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cline group scuba marketing

Dive Retailers Expect Sales for 1st Quarter 2007 to Be Ahead of the Same Period in 2006:

> 62% of Retailers expect their 2007 Gross Overall sales to exceed their 2006 figures.
> 54% of Independent Instructors expect their 2007 Gross Overall sales to exceed their 2006 figures.
> 81% of Dive Related Manufacturers expect their 2007 Gross Overall sales to exceed their 2006 figures.

Summary:

> In general, confidence is high for 2007. Many businesses posted a gain in 2006, with retailers and instructors residing in the Mountain Time Zone posting the largest gains. Dive travel, overall, posted a modest gain by retailers and the resorts themselves. Much of this optimism is the steady economy, and minimal Caribbean Hurricane presence in 2006.
> Furthermore, respondents indicated the most optimism, by countries, in 2007 as follows: Europe (100%), Canada (77%), Caribbean/Latin Countries (66%), and the USA (60%).

Cline Group, Creators of:
> Scuba Diving Magazine (1990)
> The Cline Diving Industry Studies (1992, 1994, 2004)
> The Scuba Tour (1998-2000)
Strategic Branding & Marketing For:
> The Bahamas Tourism Board (1992-current)
> Bonaire's Tourism Board (1993 - 2000)
> Barbados's Tourism Board (2000)
> The Dutch Caribbean Diving Alliance (DEMA 1998/1999)
> The Scuba Tour (1998-2000)
> Mini-B North America (2003-2004)
> Sand Dollar Resort, Bonaire (1992-current)
> Stuart Cove's Dive The Bahamas (2004-current)

Cline Diving Industry Survey Results

Year End 2006 Dive Business Survey

Cline's Quarterly Dive Industry Survey is in, a total of 260 dive businesses responded to this survey, and indicated the following results:

  1. All dive businesses saw, on average, a 9.4% increase in their gross revenues for all of 2006 versus 2005.
  2. Retailers specifically saw a 9.6% increase in gross revenues for this same period.
  3. New certifications were up 7.0% specifically for Retailers and Independent Instructors combined (actual was 5.9% increase for retailers, and 8.0% increase for independent instructors).
  4. Dive Travel Sales were up 2.3% specifically for Retailers.
  5. Dive Equipment sales were up 9.8% specifically for Retailers.
  6. 92% of the retailer respondents were from the USA.
  7. 72% of the retailer respondents were the facility owner or manager.
Each business category responded as follows for their Gross Income Change in 2006, as compared to 2005 (for categories over 10 respondents):
Business Classification
2006 Gross Income % Change
 Number Reporting
Dive Retailers
+9.6%
 116
Independent Dive Instructors
+3.7%
 68
Dive Resort or Resort-Based Dive Operators
+7.3%
 14
Dive Related Manufacturers
+14.2%
 21
Dive Liveaboard Boat or Charter Boat
 +11.1% 12
Other Industry Professionals
+14.2%
 17
All Averaged/Total Respondents
+9.4%*
 260*

* Weighted average for all categories is actually +15.5%. Above overall reported averages are adjusted averages for all business classifications, including those that were too small in number to include in this above table. Total number of businesses and reported overall average includes categories too low to calculate accurate category averages, but their responses were applied to the overall averages and totals.

The following Businesses Responded to this survey:

Business Classification
Total Respondents
% of Whole
Dive Retailers
116
44.6%
Independent Dive Instructors
68
26.2%
Dive Resort or Resort-Based Dive Operators
14
5.4%
Dive Wholesaler/Agent or US Booking Office
 5
 1.9%
Dive Related Manufacturers
21
8.1%
Dive Liveaboard Boat or Charter Boat
 12
 4.6%
Dive Related Media, Publication, Website
 3
 1.2%
Dive Training Agency
 4
 1.6%
Other Industry Professionals
17
6.7%
Total Respondents
260
100%


> Dive Retailers and Independent Instructors residing in the Mountain Time Zone responded with the highest increase in Gross Revenues and New Certifications for 2006. While Dive Retailers and Independent Instructors living in the Central Time Zone posted the highest Equipment Gross increases in 2006, as shown:

Retailers & Instructors
Time Zone
Gross
Revenues
 New
Certifications
 Travel
Revenues
 Equipment
Revenues
Mountain Time Zone (USA)
13.4%
 9.5%
 2.3%
 8.9%
Eastern Time Zone (USA)
9.1%
 6.8%
 2.7%
 9.4%
Central Time Zone (USA)
4.9%
 4.6%
 -0.4%
 4.9%
Pacific Time Zone (USA)
2.1%
 0.9%
 1.2%
 4.1%

> On the whole, 62% of all the businesses responded that they expect the diving industry to continue to 'slowly improve' for the 2007.

Dear ,
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Best Regards,
William Cline
President
Cline Group Advertising & Marketing, Est. 1990.

The Diving Industry's Only Marketing, Advertising and Research Firm with 15 years of marketing diving worldwide. Visit us on line at http://www.WilliamCline.com

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