When discussing the visitor economy, the conversation often focuses on tourists travelling long distances. But for many communities, a significant share of visitation comes from people who live outside municipal boundaries, whether they’re visiting for dining, shopping, events, recreation or other experiences.
A community’s resident population does not represent the full customer market available to its businesses. Keeping with the belief that visitation is firmly rooted in economics, we call this The Visitor Dividend.
The following municipal profiles look beyond traditional tourism definitions to illustrate the relationship between residents, near-market visitors and destination visitors, providing a clearer picture of the customer markets supporting communities across York, Durham and Headwaters.
Click on any report below to learn more about the visitor market supporting that community.
Note: These Visitor Dividend profiles are based on available visitor data. Where sufficient data was not available, a profile could not be produced. Additional communities may be added as data becomes available.
Durham
York
Headwaters
Curious about the story behind the numbers? In this month’s E.D. Corner, our Executive Director Chuck explores the research and thinking that inspired the Visitor Dividend profiles, and what it reveals about the visitors supporting communities across York, Durham and Headwaters. Read the full article below.
