GOL SERVICE – TRAVEL PROFILE OF BRAZILIAN VISTORS

GOL SERVICE – TRAVEL PROFILE OF BRAZILIAN VISTORS

RESEARCH DEPARTMENT NOVEMBER 2014


RESEARCH DEPARTMENT NOVEMBER 2014 1

FOREWORD

This report provides insight into the travel motivations and profiles of Brazilian travelers to Barbados using the GOL service.

The overall study, inclusive of the creation of the survey instrument, processing and presentation of findings was led by the Research Department of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.

The data collection process was undertaken by Brazconnect; a company which provides various services to visitors from Brazil including translator services. A total of 171 questionnaires were collected between July and August 2014 at the Grantley Adams International Airport.

The cooperation of the staff at GAIA, those visitors who took time to participate in the study as well as the efforts of the data collection team was greatly appreciated, as they were key elements in the success of the study.

Brazconnect



CONTENTS INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................................................................3

BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................................................... 4

TRAVEL GROWTH ............................................................................................................................................................ 4

RATIONALE .......................................................................................................................................................................... 5

SURVEY .................................................................................................................................................................................. 5

FINDINGS OF SURVEY ......................................................................................................................................................................6

CITY OF ORIGIN ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6

GENDER ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

AGE ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

PURPOSE OF VISIT ................................................................................................................................................................. 8

MAIN REASON FOR CHOOSING BARBADOS ........................................................................................................... 8

HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT BARABDOS? ............................................................................................................. 9

FREQUENCY OF VISITS ..................................................................................................................................................... 10

METHOD OF BOOKING ................................................................................................................................................... 11

TRAVEL COMPANION ...................................................................................................................................................... 11

NUMBER OF NIGHTS SPENT .......................................................................................................................................... 12

ACCOMMODATION CHOICES .................................................................................................................................... 12

BARBADOS’ APPEAL ........................................................................................................................................................... 13

MAIN ACTIVITIES ENJOYED IN BARBADOS .......................................................................................................... 13

EXPERIENCE AND EXPECTATIONS ............................................................................................................................. 14

OTHER DESTINATION PREFERENCES ........................................................................................................................ 15

DESTINATIONS VISITED IN THE LAST 5 YEARS ................................................................................................... 15

CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................................................................... 16

APPENDIX – QUESTIONNAIRE ................................................................................................................................................... 17



LIST OF TABLES & FIGURES

Table 1.City of Origin ........................................................................................................................................................................6 Table 2. Most Popular Accommodation Choices ................................................................................................................ 12 Table 3. Other Destination Preferences .................................................................................................................................. 15 Table 4. Destinations Visited in the Last 5 Years ................................................................................................................ 15

Figure 1. Gender of Respondents .......................................................................................................................................... 7 Figure 2. Age of Respondents ................................................................................................................................................. 7 Figure 3. Purpose of Visit ......................................................................................................................................................... 8 Figure 4. Main Reason for Choosing Barbados .............................................................................................................. 8 Figure 5. How Did You Hear About Barbados ................................................................................................................ 9 Figure 6. Frequency of Visit ................................................................................................................................................. 10 Figure 7. Frequency of Visit by Age .................................................................................................................................. 10 Figure 8. Method of Organizing Trip .............................................................................................................................. 11 Figure 9. Travel Companion ................................................................................................................................................ 11 Figure 10. Number of Nights Spent .................................................................................................................................. 12 Figure 11. Barbados' Appeal ................................................................................................................................................ 13 Figure 12. Main Activities..................................................................................................................................................... 13 Figure 13. Vacation Experience ......................................................................................................................................... 14 Figure 14. Expectations .......................................................................................................................................................... 14



INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND Brazil is the largest country in the Latin & South American region as well as, the only Portuguese speaking country in the South American continent. It is the largest Portuguese speaking country in the world, with a land mass of 3,287,597 square miles and approximately 202,656,788 inhabitants.

Brazil is packed with numerous natural resources as a result it has the 7th largest economy in the world measured by GDP and purchasing power. With the steady economic growth millions have been lifted from poverty. The middle class is continuously growing; in October 2014 Brazil reported a drop in unemployment by 4.7 percent. The major metropolitan areas also posted a 4 percent increase in the average monthly wages of workers.

