2020 Report Market For Heritage Tourism Gullah Geechee .

Key Findings And, those who are interested in visiting Gullah Geechee attractions in the Corridor are morelikely than those who have not visited to: Use destination apps, apps from service providers and travel magazines to gather information aboutleisure trips significantly more than those not interested in the area. Use Disney.com, Snap Chat, TripAdvisor and Travel Blogs.These travelers are also more educated, earn higher incomes, are younger (under 40) and morehave children under 18, compared to those not interested in the area. Themed “trails” also are popular among U.S. leisure travelers. About a fifth (22% )of travelers.say they strongly agree that they would “follow themed trails for hundreds of miles to findattractions and sites that follow a particular theme.” Another 30% say they “somewhat agree” they would follow a themed trail. Together, 52% of travelershave either strong or moderate interest in themed trails.

Key Findings African American heritage is a motivator for travel. Learning more about the African American experience would serve as a strong motivator forabout a quarter of U.S. travelers to take a trip (23%) Another 23% of travelers say this is “somewhat’ of a motivatorJust under a quarter of all travelers (24%) express strong interest in visiting sites in theSouth that are of historic significance to African Americans. In addition, 27% say they are “somewhat” interestedAnd travelers will go “off the beaten path” to find African American sites Twenty-two percent of travelers “strongly agree with the statement “I will go out of my way andoff the beaten path to visit sites of historical significance to African American travelers.” Another 27% say they “somewhat agree” with that statement.

Travel Behaviors

2019 Juneteenth Festival at Historic Mitchelville on Hilton Head Island, SC.

Number / Types of Trips US leisure travelers take an average of 3.6 leisure trips per year. Their averagenumber of business trips is 1.6. Travelers also combine business and leisure travel. When they are traveling withinthe US, the average of these combined trips is 1.6, and outside the US, it’s 1 tripannually.Number of TripsAverageTotalCore/VisitedAA CultEnth GG AwareGG LikelyVisitLeisureWithin US3.63.63.43.73.5BusinessWithin US1.61.52.02.82.0CombinedBusiness/LeisureWithin US0.61.62.22.71.9CombinedBusiness/LeisureOutside US1.01.01.82.11.5Thinking of all the trips you have taken away from home at least 50 miles one- way OR where you spent at least 1 overnight in the past 12 months, approximately how many of these trips were foreach of the purposes listed below?

Number / Types of Trips US leisure travelers take an average of 3.6 leisure trips per year. Their average numberof business trips is 1.6. Travelers also combine business and leisure travel. When they are traveling within theUS, the average of these combined trips is 1.6, and outside the US, it’s 1 trip annually.Number of TripsAverageTotalCore/VisitedAA CultEnth GG AwareGG LikelyVisitLeisureWithin US3.63.63.43.73.5BusinessWithin US1.61.52.02.82.0CombinedBusiness/LeisureWithin US0.61.62.22.71.9CombinedBusiness/LeisureOutside US1.01.01.82.11.5Thinking of all the trips you have taken away from home at least 50 miles one- way OR where you spent at least 1 overnight in the past 12 months, approximately how many of these tripswere for each of the purposes listed below?

Number / Types of TripsPercentage of Business TravelIncludes Personal/Leisure Activities The majority (81%) of travelersinclude some form ofPersonal/Leisure Activity duringtheir business travel.Boomers are much more likelythan other generational groupsto apportion none of theirbusiness travel time towardspersonal/leisure activities. (44%)0%19%1% - 9%19%10% - 19%8%20% - 29%10%30% - 39%10%40% - 49%81%8%50% - 59%9%60% - 69%6%70% - 79%3%80% - 89%3%90% - 99%100%What percentage of your annual business travel includes personal, leisure activities? (IF NONE, ENTER 0)1%5%

