Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment July 2014
Christina Dixon, CDC and Ian Parkin, Parkin Heritage and Tourism
Introduction
Table of Contents
1 Introduction 2
2 SECTION ONE - Summary: A quick read 3
3 The National Picture 6 3.1 Heritage 6 3.2 Museums and Galleries 7 3.3 Volunteering 8 3.4 Visiting Historic Attractions 9 3.5 Summary of Key Findings 9
4 The Plymouth & South Hams Market: Summary 10 4.1 The Home Market 10 4.2 The Home Market for Heritage and Museums 12 4.3 Summary of Key Findings 17 4.4 The Visitor Market 18 4.5 Summary of Key Findings 21
5 Competitor Analysis 22 5.1 Heritage Sites and Museums 22 5.2 The Visitor Profile 24 5.3 Summary of Key Points 25
6 SECTION TWO – Education & Learning Market: Summary 26 6.1 Formal and Informal Education 26 6.2 Competitor Analysis 28 6.3 Developing the Potential for the Education Market 29
7 SECTION THREE – Creating a Heritage Attraction 30
8 SECTION FOUR - Target Setting 33 8.1 Assumptions 33 8.2 Calculations 34
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 1 Introduction
1 Introduction
Desk research has been undertaken and the findings used to create an assessment of the market for a heritage visitor attraction located at Bovisand, six miles from Plymouth, within the South Hams area of Devon. Its purpose is to test and inform the financial model for the proposed Fort Bovisand visitor attraction in respect of public engagement and audience development planning. Fort Bovisand Trust has been awarded an HLF Round 1 pass to support the development of the scheme. This market assessment is undertaken as part of the Development Phase.
Second One considers the national and local market for heritage, museums and volunteering. It reviews the visitor market and identifies the strategic fit with local visitor marketing plans. In turn it makes reference to public engagement data for Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery and properties within the Plymouth City Council heritage services portfolio; information gained through interview with the Marketing Manager at the National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, The Chief Executive of Destination Plymouth, plus visitor numbers to relevant local and national visitor attractions as compiled to support the Round 1 application to HLF. The work draws on a range of data sources over a range of time periods and therefore caution should be exercised when comparing data-sets and drawing hard and fast conclusions concerning impact and potential. Having said that, the data reviewed is the “best available” and with sound Trustee judgement creates a foundation for decision making.
An assessment of the Education Market and the implications of all findings for heritage attraction planning are presented in Sections Two and Three. These findings draw on the work associated with the development of an Activity Plan for the proposed scheme, and are based on desk research and interview with 20+ individuals. Section Four offers a set of targets for the purposes of forward planning within this Development Phase.
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 2 SECTION ONE - Summary: A quick read
2 SECTION ONE - Summary: A quick read
A summary of key findings and implications from Section One, as presented at the end of each sub-section, is shown below:
Key Findings Implications
The National Picture
• Nationally, the market for visiting The public are increasingly interested in visiting heritage sites is buoyant, there is an heritage sites and museums, however much of upward trend of attendance at heritage this growth relates to the impact of significant sites and museums, more people visit investment in the sector, and a more audience- more frequently centric approach to exhibition display and programming. Exhibition design and the • Visits to heritage sites are more popular curatorial approach to interpretation on the Fort than visits to museums, with the caveat Bovisand site must respond well to the needs that the heritage data includes leisure and interests of potential visitors. trips to historic towns and cities • People from higher socio-economic Methods such as public testing of themes before groups are more likely to visit both design, continuing informal research to keep in heritage sites and museums than those touch with visitor’s interests, and the from lower socio-economic groups; this development of core public engagement groups corresponds to levels of higher such as Friends and volunteer teams will help to education – having no higher education tune the public offer, matching programming to was found to decrease the probability of levels of interest and engagement. visiting heritage sites The high level of crossover with museums, and • The value of online promotion and increased frequency of attendance, both point to information has increased over recent the value of forming good working partnering years arrangements with other organisations and • There is a strong positive association networks operating in this sector. This can range between museum visitors and historic from joint programming, joint promotions and sites visitors shared visitor market intelligence. The value of effective on and off line media is high. Good media content, well placed, will help launch a new attraction and keep it in the public eye. Early investment in professional public relations skills, with an expertise in the local, regional and national visitor market, will pay dividends in terms of public profiling, and will ensure clarity of key messages from the outset.
