Research suggests new laws have slim impact on interest to visit the Centennial State, even act as slight tourist deterrent in Washington, Alaska and Oregon.
ORLANDO, FLA. – Mile-high expectations for the potential of “weed tourism” may be overstated according to a new study by leading integrated travel marketing firm, MMGY Global. The report reveals that the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in Colorado, Washington, Alaska and Oregon is likely to have minimal impact overall on leisure travelers’ interest in visiting these states. In fact, it may even serve as a slight deterrent to visitation in the months ahead.
The national survey of 2,300 U.S. adults revealed the following:
- Zero Net Difference in interest in Visiting Colorado: The net difference (the percentage “more likely” to visit minus the percentage “less likely”) for Colorado was zero – 18% more likely, versus 18% less likely
- Weed Legalization is a Slight Deterrent to Tourism in The Other States: The survey revealed that interest in visiting the three other states declined: Oregon -4%, Alaska -3%, and Washington -1%
- Small Percentage of Travelers Have Packed Up to Smoke Up: Since legalization in these four states, six percent (6%) of respondents say they have vacationed in Colorado or Washington, and four percent (4%) have vacationed in Alaska or Oregon. And most of those who made the trip were younger males.
So, Who’s Ready to Roll (Up)?
As revealed above, those who traveled to these states primarily because of the legalization of recreational marijuana tended to be male, younger (18-35 years) and more affluent.
- Millennials Much More Likely to Visit for Weed: The likelihood of visiting all four states among Millennials is substantially higher, ranging from a net positive difference of 16 points for Alaska, up to 21 points for Colorado. One out of four Millennials has vacationed in one of the four states due to the legalization of recreational marijuana, significantly more than the eleven percent (11%) of Gen Xers, four percent (4%) of Boomers and one percent (1%) of Matures.
- If You Have Cash to Blaze: The percentage of U.S. adults who cite the availability of legalized marijuana as a motivation for a future visit to one of these four states is highest among males and households with an annual income over $150,000.
- Is it a Guy Thing? Males (18%) are more than twice as likely as females (8%) to have vacationed in one of the four states because of the legalization of recreational marijuana.
“As the leading integrated marketing firm serving the hospitality and travel industries, we were curious to see how the legalization of recreational marijuana might impact travelers’ interest in visiting these states,” said Clayton Reid, president and CEO, MMGY Global. “The results of the survey reveal that traveler sentiment is quite divided on this, with younger travelers quite positive, and older travelers decidedly negative. And this poses an interesting marketing challenge for each of these states.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
