightseeing companies, and more—59 percent said they will finish 2024 with visitor numbers that are better (44 percent) or much better (15 percent) than last year. Another 30 percent said their volume is around the same year-over-year, while 11 percent reported a decline in 2024.
The optimism is high for the coming year with two-thirds (66 percent) of NTA suppliers and DMOs expecting increased visitation in 2025. Hoteliers are reporting the highest optimism with 78 percent expecting to do better or much better next year.
However, challenges still do exist. Staffing levels for DMOs and tour suppliers have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, with 29 percent of DMOs and 44 percent of tour suppliers noting that they are operating with somewhere between 75 percent and 99 percent of 2019 staffing levels.
Among the chief issues cited by DMOs and tour suppliers cited were internal reasons—high rates, lack of dedicated staff, and a lack of local businesses that can accommodate groups—as well as external/operator-related reasons, including cancellations by operators, which makes the business unreliable, or unrealistic expectations, such as requesting refunds upon arrival for last-minute client cancellations.
“In addition to getting good data from this survey, we also gathered insightful observations that will guide us in upcoming discussions,” NTA President Catherine Prather said regarding the report. “Our buyer and seller members routinely get together to talk about business, and they’re equally willing to discuss solutions to shared challenges. We will facilitate those discussions starting early next year.”
Visit ntaonline.com for more information.
[12.03.24]