Report finds Broadway addicted to tourists

The Associated Press, Monday, December 3, 2012, 11:18am (PST)

NEW YORK (AP) — Broadway producers got a reminder of how important tourists and the Internet are to their bottom line with the release of a new report about the demographics of theatergoers.

The Broadway League study out Monday found that international and domestic tourists accounted for 63 percent of the 12.3 million Broadway admissions during the 2011-12 season, up from 61.7 percent in the previous period. International tourists accounted for 18.4 percent of all attendees.

Online purchase continues to be the most popular method of ticket buying: The report showed Internet buyers jumped from 44 percent to 47 percent.

The report found that two-thirds of Broadway audiences were female, confirming the trend of the past few decades. Playgoers also tended to be more frequent theatregoers than musical attendees.

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Online: http://www.broadwayleague.com