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Is There Such a Thing as Taboo Tourism?
Leonard Hoops
President and CEO
Visit Indy
Dale Sky Jones
Chairwoman
Coalition for Cannabis
Policy Reform;
Executive Chancellor
Oaksterdam University
Joe David Rice
Tourism Division Director
Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
John Ricks
Associate Director
Colorado Tourism Office
Al White
Senior Advisor
Colorado Office of Economic Development
and International Trade
JJ Walker
CEO
My 420 Tours
Leonard Hoops
President and CEO
Visit Indy
Indiana’s RFRA: Timeline
• Feb. 5 – Visit Indy joins ACLU of Indiana & Indy Chamber in
officially opposing proposed RFRA legislation (SB101)
• March 26 – SB101 signed into law
• April 2 – SB101 amended to ensure it cannot be used to
deny service based on sexual orientation or gender identity,
nor can it be used as a defense for discrimination
• April 4 – NCAA Final Four games held in Indy
Indiana’s RFRA: Response
• Keep convention customers from cancelling & support
customers with their upcoming events
• Develop & implement communications strategies to mitigate
impact of negative media:
#IndyWelcomesAll
#LoveIndy
• Amend SB101 to ensure it cannot be used for discrimination
& communicate amended law to customers
Indiana’s RFRA: Response
Indiana’s RFRA: Response
• Keep convention customers from cancelling & support
customers with their upcoming events
• Develop & implement communications strategies to mitigate
impact of negative media:
#IndyWelcomesAll
#LoveIndy
• Amend SB101 to ensure it cannot be used for discrimination
& communicate amended law to customers
Indiana’s RFRA: 120 Days Later
• Not everyone knows Indiana’s RFRA was amended
• Impact on convention attendance has depended on group’s
familiarity with Indy
• Lost several “high-probability win” bids … but convention
sales results now approaching all-time high
• Summer leisure campaign results ahead of 2014
• Issue WILL be re-ignited during 2016 legislative session;
impact TBD
Joe David Rice
Tourism Division Director
Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
John Ricks
Associate Director
Colorado Tourism Office
Al White
Senior Advisor
Colorado Office of Economic
Development and International Trade
Marijuana Law Awareness and InfluenceJune 2015
Methodology
Through the course of evaluating the effectiveness of Colorado Tourism’s leisure
marketing, Strategic Marketing & Research Insights, LLC (SMARInsights) has been
tracking awareness, influence and participation in marijuana-based activities.
SMARInsights surveys consumers in Colorado Tourism’s target markets four times over
the course of the year as there are two waves of advertising for each seasonal
campaign. The initial wave of research asks consumers their awareness of the issue
and influence on interest in visiting while the travel wave includes marijuana-based
activities.
Respondents are qualified as travel decision who regularly take overnight leisure
trips. Additional screening criteria apply to winter respondents in that they must have
taken or be willing to take a snow-focused vacation. The following sample sizes have
been used in data collection for the past three years:
Completed Interviews Wave 1 Wave 2
Summer 2013 2,533 2,838
Winter 2014 1,216 1,699
Summer 2014 1,771 2,913
Winter 2014 1,203 1,655
www.smarinsights.com23
Familiarity with Marijuana Law
www.smarinsights.com24
11%20% 25% 30%
25%
37% 30%31%
36%
33% 31%30%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Summer 2013 Winter 2014 Summer 2014 Winter 2015
Awareness of Marijuana Legalization
Very familiar Familiar Somewhat familiar
It has been more than a year since Colorado enacted legislation allowing the legal
purchase of marijuana from state-regulated dispensaries. Given the extensive media
coverage of the issue, nearly all traveling households targeted by Colorado Tourism’s
marketing are at least somewhat familiar with the legislation.
Influence of Marijuana Law on Travel
25 www.smarinsights.com
9%16% 16% 21%
72%64% 62%
63%
19% 19% 21% 16%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Summer 2013 Winter 2014 Summer 2014 Winter 2015
Reported Influence on Likelihood to Visit
More likely to visit No influence Less likely to visit
As the legislation is put into effect, there has been a slight increase in the households
more likely to visit the state because of the availability of marijuana.
Participation and Motivation
Though participation has remained consistent since legalization, there are slight shifts
in motivation to visit the state because of the availability of marijuana.
The state’s primary products of parks, scenic drives and hiking remain the primary
motivators, along with ski and snow in the winter.
Visiting a marijuana store or dispensary Winter 2014 Summer 2014 Winter 2015
Participation 6% 8% 7%
Motivation 1% 2% 3%
4 www.smarinsights.com
JJ Walker
CEO
My 420 Tours
Dale Sky Jones
Oaksterdam UniversityExecutive Chancellor
Coalition for Cannabis Policy ReformChairwoman
Legalization leads to…
According to the state’s department of revenue, the first ten months of legal marijuana sales have resulted in
nearly $40 million in tax revenue.
The city of Denver saw a decrease in violent crime rates.
Upwards of $8 million has been allocated to fund youth education and drug prevention efforts.
OaksterdamUniversity.com
Since the first retail cannabis stores opened:
• The state has benefitted from a decrease in • Crime rates, including violent crime• Traffic fatalities• Suicide among young males (over 10%)• Alcohol use and DUI in young males (10-25%)• Heroin & Opioid overdose deaths (20-33%)• Domestic Violence
• Colorado has experiencing economic growth and the lowest unemployment rate in years, with an increase in
• Tax revenue • Economic output from retail cannabis sales• Jobs
OaksterdamUniversity.com
Who Benefits?
• Travel, Tourism and Hospitality
– Hotel, Motel, Bud & Breakfast, “Dude Ranch” Experience & Education, Restaurants, Tours
• Vendors of all types
• Infrastructure and roads
• Public transportation
• Image (reduced crime, violence, drunken behavior)
• Competitive markets
OaksterdamUniversity.com
Tourism
OaksterdamUniversity.com
