Updates 01/20/2023: Ohio's Travel Industry and Current Travel Research

VISITORS WHO FEEL WELCOMED ARE WILLING TO PAY HIGHER ADMISSIONS

Key findings from IMPACTS, published Jan. 18:

Exhibit-based organizations like zoos, aquariums, museums, historic sites, etc., are not currently reaching new audiences fast enough to sustain long-term audience growth.
Though welcoming perceptions are increasing, many are still not reaching racially diverse audiences at representative rates.
People are willing to pay higher admission fees when they feel the experience is welcoming.
- On a welcoming perception scale from 0-100, people who rate their attraction experience as an 80 on this scale were willing to pay a higher admission price.
What exactly does feeling welcome mean to audiences?
- Seeing themselves represented by staff members in terms of race, age, etc.
- Seeing their language represented
- Special programs or exhibits representing diverse experts or stories
- Having a positive, personal interaction with a kind staff member
Specifically looking at those who self-identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) compared to those who self-identify as white or non-Hispanic, the trend still shows the higher the welcoming perception, the more each group is willing to pay in admission.