Tourism industry research specialists will conduct major study of Fisherman’s Wharf visitors.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (April 7, 2006) — Destination Analysts'^TM founder David Bratton (www.destinationanalysts.com), spoke today at the Western Association of Convention & Visitors Bureau's 2006 Tourism Tech Summit in San Jose, California. His talk, titled "Accountability Research 101: A primer for Destination Marketers," gave these industry professionals an overview of current best practices in measuring the return on investment of destination marketing and advertising programs. .”

"Some people may believe that because destination marketers are not offering a tangible product for sale, it is not possible for them to measure the return on investment (ROI) of their marketing activities," say Bratton. "But that's simply not the case."

According to Bratton, destination marketers can measure ROI by using a concept he calls Most Desired Response or MDR. "Every marketing initiative has at least one MDR, which is what the destination marketing organization wants its audience to do in response to its marketing or advertising," say Bratton. "We define our MDR and measure it through conversion studies or by advertisement tracking studies."

The group was shown how conversion studies (usually consisting of surveying a sample of people who were exposed to the destination’s promotional campaigns, such as visitor guides, print, radio or television advertisements or web sites) are planned and used. These surveys collect the data needed to measure the target audiences' response to the promotion; typically the number of travelers who were converted into actual visitors to a destination and the economic impact of this travel to the destination.

Bratton illustrated his technique with a case study on how his firm used web technology to measure the return on investment for a major tourist destination's annual marketing campaign. "With a little forethought and planning, it's relatively simple to provide a destination with invaluable data to measure their marketing effectiveness and allow them to justify their budgets. As the demands for accountability grow, this type research has become increasingly critical to the success of destination marketing organizations."

For more information on this presentation or accountability research, contact Destination Analysts^TM.

About Destination Analysts^TM: Based in San Francisco, California, Destination Analysts^TM (www.destinationanalysts.com (www.destinationanalysts.com) is one of the travel industry’s premier boutique marketing and research consultancies. Destination Analysts was established in 2003 to pioneer affordable, technology-based market research and marketing solutions for tourism and lifestyle-related businesses. The company’s portfolio has quickly grown to include Jackson Wine Estates, the Fiji Islands Visitors Bureau, the United States Forest Service, and DDB-Seattle. The needs of our clients are carefully analyzed and are the centerpiece of everything we do. David Bratton, founder of Destination Analysts^TM, says it best, "Our entire reason for existing is to help our clients thrive, and our goal is always to provide them with affordable and innovative methods to make their marketing soar."