Types of Leisure Trips Vacation is by far the most common (69%) type of leisure trip, followed by Visitingfriends and relatives (55%). Notably, those travelers with ethnic backgrounds or who are Interested in AA Culturetook several other types of trips such as Weekend getaway, Family Reunion,Weddings/Special event, etc.Visiting friends and relatives65% BoomersLeisure TripsVacation69%Visiting friends and relatives55%Weekend getaway38%Family Reunion23%Wedding or special event21%Sports event15%Girls-only getawayChurch / religious group outingSorority / Fraternity / MasonicSchool reunionGuys-only getawayOther12%7%6%5%4%7%Which of the following types of trips did you take during the past 12 months?Weekend getaway47% AA Cult Enthusiasts44% MillennialsFamily Reunion38% Asians32% Hispanics35% AA Cult Enthusiasts 30% AA Cult EnthusiastsWedding or special event36% Asians30% MillennialsGirls-only Getaway19% African Americans19% AA Cult Enthusiasts

States Visited on Leisure TripState(s) Visited Last Leisure Trip Of the four corridor states,Florida was by far the mostpopular having beenvisited by three-quarters(76%) of travelers.As for the most recentleisure trip, Florida was alsonumber one visited by 33%,followed by California at20%.Visitors to Corridor States on Last Leisure TripFlorida33%CaliforniaFlorida76%North Carolina48%Georgia47%South CarolinaWhich of the following destinations have you ever visited for a leisure or vacation trip?Thinking about your most recent leisure trip, what state(s) did you visit? Please select all that apply.40%20%New York13%Georgia13%Texas11%North Carolina9%Nevada8%Arizona8%Colorado7%South Carolina6%Illinois6%Washington5%Tennessee5%New uisiana4%Kentucky4%Hawaii4%Alabama4%

Timing of Booking Leisure TripTiming of Booking Trip 44% of travelers booked theirleisure trips well ahead of time,between 2 and 6 months.While roughly one-quarter (24%)within the past month before theirtrip.Asians (23%) and AfricanAmerican Culture Enthusiasts(ACE) (22%) were more likely thanothers to plan last minute at 1 to 6Days Before.Hispanics (37%) were also morelikely to book a trip closer to thedeparture date, between oneweek to a month beforehand.Same Day of Trip1-6 Days Before23% Asians22% AA Cult Enthusiasts 1%1-6 Days Before8%1 Week to 1 Month Before37% Hispanics1 Week to 1 MonthBefore15%1-2 Months Before17%2-3 Months Before23%3-6 Months Before21%6-12 Months BeforeMore Than 12 MonthsBeforeThinking of your most recent leisure trip, how far in advance of your departure date did you start booking the trip?13%2%

Travel Companions on Leisure Trip The most common travelcompanions were aPartner/Significant other or Spouse.Travel CompanionsPartner/Sig OtherNearly one-in-five (19%) traveledwith Children under 18, Friends andOther Family.26%SpouseThe average number of people inthe travel party was 3.6, amongthese 2.3 were from the household.25%Child/children under 1819%Friend(s)19%Other family19%AloneNumber of PeopleAverageTotalCore/VisitedAA CultEnth GGAwareGGLikelyVisitIn 72.517%Child/children over 187%Co-worker(s)Organized groupWith whom did you travel on this most recent trip? Please select all that apply.Including yourself, how many people were in your travel party on this most recent leisure trip? Please include people from yourhousehold and friends/family who accompanied you but not those you met as part of a group tour.Including yourself, how many people from your household were on this most recent leisure trip?5%1%

Transportation on Leisure Trip Plane and Automobile were the two main modes of transport for travelers on their lastleisure trip. The average spent to get to the destination is 293, while the average spent once atthe destination is 97.Transportation SpendMode of TransportationAirplane53%Automobile (non-rental)TotalCore/VisitedAA CultEnth GG AwareGG LikelyVisitTo Destination 293 323 273 238 286At Destination 97 119 122 95 10743%Rental car32%Bus9%TrainShipAverage7%5%Recreational Vehicle / Camper2%Other2%Which modes of transportation did you use on this trip? (select all that apply)Amount Spent: Transportation To Destination; Transportation At Destination

