Out-of-town attendance soared during Tall Ships Erie 2022, but ticket sales declined

The crowds that gathered on Dobbins Landing to watch the Parade of Sail and the long line of people waiting to board the Nao Trinidad from Huelva, Spain, both pointed to the same conclusion.

Tall Ships Erie 2022 drew a crowd.

New information gleaned from cell phone data and provided to VisitErie, Erie County's tourism promotion agency, paints a more complete picture of those attending Tall Ships and offers evidence of the event's growing reach. Along with preliminary reports on ticket sales at the festival, the VisitErie numbers suggest that a growing percentage of visitors to the event came from outside the area.

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Out-of-town visitation grew 41%

More specifically, VisitErie reports that the number of visitors who traveled more than 30 miles to visit Erie County during the dates of Tall Ships Erie was up 41% compared to the event dates in 2019.

The largest share of those who made the trip were from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Buffalo, Youngstown, Ohio and Johnstown-Altoona.

According to VisitErie, out-of-state visitors to Erie County during the period of the event, Aug. 25-28, increased by 13% in 2022, while overnight visitors increased by 7%.

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How do we know?

So, what's the source of all this data and what will VisitErie do with the information?

The information grows out of a partnership between VisitErie and Zartico Destination Operating System, a national research company that uses anonymous cell phone geolocation data to track visitor activity.

In this case, Zartico tracked cell phones and other devices that traveled more than 30 miles to check into a location in Erie County during the Tall Ships festival, said Emily Biddle, VisitErie's director of marketing and research.

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"If a cell phone moves into a certain area, they will be able to pick up anonymously where the cell phone user is from and where else they go," Biddle said.

She stressed that the information is not so detailed as to be able to track an individual.

But the information is valuable and can help VisitErie tailor its marketing by understanding where visitors are from and what they like to do, she said.

Data from this event showed for instance that large numbers of out-of-town visitors also visited local retailers and outdoor destinations, including Presque Isle State Park.

"I think it (the information) will really impact how we market (Tall Ships) three years from now," Biddle said. "The data tells us what else people like to do. That can help us work with other organizations. We understand that (people) are here for Tall Ships. We want to make sure they understand there are other things to do."

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More people looking, fewer people buying

Despite evidence of more out-of-town visitors to Erie County during Tall Ships 2022, the number of people who bought tickets to the event did not grow.

"There was a slight reduction in ticket sales from '19 to '22,' said Billy Sabatini, executive director and fleet captain for the Flagship Niagara League, organizer of the festival.

Sabatini said he's not surprised that fewer people this year paid for access into restricted areas and onto the tall ships themselves.

"That is to be expected," Sabatini said. "We are coming out of a pandemic, and we had fewer ships. We are happy with the number of people we had."

Sabatini said precise figures for ticket sales are still unavailable.

More:Tall Ships Erie 2022: What you need to know about the festival along the lake

Sabatini said it's easy for him to understand how the number of visitors to Erie County grew while the number of people buying tickets fell.

"A lot of people come down to the bayfront without getting in. I think they just want to be a part of it," Sabatini said. "The Parade of Sail is completely free and 10s of thousands of people come into the city. Tall ships is something that is happening all over the bayfront. People are coming down to be a part of it and I think that's wonderful."

Jim Martin can be reached at jmartin@timesnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Tall Ships Erie 2022 drew heavily from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Buffalo