Explore Georgia COVID-19 dashboard, 2020 March-April

COVID-19 DASHBOARD
March/April 2020

COVID-19 DASHBOARD
This dashboard is intended to give an overview of the impact of COVID-19 on Georgia's tourism industry. In this dashboard, you will find the latest statistics for the state's tourism industry along with insights into visitor engagement with the Explore Georgia brand.
The Explore Georgia team is actively working to keep Georgia top of mind with visitors and prepare our state for a strong recovery.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
March/April 2020
Across the country, the month of March was devastating for the economy as a whole, and for the tourism industry in particular.
Impacts on employment, travel spending, and visitation have continued and become more severe in the month of April. Many forecasts predict the worst may be behind us, with declines stabilizing in the month of May. Much remains uncertain about the timetable for recovery, but sentiment research reveals that many travelers will be
looking to test the waters with nearby, road-trip destinations within three to six months of travel restrictions being lifted. Early indicators signal that the state is well-positioned for a strong recovery, and many Georgia destinations will be able to
use pent-up demand and the emerging traveler's tastes and preferences to their advantage. Visitor behavior on our website and insights from our social media channels indicate visitor interest in, and engagement
with, our travel products is steady and recovering faster than other state DMOs.

GEORGIA'S TOURISM INDUSTRY: CURRENT STATUS

GEORGIA UNEMPLOYMENT: MARCH & APRIL
From March 1 April 11, there were 865,687 initial unemployment claims (IUCs) filed with the Georgia Department of Labor. Combined, the "Accommodations and Food Services" and "Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation" sectors represented 35% (299,097) of all IUCs filed over this period. It's too soon to know if weekly Tourism IUCs have peaked, but they did drop the week ending 4.11.20.
Source: Georgia Department of Labor

GEORGIA TRAVEL SPENDING: MARCH & APRIL
From March 1 April 11, total estimated travel spending in Georgia was down $2.14 billion in 2020 compared to 2019, with spending declining weekly, but possibly stabilizing. Expenditures the week-ending 4.11.20 were down 87% YoY.
Source: Tourism Economics

GEORGIA TAX REVENUES: MARCH & APRIL
From March 1 April 11, total estimated travel-generated state and local tax revenues in Georgia were down $113 million in 2020 compared to 2019, with tax revenues declining weekly, though possibly stabilizing.
Source: Tourism Economics

DOMESTIC TRIPS: MARCH 2019 & 2020
In 2019, 7.1% of trips* to/within Georgia occurred in March (the most of any month in Q1 & Q2). 2020 started off strong with YoY gains in the first two weeks, but following the first reported COVID-19 death on March 12th and the State of Emergency declaration on the 14th, daily arrivals dropped off rapidly.
Source: Arrivalist *Arrivalist tracks a representative panel of American travelers using GPS data from their mobile devices. They define a trip as someone
(not a commuter) venturing >50 miles from home , and spending > 2 hours and the majority of their trip in the arrival zone.

DOMESTIC TRIPS: MARCH 2019 & 2020
The YoY 11.2% decline in March trips* was driven by impacts on the out-of-state and overnight trip segments. In-state trips and day trips actually increased YoY, possibly as a result of travelers substituting outbound and long-haul trips for those closer to home.
Source: Arrivalist *Arrivalist tracks a representative panel of American travelers using GPS data from their mobile devices. They define a trip as someone
(not a commuter) venturing >50 miles from home , and spending > 2 hours and the majority of their trip in the arrival zone.

GEORGIA'S TOURISM INDUSTRY: EARLY INDICATORS

CHECKING THE PULSE: TRAVELER SENTIMENT RESEARCH
35%-45% of Americans are reducing or postponing their travel plans 45%-65% of Americans are cancelling a trip completely Travelers are increasingly unsure the pandemic will be under control by summer, 50% believe they will begin travelling in the fall of travelers said they would resume travel within three months of the removal of travel restrictions, 28% said four-to-six months
afterward Post-COVID, regional, drive-market destinations will be substituted for long-haul, outbound destinations:
11%-22% of travelers have reported substituting a domestic trip for an international trip 17%-30% of travelers reported substituting a drive-market trip for an air-travel trip 43%-51% of travelers reported their future destination choices will be regional rather than long-haul 27%-37% of travelers reported their preferred destinations will be small towns/villages/rural areas/the countryside 27%-50% of travelers reported their preferred destinations will beach destinations of travelers expect when they resume travel, their first trip will be a domestic road trip; the majority, 41%, expect to stay
within 100 miles of home
Sources: Longwoods International & Miles Partnership; MMGY Global & USTA; Destination Analysts; Skift Research

WEBSITE: ORGANIC TRAFFIC
To understand recent impacts on website traffic, we benchmarked ExploreGeorgia.org's performance against websites for 30 DMOs (state and local). In March, average organic traffic was down 25% YoY, but Explore Georgia only experienced a 13% decrease. All sites saw a traffic crash mid-month when stay-at-home orders took hold nationally. On average, organic traffic post-crash has been down 80%. To date, Explore Georgia hasn't been down more than 50% since the mid-month crash.
ExploreGeorgia.org Organic Traffic
Source: Google Data Studio

WEBSITE: PAGEVIEWS
Since the week of the crash, we have seen a leveling out of pageviews, and are now experiencing steady growth. Our positive traffic and pageview numbers can be attributed to our strong brand, strong SEO, and the Explore Georgia from Home campaign.
ExploreGeorgia.org Pageviews
Source: Google Analytics

WEBSITE: PRIMARY PAGES

COVID-19 Travel Alert
Information about COVID-19 in the state, as well as guidance and information for travelers

Explore Georgia from Home
A digital oasis where visitors can get lost in the beauty of our state, learn a little, and play safely from their homes

SOCIAL MEDIA

All Explore Georgia social media channels were dark during the initial days of the pandemic in early March. In late March, we began posting again as part of the Explore Georgia from Home campaign, sharing moments of Zen, good news stories, and new tools and games. Since then, this new content continues to perform beyond our benchmarks.
Despite a significant pivot in the type of content being shared, all channels continue to see MoM growth in engagement rates, impression levels, and followers. This approach is clearly filling a need with our visitors and keeping the state top of mind.

Explore Georgia Social Media Impressions

Source: Sprout Social

SOCIAL MEDIA

Looking at our competitive set of state DMOs in the southeast, Explore Georgia is leading the pack in terms of gaining new followers during this crisis.

Facebook

Instagram

Explore Georgia Competitor Average

Source: Sprout Social

SOCIAL MEDIA: CONTENT EXAMPLES

Good News Story
Kittens from the Atlanta Humane Society visiting the Georgia Aquarium

Moment of Zen
Video walking through a sunflower field at Fausett Farms

Tools/Games
Digital puzzles featuring photography from the state's nine regions

QUESTIONS?

Ashley Barfield, Ph.D Director of Research
404-327-1771 abarfield@georgia.org

Meggan Hood Director of Brand Strategy
404-987-2092 mhood@georgia.org