TRAVEL GROWTH With high purchasing power and deposable income the domestic and international travel has boomed in the last decade. In 2012, 7.9 million Brazilians travelled internationally, a 68% growth between 2007 and 2012. The growth forecast between 2012 and 2017 is an expected 17% (WTM Origin Market Seminar 2013 Brazil).

The USA is the most popular destination choice and also the number one shopping destination for Brazil travelers. The BMI Industry View – Brazil Q1 2015 states that the USA receives approximately 30% of Brazil’s outbound tourists, with 2.13 million visiting in 2014. This is expected to increase in 2015 to 2.15 million and then continue to increase towards 2.41 million by 2018. According to Consumer Demand Project’s Understanding the Brazilian Consumer, 56% of the Brazilians considered travelling to the USA in the next 4 years. When asked which of the following destinations they are actively planning to visit for a holiday in the next 2 years, the USA was the number one response with 40%. Brazil is also among the major source markets for Europe, Argentina and other South American countries; due to strong cultural links and the strength of the Real (Brazilian currency), respectively (WTM Origin Market Seminar 2013 Brazil).



This untapped tourism source market next door to Barbados’ shores drove the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (formerly Barbados Tourism Authority) in 2010 to pursue avenues of capturing the attention of the average Brazilian vacationer. Thereby the weekly GOL service to Barbados came to fruition, giving Brazil a direct link to Barbados. GOL, a Brazilian airline, provides flights to 62 destinations and 13 countries both domestically and internationally. Since its inaugural flight on June 26th 2010, Barbados has seen an increase in arrivals from Brazil. In 2011, some 4,842 Brazilians visited Barbados, a 105.7% increase from the visitors recorded the previous year.

RATIONALE The rationale of this study is to understand what motivates Brazilians to travel to Barbados as well as to capture a demographic profile of Brazilian visitors. It was expected that the results gathered would aid in strategic target market promotions to boost repeat and first time arrivals from Brazil.

SURVEY During the months of July and August, printed questionnaires were randomly distributed in the departure and check-in area at the Grantley Adams International Airport. The results were collected and analyzed in house by the Research Department. During this period, a total of 550 Brazilians visited Barbados via GOL. However only 171 responses were captured and used for the study.



FINDINGS OF SURVEY

CITY OF ORIGIN A total of 171 questionnaires were collected for the study. An analysis of the respondents was conducted by the city of origin; the information showed that majority of the Brazilians (45%) originated from Sao Paulo. Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre accounted for the second and third largest share with 11% and 5.8%, respectively. Approximately 6 % of the preferred not to state the city they were travelling from. All other cities stated generated relatively small numbers in comparison to those aforementioned.

Table 1.City of Origin

City Frequency Percent

Argentina 2 1.2Atacazo 1 0.6

Bage 1 0.6Bahia 1 0.6

Barveri 1 0.6Belem 1 0.6

Belo Horizonte 2 1.2Boa Vista 1 0.6Boituva 1 0.6Brasilia 3 1.8

Campinas 3 1.8Curitiba 5 2.9Diadema 1 0.6

Espirito Santo 2 1.2Florianopolis 3 1.8

Fortaleza 1 0.6Goiania 3 1.8

Minas Gerais 2 1.2Not Stated 11 6.4

Parobe 1 0.6Pernambuco 1 0.6

Petropolis 1 0.6Porto Alegre 10 5.8

Ribeirao Pires 1 0.6Rio de Janeiro 20 11.7

Rio Grande do Sul 1 0.6Salvador 2 1.2

Santa Catarina 6 3.5Sao Bernardo do Campo 1 0.6

Sao Caetano do Sul 1 0.6Sao Jose dos Campos 2 1.2

Sao Leopoldo 1 0.6Sao Paulo 77 45Vinhedo 1 0.6



GENDER Of the respondents, more than half (52%), comprised of males. Females accounted for 45% of the remaining share while 3% did not indicated their gender. Further analysis showed that majority of both male and female respondents originated from Sao Paulo.

AGE The age mix of the sample indicated that Barbados attracts a younger Brazilian visitor to its shores. The majority of the sample (84%) was under the age of 50 years. A further analysis of the age mix showed 30% of the respondents were between the ages of 35 and 49. The 25-34 years category yielded 26%, 18-24 years and under 18 years old accounted for 18% and 10%, respectively. The remaining 16% were from the 50-64 years and 65 plus categories.