The Plymouth & South Hams Market
• Plymouth and its catchment is a There is no ambiguity about the Plymouth populous area when compared to the market and to misunderstand it would be an South West peninsular, with just over expensive mistake to make at the early stages of half a million adults resident in a one planning. The findings point to the need for a set hour drive time of the Fort Bovisand site of clear, strong key messages that create easy hooks for the market to understand and feel • By all measures of economic wealth “safe” with. Plymouth and the catchment is under A review of the interpretation themes as achieving, it is characterised by low
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 3 SECTION ONE - Summary: A quick read
levels of wealth and productivity presented within the Round 1 Outline Plan for Learning and Engagement show several durable • By all measures of demographic and core themes and stories which should resonate lifestyle profiling, high proportions of with the Plymouth catchment market, specifically residents in the catchment are less World War 2 and the Plymouth Blitz. Again, inclined to visit heritage sites and interpreting those themes will benefit from museums than the population of testing, with creative ingenuity to present the England as a whole exhibition narrative in an engaging and effective way. • Profiling descriptors show the public taste to be modest, mainstream and The value of the higher education sector is unpretentious significant and represents opportunities beyond attracting the paying public. Opportunities for • The presence of several higher partnering to support research, programming education establishments in Plymouth and events are apparent with early investment at has a significant impact on the the Activity Planning stage. demographic profile of the city catchment, presenting a picture of active, diverse and social individuals who engage with the arts on a regular basis
The Visitor Market
• Nationally and locally the visitor market Reaching and attracting the visitor market is is growing steadily. Forecasts suggest essential to the success of launching and this growth is set to continue maintaining visitor numbers at a new heritage visitor attraction. Working closely with Visit • There is a high level of awareness of the Plymouth, Visit South Hams and the wider UK’s cultural heritage and richness of grouping, Visit Devon is a prerequisite to success. historic monuments and sites • Plymouth is a popular day-trip This will necessitate the commitment of destination reflecting the diversity of the resources prior to opening for membership of city’s offer and its prominent urban these groupings, both budget and project position within the South West management time to attend meetings and peninsular develop strong networking contacts. The PR • Findings suggest that the visitor market, opportunities presented by the collaborative although active year round, is most marketing efforts are significant, as is the value pronounced in summer and early of being knitted into longer term plans from the autumn months outset, and can only be capitalised on through investment and membership. • Both Plymouth and South Hams have well established destination marketing The apparent seasonality of the visitor market operations and both are working to a will influence the balance of programming and clear set of strategic objectives other public engagement opportunities on the • Themes interpreted through “stories” is site. As plans develop and more market a common thread through both intelligence emerges, programming plans should destination marketing plans reflect the peaks and troughs of visitor flows and makeup through the range of opportunities the • 2020 is a milestone year for Plymouth site affords. and represents the opportunity to position Plymouth on an international stage including focused targeting on the East coast of America
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 4 SECTION ONE - Summary: A quick read
Competitor Analysis