Distance Traveled for Leisure Trip Distance traveled away from home varied considerably: one-fifth (21%) traveled 100miles or less, while one-quarter (24%) went as far as over 1000 miles. This can belargely attributed to the different modes of transportation taken—plane vs.Car. Average distance traveled by travelers is 742 miles.Distance Traveled100 or lessmiles21%101and 250miles17%251 and 500miles20%AverageOn your most recent leisure trip, how far did you travel from your home one-way to get to this destination?501 and 1000miles18%Over 1000miles24%TotalCore/VisitedAA CultEnth es630miles

Accommodations on Leisure Trip Roughly half (52%) of travelers stayed at a Hotel during their last leisure trip, while just overa third stayed at a friend’s or family’s home.Overnight Accommodations52%36%11%Hotel / Motel /ResortFamily or friendshomeBed ch of the following types of accommodations did you use on this most recent trip?9%Rental condo /home / apt7%6%Recreational Owned secondVehicle /home / Condo/Camper / TentApt5%Timeshare

Number of Nights / Spending on Leisure Trip Nearly one-half (46%) stayed 3 to 5 nights on their last leisure trip. The average amount spent on lodging per trip is 399.Lodging SpendingNumber of Nights1 Night6%Average2 Nights18%4 Nights16%5 Nights12%9%7 Nights8 Nights11%8%How many nights did you stay at the destination while on this trip?Amount Spent: LodgingCore/VisitedAA CultEnth GG AwareGG LikelyVisit 358 438 318 220 32114%3 Nights6 NightsTotal

Spending Behaviors on Leisure Trip Average spending per trip is 250 on Food and beverage, 156 on Entertainment and 193 on Shopping.Travelers who say they will visit the area are more likely to shop than other travelers: Outlets (50% vs.38%), Malls, 6(0% vs. 46%,) local artisans/crafts (51% vs. 38%,) shopping downtown locations (51% vs. 38%)Spending Behaviors During TripAverageTotalCore/VisitedAA CultEnth GG AwareGG LikelyVisit 250 306 252 167 251 156 189 172 123 171 193 260 259 220 253Food/BevEntertainmentShoppingAmount Spent: Food & Beverage, Entertainment, Shopping

Activities on Leisure Trip Experiencing Local Cuisine is the most common activity among travelers (65%) followed by ShoppingDowntown (56%). He next most popular is outdoor-oriented activities like Visiting State/Local Parks(50%), Beaches (49%), and Participating in Sporting Activities (Biking, Boating, Hiking, etc.) (48%).Following is Shopping in a Mall (46%) and Going Out At Night(42%).FoodwaysShoppingExperiencedlocal or regionalcuisineVisited localfarmers marketEnjoyedgourmet diningat celebrity Toured wineriesor breweries / ortasted locally 65%31%28%Shopped in a mall46%Shopped for items madeby local artisans and 38%Shopped at an outlet mall38%28%Shopped at an airportParticipated innight life42%33%28%Visited beaches49%Participated in outdoorsports / activities (hiking, Golfed31%Attended a festival ( music, arts, craft, food)35%Traveled 'off the beaten path' to visit anhistorical or culturally significant siteVisited a cultural / heritage site to learn abouta different culture or race other than mine35%Visited an aquarium37%23%18%Spa and VoluntourisnCultural & Heritage37%30%28%26%Attended a performance with historical /cultural significance24%Attended theater / performing arts24%Visited historic sites38%Researched familyhistory and 19%Visited a museumthat covered 19%Attended anevent that Visited aplantation LGBT48%Visited national parksVisited natural history / science museum or zooVisited a botanical garden or took garden tourVisited a casino50%Attended sporting events(professional, minor Gen Zers AA Cult Enthusiasts Visited state or local parksArts & Cultural ActivitiesEntertainment and Theme ParksVisited theme oramusementparks56% Millennials African AmericansOutdoor ActivitiesShopped in a downtownlocationParticipation is higheracross the board for:17%17%Spa rparticipatedin communityservice23%17%

