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Marketing Results
REGIONAL SALES MARKETS
According to a survey carried out by m Research in the course of November 2003, 27% of all of the inhabitants of Graz and 54% of Styrians in general attended at least one Graz 2003 event. According to this survey, 12% of Styrians attended as many as between 5 and 9 of the events. This should be viewed against the background that traditionally, in the marketing of culture, it is assumed that the market potential figure ranges between 7% and a maximum of 25%.
SUPRA-REGIONAL SALES MARKETS
The growth rates in day visitors and overnight stays in Graz (see also item 4 Commercial Networks) of over 100% and over 25% respectively, have broken all historical records in Graz.
ACHIEVEMENT OF OBJECTIVES
All of the quantitative targets set for Graz 2003 exceeded by far
All of the quantitative targets set in terms of visitor numbers and increases in overnight stays have been exceeded by between 30% and 250%.
In the Graz region, successful attempts were made to win over large groups of people to active participation in culture and identification through culture, these people in the past having shown little or absolutely no interest in the traditional range of high culture on offer. The inhabitants of the city today draw a considerable part of the regional self-awareness from being inhabitants of the Capital City of Culture.
COMPETITIVE & MARKET POSITION
- As the Capital City of Culture, Graz gained recognition throughout Europe.
- Graz was structured as a dynamic, self-confident brand.
- A large number of opinion leaders and journalists visiting Graz for the first time gained a decidedly positive image of the city, expressing the firm intention to recommend it.
- The newly created infrastructure (Kunsthaus, City Arena, Island in the Mur, Helmut List Hall, House of Literature, Children's Museum, etc.) achieved great steps forward for Graz in terms of its competitiveness as an event venue.
- Graz is today listed in practically all of the main tour operator catalogues in Europe.
- Cultural installations and artistic groups from Graz have been able to cement outstanding international contacts, thus significantly reinforcing their position in the international market.
- With the realisation of Graz 2003, an enormous degree of operational know-how in the cultural field was created within the city, of a level available to hardly any other European city of comparable size.
- In many supply sectors for the Cultural Capital year, the major contracts awarded have likewise resulted in reinforcement of competence.
- Many international media contacts established at personal level also offer enormous communication potential for the future.
- Due to the necessary concentrated and rapid handling of complex approval procedures for major projects, the public administration has developed new procedural routines.
- A considerable proportion of the local Graz economy and tourism industry included the umbrella brand elements in their own corporate communications, in this way offering potential for brand communication which can be built on in the future.
- More than 100 high-ranking international delegations visited Graz, offering contact possibilities at professional level for the future.
COMMERCIAL BENEFITS
There are no comparative figures for one-off projects such as Graz 2003 as European Capital City of Culture. However, one thing is clear: Graz 2003 has been the most successful major cultural project in the history of the European Union – both in terms of visitor numbers and media coverage.
SALES TRENDS
2.5 million visitors to Graz 2003 events & projects
With more than 2.5 million visitors, Graz 2003 as the European Capital City of Culture became the largest cultural project in the history of the European Union.
Over 100% increase in day visitors
In terms of day visitors, Graz experienced an increase of over 100% over the previous year. The increase in guided tours for visitors amounted to more than 111%. The information offices for Graz 2003 and the Graz tourist office likewise assisted considerably more than twice as many customers than in the previous year.
More than 25% increase in overnight stays
The increase in overnight stays over the previous year stands, to date, at more than 25%. In peak months, the growth rate was over 50%. And this in a year, in which city tourism in Austria has been under great pressure. As a result, the forecast rate of growth from an ex-ante study carried out by Joanneum Research has been exceeded by a factor greater than 2.5.
More than 1200 new jobs created
A study carried out by Joanneum Research in advance of the year as Capital City of Culture, and still assuming the rates of growth in the tourist sector which were, in fact, exceeded by a factor of 3, forecast more than 1200 new jobs being created by the programme year. The revised figures on the basis of an ex-post analysis were not available by the date of submission.
AWARENESS RATE
More than 10,000 international press articles
More than 10,000 press articles from international media from all continents have reported on Graz 2003 to date.
More than 40 TV channels reporting
More than 40 TV channels from throughout the world transmitted broadcasts and clips from Graz as the Cultural Capital of Europe.
21 million visitors to the web site
To date, more than 21 million visitors have looked up the homepage of the Capital City of Culture at www.graz03.at.
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78 % say that Graz 2003 was worthwhile
78 % of the inhabitants of Graz stated that the Cultural Capital year had been worthwhile for Graz, according to a survey carried out in October by m Research on behalf of the weekly newspaper 'Der neue Grazer'.
Graz is worthy of the title of Cultural Capital of Europe
In a survey carried out by the Enquiry Market Research Institute on behalf of the Graz Tourism Association, when asked whether Graz was worthy of the title of Cultural Capital of Europe, international visitors rated Graz at 4.4 on a scale of 1 to 5.
Visitors to the Cultural Capital firmly intending to recommend it
In the same study, the question as to whether visitors would recommend a visit to Graz produced a positive response rate of 4.6.
Intention high among visitors to the Cultural Capital to return for another visit
The question as to whether they themselves intended to make a repeat visit to the city produced a positive response rate of 4.5.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS
- The inhabitants of Graz can experience their city afresh.
- There is lots of life evident on Sundays, with the restaurants being open again. This has seen us breaking out of the spiral which at weekends led to a regular exodus from the city and a deserted city centre.
- Culture can be provided and consumed by means of ongoing information, the simplest products, close-knit marketing networks and favourable prices, without thresholds and barriers.
- With the Murinsel artificial island installation and the new promenade along the Mur, the river has also been made accessible again to the people of Graz.
The high level of demand has resulted in a tangible increase in the professionalism of secondary offers in the cultural sector. |