Figure 1. Gender of Respondents

Figure 2. Age of Respondents



PURPOSE OF VISIT Vacation was the primary purpose of visit for 87% of the Brazilian visitors. Sports and recreation accounted for 4% of the total while vacation/business, wedding/honeymoon, business only and visit friends/family yielded 2% each of the total respondents. The conference meeting/convention and special event categories accounted for the smallest portions of the respondents with 1% each of the respondents.

MAIN REASON FOR CHOOSING BARBADOS In this category, majority of the respondents indicated their main reason for choosing Barbados was recommendation by a friend/word of mouth. This is a clear reflection that Barbados had given previous visitors a satisfying experience, in order to recommend it as a vacation choice.

Figure 3. Purpose of Visit

Figure 4. Main Reason for Choosing Barbados



HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT BARABDOS?

The World Wide Web appeared to be the major factor in captivating the attention of Brazilians to choose Barbados as a tourism destination. More than one third of the respondents (37%) had heard of Barbados via the internet. This result is not surprising as Brazil has one of the world’s most dynamic social media communities (WTM Origin Market Seminar 2013 Brazil). With approximately 76 million Facebook users and approximately 30 million Twitter users; Brazil is ranked as the 3rd largest online community in the world.

The “I already knew of it” and “friends/relatives” categories produced 23% each of the total responses. The other categories yielded very small results however it should be noted that 1% of the respondents indicated they heard about Barbados because of Bajan superstar Rihanna.

Figure 5. How Did You Hear About Barbados



FREQUENCY OF VISITS

The majority of Barbados’ overall tourism patronage stems from repeat visitors; however in this case 89% of the respondents were first time visitors to Barbados. When the individuals’ age was factored into a further analysis of the frequency of visits, results indicated that majority of the first time visitors were indeed once again under the age of 50 years old. This was also mirrored in the results of those respondents who stated they frequented Barbados more than once. The distribution of first time visitors in the age categories of under 18 years, 18- 24 years, 25-34 years, 35-49 years were 11%, 16%, 27% and 30% respectively. While repeat visitors were 33%, 17% and 39% in the respective categories of 18-24 years, 25-34 years and 35-49 years.

Figure 7. Frequency of Visit by Age

Figure 6. Frequency of Visit



METHOD OF BOOKING

Majority of the respondents booked their trips using the Gol Website. Forty-six percent used this method another 19% used other methods while the remaining 35% used a travel agent or tour operator.

TRAVEL COMPANION Of the respondents approximately half (52%) travelled to Barbados with their family. Twenty-eight percent travelled with a spouse or partner only and another thirteen percent with a group or friends. Alone and other accounted for 7% and 2% respectively.

Figure 8. Method of Organizing Trip

Figure 9. Travel Companion



NUMBER OF NIGHTS SPENT Approximately three quarters of the respondents spent seven nights or more in Barbados. The 7 night category accounted for eighty-one percent of the total responses while the more than 7 nights yielded 12%. The remaining categories yielded significantly less amounts. This is expected as GOL is a weekly service.

ACCOMMODATION CHOICES Upon analysis of the type accommodation the sample preferred to patronize, it was discovered that Hilton Barbados Resort was the most popular accommodation choice. Coconut Court Beach Hotel and The Crane Residential Resort were second and third most popular choices. Further analysis showed that majority of the visitors who stay 7night or more stayed in all inclusive hotels or resorts. However there were a handful of visitors who preferred to stay in guest houses, apartments or family/friends’ homes.

Accommodation Frequency Percentage Coconut Court Beach Hotel 21 12 Hilton Barbados Resort 25 15 The Crane Residential Resort 16 9

Table 2. Most Popular Accommodation Choices

Figure 10. Number of Nights Spent



BARBADOS’ APPEAL When the sample was asked to indicate what was appealing about Barbados to them ninety-four percent selected climate/beaches. Restaurants and cuisine was the second popular response representing 19% of the total. These findings were also reflected in the main activities undertaken in Barbados.