Importance of African American Culturein Destination Choice More than a third of all U.S. travelers (36%) say that “theavailability of African American cultural, historic sitesand attractions” is either “very important (19%) or“somewhat important” 17% in their choice of leisuredestination.African Americans39%27%21%African Americans (39%) and Millennials (28%) are muchmore likely consider it “Very Important” to their choiceof destination.8%VerySomewhatimportant importantImportance of AA Culture33%21%17%SomewhatimportantNot at allimportant30%28%21%9%VeryimportantNot tooimportantMillennials36%19%Neutral5%NeutralNot tooimportant9%Not at allimportantVerySomewhatimportant importantHow important is the availability of African-American cultural, historical sites and attractions in your choice of destinations for your leisure trips?NeutralNot tooimportant11%Not at allimportant

Awareness of Gullah Geechee About one-quarter (24%) of all travelers say they are aware of the term “Gullah Geechee.” Awareness of the term is significantly higher among the Drive Market (37%), African AmericanCulture Enthusiasts Plus (51%), African Americans (41%), LGBT (42%), Millennials (34%) andaffluent travelers 100K (32%).Awareness of Gullah Geechee68%37%56%55%51%TotalDriveAA Cult Enthusiasts African AmericanLGBTMillennialsHHI 100K 64%51%45%41% 42%40%34% 32%24%14%8%YesNoHave you heard of the term "Gullah Geechee" in reference to African-American history and culture?8%9%7%Unsure9%4%

Perception of Gullah Geechee In general there are positive associationswith the term Gullah Geechee.When getting more specific, travelersassociated it with African culture on theSoutheast coast.Also, it has to do with descendants andtheir distinct type of language.PerceptionsGood / favorable / excellent / nice / importantBlack / African culture / heritage on the SE coast15%Descendants from African slaves / West Africa8%Type of language / slave language / Creole dialect8%Residents of SE / Carolinas / coast / islandsFinally, travelers mention the areasgeographically associated with it.It’s the island community in South Carolina with a verydistinct African American culture.16%6%Gullah culture / heritage on the coast4%Freedom / Fight against racism3%People assisting / helping each other3%About culture / Good culture / heritage (general)2%African / Ethnic history / Historical2%The Gullah Geechee people are descendants ofAfricans who were enslaved on the rice, indigo and SeaIsland cotton plantations of the lower Atlantic coastGullah Geechee is a unique, creole language spoken inthe coastal areas of North Carolina, South Carolina,Georgia and Florida.It’s a language developed by African Slaves in SCHave you heard of the term "Gullah Geechee" in reference to African-American history and culture?Brand / Good brand / products1%Festival / Event for African history1%All others8%0%10%20%