• The heritage and museum offer in From this limited competitor analysis it would Plymouth and its catchment area is suggest that there is a gap in the market for a diverse, with a high concentration of new heritage attraction, ensuring that the National Trust properties themes and story lines do not duplicate those already told within the existing heritage sites and • Within Plymouth the range of the offer museums. is relatively small, and in some cases low visitor numbers are a reflection of As the Plymouth History Centre plans take shape, limited opening hours and seasons it is essential to keep abreast of interpretative • The National Marine Aquarium is a theme development to ensure that duplication is leading high quality visitor attraction avoided or minimised. and its popularity is reflected in very Given the presence and strength of the PCMAG visitor figures and The National Marine Aquarium on-site • The profile of visitors at PCMAG is schools offer, it will be important to predominately made up of the Plymouth comprehensively research and understand the home market, and correspondingly formal education market before making any reflects the demography of the city well assumptions about curriculum links, themes, • The visitor profile of The National levels of charging and target numbers. This is a Marine Aquarium is predominately highly competitive and price sensitive market. made up of the visitor market, both day In respect of Activity and Marketing Planning it visitors who live within an estimated 60 will be essential to clarify Fort Bovisand’s target – 90 min drive time range, and visitors market in terms of the balance of visitor and who are staying on holiday within the home market, and the core demographics. catchment area • Both PCMAG and The National Marine For the purposes of scenario planning and target Aquarium have a successful schools setting it is proposed that the targets for general offer, sustaining high numbers admissions are lower for the home market than throughout the year for the visitor market, thus reflecting the challenging demographic local market catchment • The market place in Plymouth will and the strong potential to position Fort potentially change with the introduction Bovisand within the visitor market place. of the Plymouth History Centre However in order to achieve that potential, the
quality and impact of the planned visitor attraction must be significant to ensure high levels of visitor satisfaction are established and maintained.
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 5 The National Picture
3 The National Picture
This market assessment uses data from Taking Part1 2013/2014, Quarter 4 (for the year April 2013 – March 2014). The figures are for adult attendance. Using this data, the market for heritage, museums and volunteering can be described as follows:
3.1 Heritage
It is important to note the Taking Part survey includes visits to “a city or town of historic character” as one of its criteria for heritage visits i.e. people visiting to shop, or other leisure reasons. Within the context of planning for a heritage attraction such as Fort Bovisand, it is important to take account of this wider definition when setting targets.
• Nationally visits to heritage sites have been growing steadily • Looking at data from the past seven years the growth has been from 69.9% of the public (adults only, 2005/6) visiting a heritage site in the last year to 73% in 2013/14 • Additionally, 13% report weekly to monthly visits to heritage sites, 31% report monthly to quarterly visits and 27% make one or two visits yearly. 27% have not been to a heritage site in the last year • The ages of those visiting show a bias towards visits made by an older age group: 79% of 65 – 74 year olds visited a heritage site in the last year, as compared to 65% of 16 -24 year olds • Those living in the South East and North East had the highest levels of attendance (77.6% and 77.2%), those in the London had the lowest levels (66.3%). The South West attendance was 76.12% • In terms of socio economic groupings, 81.3% of people from a upper socio- economic group visited a heritage site in the last year compared to 59.4% from a lower socio-economic group • Using ACORN3 profiling to describe the types of people who visit heritage sites, Wealthy Achievers (83.7%) and Urban Prosperity (75.5%) are the most likely to visit. Those described as Hard Pressed (56.1%) are least likely to visit.
1 Taking Part is a household survey in England. It looks at participation in the cultural sector. The survey has run for nine years and was commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in partnership with Arts Council England, English Heritage, and Sport England. The statistics are used widely by policy officials, practitioners, academics, the private sector and charities to measure participation in the cultural sectors 2 Confidence range for these figures is around 3.6 % i.e. the % is accurate within a range of + /- 3.6%.