MAIN ACTIVITIES ENJOYED IN BARBADOS Of the main activities undertaken in Barbados, sightseeing and swimming & sunbathing were the most prominent, with each yielding 74% of the total responses. Dining at

restaurants accounted for the second largest share with 58% of the total responses. Shopping, watersports and visiting heritage/historic sites resulted in 32%, 34% and 36% respectively of the total. When analyzed by age those in the younger age categories dominated each activity section.

Figure 11. Barbados' Appeal

Figure 12. Main Activities



EXPERIENCE AND EXPECTATIONS Visitors were asked to rate their overall vacation experience ranging from very poor to excellent, Barbados was awarded stellar reviews. Roughly three quarters (67%) of the respondents rated their vacation experience as excellent. Twenty-nine percent rated it as very good and the remaining 4% rated it as good.

Ninety-nine percent of the sample indicated that Barbados had met their expectations. Only one percent selected that Barbados did not meet their expectations.

Figure 13. Vacation Experience

Figure 14. Expectations



OTHER DESTINATION PREFERENCES In order to gauge Barbados’ competition for the Brazil market, as well as the vacation preference of Brazilian travelers, the sample was asked to indicate whether Barbados was their first destination choice. Those who stated no, were asked to identify what other countries they had considered. Sixty-six percent of the respondents chose Barbados as their premier vacation spot. Twenty-nine percent had other destination choices while the remaining 5 percent cent did not state their preferences. Table 3 is a reflection of the top countries specified by the sample; the remaining countries did not yield significant numbers.

Table 3. Other Destination Preferences

DESTINATIONS VISITED IN THE LAST 5 YEARS Research has revealed that the average Brazilian is well travelled, when asked to identify destinations that they visited in the last five years, the responses were numerous. Due to the numerous responses the countries were grouped into countries/territories. The Latin American & Other Caribbean region had the highest overall percentage, Europe and the USA had the second and third largest respectively.

Table 4. Destinations Visited in the Last 5 Years

Other Destinations Frequency Percentage

Aruba 5 7

Bahamas 5 7

Cancun 7 9

Chi le 4 5

Punta Cana 4 5

USA 6 8

Country/Territory Responses Percentage

Africa 13 3

Asia 14 3

Barbados 8 2

Brazil 45 10

Canada 6 1

Caricom 7 2

Europe 120 26

Latin America & Other Caribbean 143 31

Other 5 1

UK 16 3

USA 85 18

Total 462 100



CONCLUSION There were some expected and unexpected outcomes of this study. The appeal, purpose of visit and main activities enjoyed results were as expected as majority of visitors come to Barbados to vacation and for the climate.

The report was able to build a demographic profile of Brazilian visitors albeit from a small sample size. Majority of the respondents were male and under the age of 50 years old, it can be said Barbados therefore attracts young Brazilians with disposable income. This was reflected in their accommodation choices and their origin. Many originated from the major metropolitan areas where poverty is relatively low and they generally preferred to stay in all inclusive hotels. The sample primarily stayed 7 nights or more and travelled with their families.

Notably, there were a high number of first time visitors, majority of who came to Barbados because of recommendations by friends or word of mouth. Therefore those persons who previously visited had good experiences to make such recommendations, which were then mirrored in the responses from the sample.

The results also revealed that Brazilians are active on the World Wide Web, as most of the sample indicated they heard about Barbados via the internet and most also booked their travel via the GOL website. This result is also evidence of a young demographic as generally younger persons tend to rely on the internet when organizing their travel plans.

It is expected that the findings from this survey will provide an adequate profile of the Brazilian visitor which will assist the Caribbean & Latin America Department in its marketing initiatives.



APPENDIX – QUESTIONNAIRE

____________________________

___________________________YES o

NO o

VACATION o BUSINESS ONLY o

VACATION/BUSINESS o VISIT FRIENDS/RELATIVES o SHOPPING oVISITING

HERITAGE/HISTORICAL SITESo

WEDDING/HONEYMOON o HEALTH o SIGHTSEEING (ISLAND TOUR) o MUSEUM/ART GALLERY o

RELIGIOUS PURPOSES o SPORTS AND RECREATION o a) NAME:______________________________ DINING AT RESTAURANTS o SWIMMING/SUNBATHING o

