Service provides tool to measure success against competition
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The ORCA Report co-founder and president Mike Loustalot announced recently a partnership with Experience Scottsdale (formerly the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau) to gather, analyze and report valuable data on the destination’s golf industry.
The ORCA Report is an acronym for:
• Occupancy – the number of golf rounds sold as a percentage of rounds capacity
• Revenue per Available Round – the capture of revenue as a percentage of capacity
• Channel Mix – where golf rounds come from, including direct, internet, third party resellers, call center, barter, etc.
• Average Rate per Round — the average rate the golf course receives based on daily sales
The report was developed by Loustalot, a golf course industry veteran, to help golf course owners and operators bring clarity to their barter relationships. The ORCA Report also shows days and times when third-party paid rounds are played, helping the golf course operator manage the relationship with more confidence.
Experience Scottsdale is the first destination marketing organization to commission the ORCA Report, which collects and analyzes data from the organization’s member golf courses. Loustalot said bringing The ORCA Report to local travel and tourism bureaus was a natural fit – especially in golf-centric DMA’s like Scottsdale.
“The ORCA Report allows us to provide aggregated, anonymous and accurate occupancy and revenue data to travel bureaus such as Experience Scottsdale,” he said. “This golf performance data allows them to provide their membership with independent, validated data helping explain how their area stacks up against other golf destinations.”
The Scottsdale area is one of the most important golf markets in the country in terms of size, revenue and impact on the local economy and Experience Scottsdale has seen the benefit of marketing its destination to golfers.
“For years, we’ve used Smith Travel Research’s hotel data as a barometer for how our hospitality industry is performing on a national level,” said Experience Scottsdale President and CEO Rachel Sacco. “When we learned The ORCA Report could provide the same insight for our golf industry, we were thrilled at the opportunity to partner with Mike.”
The more golf courses that confidentially share data with The ORCA Report, the more powerful golf course owners, operators and tourism entities become. The ORCA Report is being used by nearly 250 golf courses in the Southwest, Northwest and Midwest.
Contact:
Dave Gilbertson
480-348-7540
daveg@commlinks.com