Awareness of Gullah Geechee Destinations Overall awareness forthe Gullah Geecheedestinations is highestat one-third (34%) forthe MagnoliaPlantation inCharleston, SC.Although, among keyaudiences such asDrive Market, AfricanAmericans, AfricanAmerican CultureEnthusiasts, Millennialsand LGBT, awarenessis notably higher. The most significantdifferences areamong AfricanAmericans, AfricanAmerican CultureEnthusiasts, andLGBT.TotalDriveAfrican Am.AA Cult Enth MillennialsLGBTMagnolia Plantation, Charleston, SC34%46%47%51%39%53%Jekyll Island Museum, Jekyll Island, GA29%48%44%48%35%37%Brookgreen Gardens, Myrtle Beach, SC26%38%40%52%31%37%Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC26%38%38%48%34%43%Lincolnville Historic District, St. Augustine, FL26%31%40%46%36%35%Cumberland Island National Seashore Park and Museum, St. Mary's, GA25%36%36%52%32%40%Kingsley Plantation, Jacksonville, FL25%32%39%56%34%38%Fort Mose, St. Augustine, FL25%32%36%46%36%31%Red Bank Plantation House, Jacksonville, FL24%28%35%47%32%36%Rice Museum, Georgetown, SC23%28%38%46%30%34%Gullah Museum, Hilton Head, SC23%36%39%49%28%33%Gullah Heritage Trails, Hilton Head Island22%34%39%46%28%34%Sweet Grass Baskets in Charleston City Market, SC22%33%34%43%28%29%Poplar Grove Plantation, Wilmington, NC22%30%34%49%32%38%Bellamy Mansion Museum, Wilmington, NC22%31%35%46%32%39%Gullah Geechee Tours, Charleston, SC21%32%39%48%28%31%Fort Frederica National Monument, St. Simon's Island, GA21%29%34%43%30%29%Daufuskie Island, SC21%31%31%44%26%27%Pin Point Heritage Museum, Savannah, GA20%28%33%43%29%28%Penn Center, St. Helena Island, SC19%26%33%39%26%29%Harrington School, Brunswick, GA19%25%33%41%28%31%McLeod Plantation, SC19%22%34%43%29%27%Sapelo Island, GA18%27%29%43%28%27%23%32%37%46%31%34%AVERAGEFor each of the following please indicate if you are aware of the place or attraction and then tell us how likely you are to visit that place or attraction.

Awareness of Gullah Geechee Destinations Overall awareness forthe Gullah Geecheedestinations is highestat one-third (34%) forthe MagnoliaPlantation inCharleston, SC.Although, among keyaudiences such asDrive Market, AfricanAmericans, AfricanAmerican CultureEnthusiasts, Millennialsand LGBT, awarenessis notably higher. The most significantdifferences areamong AfricanAmericans, AfricanAmerican CultureEnthusiasts, andLGBT.TotalDriveAfrican Am.AA Cult Enth MillennialsLGBTMagnolia Plantation, Charleston, SC34%46%47%51%39%53%Jekyll Island Museum, Jekyll Island, GA29%48%44%48%35%37%Brookgreen Gardens, Myrtle Beach, SC26%38%40%52%31%37%Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC26%38%38%48%34%43%Lincolnville Historic District, St. Augustine, FL26%31%40%46%36%35%Cumberland Island National Seashore Park and Museum, St. Mary's, GA25%36%36%52%32%40%Kingsley Plantation, Jacksonville, FL25%32%39%56%34%38%Fort Mose, St. Augustine, FL25%32%36%46%36%31%Red Bank Plantation House, Jacksonville, FL24%28%35%47%32%36%Rice Museum, Georgetown, SC23%28%38%46%30%34%Gullah Museum, Hilton Head, SC23%36%39%49%28%33%Gullah Heritage Trails, Hilton Head Island22%34%39%46%28%34%Sweet Grass Baskets in Charleston City Market, SC22%33%34%43%28%29%Poplar Grove Plantation, Wilmington, NC22%30%34%49%32%38%Bellamy Mansion Museum, Wilmington, NC22%31%35%46%32%39%Gullah Geechee Tours, Charleston, SC21%32%39%48%28%31%Fort Frederica National Monument, St. Simon's Island, GA21%29%34%43%30%29%Daufuskie Island, SC21%31%31%44%26%27%Pin Point Heritage Museum, Savannah, GA20%28%33%43%29%28%Penn Center, St. Helena Island, SC19%26%33%39%26%29%Harrington School,

Background Objectives This report presents a current profile of U.S. leisure travelers, revealing several segments of travelers that have high potential to visit the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. The goal of the study is to help understand the potential for tourism across the Corridor through insights gained from traveler behavior, attitudes, and travel spending.