CONFERENCE/MEETING/ o DISCO/NIGHT CLUB o WATERSPORTS o

CONVENTION LANGUAGE STUDIES o b) TYPE: SURFING o DIVE o

SPECIAL EVENT o OTHER ALL INCLUSIVE o OTHER HOTEL o CULTURAL PERFORMANCE o GOLFING/TENNIS/CRIKET o

APARTMENT o VILLA o CONCERT/MUSICAL o

INTRANSIT o GUEST HOUSE o OTHER o

16. HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR OVERALL EXPERIENCE IN BARBADOS?

SPECIAL OFFER/DISCOUNT o EXCELLENT o

RECOMMENDATION BY A

FRIEND/WORD OF MOUTHo

VERY GOODo

HOLIDAY OF A LIFETIME o ALONE o SPOUSE/PARTNER ONLY o

GOODo

FAMILY o GROUP/FRIENDS o

POORo

OTHER o VERY POOR o

CLIMATE/BEACHES o SPA/WELLNESS o

HERITAGE/CULTURE o QUALITY OF ACCOMMODATION o YES o NO o

NIGHT LIFE o SHOPPING o

CHILDREN FRIENDLY FACILITIES o PRICE o

LEISURE/SPORTS o RESTAURANTS/CUISINE o 7 NIGHTS o MALE o FEMALE o

VARIETY OF ATTRACTIONS oOTHER (Specify)

________________________

19. WHAT IS YOUR AGE?

I ALREADY KNEW OF IT o TRAVEL AGENCY o UNDER 18 YEARS o 35 – 49 YEARS o

YES o NO o INTERNET o BROCHURE o 18 – 24 YEARS o 50 – 64 YEARS o

SOCIAL MEDIA o TELEVISION o 25 – 34 YEARS o OVER 65 YEARS o

FRIENDS/RELATIVES oMAGAZINE

ADVERTISEMENTo

LESS THAN 1 YEAR o 1 – 2 YEARS o TRAVEL GUIDE oSPECIAL EVENT

ADVERTISEMENT o

2 – 5 YEARS o OVER 5 YEARS o TRADE SHOW o RIHANNA o

12. WAS BARBADOS YOUR FIRST CHOICE FOR A VACATION?

GOL WEBSITE o YES o NO o

TOUR OPERATOR o _________________________

TRAVEL AGENT o _________________________

OTHER o _________________________ __________________________________________________

Thank you for visiting Barbados! We hope that you will enjoy your stay with us. Please take a few minutes of your time to complete this questionnaire as accurately as you can.

(Specify) _________________ (Specify) _________________

(Specify)__________________

1. WHICH CITY IN BRAZIL DO YOU LIVE?

2. WHAT WAS YOUR MAIN PURPOSE OF VISIT TO BARBADOS?

3. WHAT WAS YOUR MAIN REASON FOR CHOOSING BARBADOS?

14. WHAT DESTINATIONS HAVE YOU VISITED WITHIN THE LAST FIVE YEARS?

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

7. HOW DID YOU BOOK YOUR TRAVEL?

11. HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS DESTINATION?

(Specify) _________________

6. IF NO, WHEN WAS YOUR LAST TRIP TO BARBADOS?

(Specify)___________________________________________

4. WHAT APPEALS TO YOU THE MOST ABOUT BARBADOS?

5. IS THIS YOUR FIRST VISIT TO BARBADOS?

15. WHAT ARE THE MAIN ACTIVITIES YOU UNDERTOOK DURING YOUR VISIT TO

BARBADOS?

18. ARE YOU MALE OR FEMALE?

Thank you for participating in this survey!

13. IF NO, WHAT OTHER DESTINATION HAVE YOU CONSIDERED?

7b. IF YOU BOOKED YOUR TRIP WITH A TOUR OPERATOR OR TRAVEL AGENT, WERE

THEY KNOWLEABLE ABOUT BARBADOS?

8. WHERE ARE YOU STAYING IN BARBADOS?

9. WITH WHOM DID YOU TRAVEL?

10. HOW MANY NIGHTS DID YOU STAY IN BARBADOS?

OTHER (Specify)_______________

OTHER (Specify)_____________

17. DID BARBADOS MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS?

OTHER (Specify)_______________

GOL SERVICE – TRAVEL PROFILE OF BRAZILIAN VISTORS

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