GRAVENHURST, ON – How visitors interact with the Town of Gravenhurst has been revealed in a survey.
The 2018 Visitors Report has provided the Economic Development department with some insights from 750 responses gathered last year. The information was gathered through an on-going promotion called the Visitor Survey/Gravenhurst Getaway Contest.
It was a joint survey sponsored by the Gravenhurst Chamber of Commerce, the Gravenhurst Business Improvement Area and Muskoka Tourism.
One of the biggest takeaways is that visitors are typically returning year-over-year, primarily visiting friends and family.
It was also revealed that visitors staying more than one day in the area will take smaller trips to locations in the Muskoka region.
A group of visitors spends on average $864 with an average spend of $310 per adult.
Some of the things visitors are looking to see change within the town are later store hours, new restaurants and clothing outlets. They would also like to see a new movie theatre, evening concerts, boat cruises and a weekend farmers market as attractions they would like to see in the area.
“Gathering this data is an important first step in growing the sector locally, and visitors who share their experience are instantly entered into our Gravenhurst Getaway Contest,” said Julia Crowder, economic development coordinator.
“The demographics and feedback we received from visitors really help local stakeholders to focus their efforts on filling common gaps or identifying new trends which can be built into new attractions or experiences to offer visitors and residents alike.”