Ready to Launch Research partnered with an international advertising agency to conduct a comprehensive tourism market research study aimed at increasing travel from the U.S. to a Caribbean destination. The primary goals were to understand traveler motivations, identify influential trip planning tools, assess awareness of various regions within the country, and compare perceptions of this destination to its competitors in the region.
We utilized a mixed-methods approach to gather deep insights. Phase one featured an online research community with 50 U.S. travelers. Among them were 10 travel influencers with over 10,000 followers each. The remaining participants were split evenly between those who had visited the destination and those considering a future trip. Activities included surveys, photo uploads, video diaries, and screen captures of online travel research to capture real-time planning behavior and vacation preferences.
In phase two, we conducted ethnographic in-home interviews with 10 high-engagement participants. These sessions offered a detailed view of how travel fits into participants' broader lifestyles and leisure values, uncovering emotional and logistical drivers behind destination choices.
The final deliverable—a strategic insights report—directly informed the following year’s tourism marketing and advertising campaigns. The destination experienced a 5% increase in U.S. visitor volume as a result. This research also identified key travel behavior trends, improved understanding of content engagement across platforms, and revealed opportunities to promote lesser-known regions of the country to adventure-seeking travelers.