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 6 The National Picture
• There has been a significant increase in the proportion of BME visitors, growing from 50.7% in 2005/6 to 59.8% in2013/14, however attendances from BME groups remains lower than those from the white group (74.1%)
3.1.1 Digital Engagement
Since 2005/06, the proportion of people who had visited heritage websites has significantly increased from 18.3% to 27.4 %. In 2013/14, of people who visited a heritage website:
• Over three in five respondents used a heritage website to plan how to get to a historic site (a significant increase from 2011/12 from 56.7% to 61.7%). • Almost half used a heritage website to learn about history or the historic environment (47.4%), • Just over a quarter used a heritage website to buy tickets to visit a historic site (26.8%) • 15.2% of adults had visited a heritage website to take a virtual tour of a historical site • 1.7 % of adults who visited a heritage website used it to discuss history or visits to the historic environment on a forum
3.2 Museums and Galleries
• Nationally visits to museums and galleries have been growing steadily • Looking at data from the past eight years the growth has been from 42.3% of the public (2005/6,) visiting a museum or gallery in the last year to 53% in 2013/14. • Additionally, frequency has increased with 32% of adults saying they visited museums or galleries 1 – 2 times per year, significant increase from 26% in 2005/06 and 17% visiting 3 – 4 times per year, an increase from 13% in 2005/6 • The age of those visiting museums and galleries is evenly distributed within the age ranges 25 – 74 (56% - 57%) with less older people (36% of those aged 75 plus) and younger adults (46% of those aged 16 – 24) visiting
3 A Classification Of Residential Neighbourhoods (ACORN) is a geo-demographic information system categorising some UK postcodes into various types based upon census data and other information such as lifestyle surveys.
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 7 The National Picture
• Londoners had the highest levels of attendance 61%, those in the West Midlands had the lowest levels (45.3%). The South West attendance was 50.3%4
• In terms of socio-economic groupings, 62.7% of people from a upper socio-economic group visited a museum or gallery in the last year compared to 38.8% from a lower socio-economic group • Using ACORN profiling to describe the types of people who visit museums and galleries, Urban Prosperity (68.5%) and Wealthy Achievers (59.6%) are the most likely to visit. Those described as Hard Pressed (39.1%) are least likely to visit
• There been a significant increase in the proportion of BME visitors growing from 35.4% in 2005/6 to 49.3% in 2013/14.
3.2.1 Digital Engagement
27.5 % of adults had visited a museum or gallery website in 2013/14, a significant increase since data collection began in 2005/06 when the figure was 15.8 %.
Between 2005/06 and 2013/14, of those who had visited a museum or gallery website, there was:
• A significant increase in the proportions of adults visiting a museum or gallery website to find out about or order tickets for an exhibition or event (from 47.9% to 64.5%) • A significant decrease in the proportion of adults who had visited a museum or gallery website to look at items from a collection (from 33.7% to 18.6%)
3.3 Volunteering
The Taking Part survey asks whether respondents have done any volunteering work in the last 12 months and whether this relates to any of the DCMS funded sectors.
• Nationally volunteering has remained fairly stable, 24% in 2005/6 and a similar figure in 2013/14 • 7% of all adults had volunteered in a DCMS sector (arts, museums or galleries, heritage, libraries, archives, sport), again a similar rate to 2005/06 • In detail, 4.4% of adults have volunteered within a heritage setting and 1.5% to support museums and galleries
4 Confidence range for these figures is around 4% i.e. the % is accurate within a range of + /- 4%.
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 8 The National Picture
3.4 Visiting Historic Attractions
English Heritage commissioned research to analyse the drivers of visiting historic attractions so as to help the heritage sector meet the needs of those who visit heritage attractions, and better meet the needs of those that don’t. “Visiting The Past: Analysis of Drivers of Visiting Historic Attractions” was published in 2011.
The analysis is based on the 2007/2008 Taking Part survey and uses a statistical technique to demonstrate the likelihood to visit as defined by a range of economic and social factors. Findings include the following as having positive impacts:
• Having visited museum and galleries was found to increase the probability of visiting by 24% for Monuments, Castles or Ruins • Watching heritage related TV was found to be associated with an increase in probability of 12% for Monuments, Castles or Ruins • Internet access was found to increase the probability of visiting heritage sites by 4 – 5% and visiting a heritage website was found to increase the probability by 15% for Monuments, Castles or Ruins • Being taken to a heritage site as a child was an important influence, the more often people’s parents took them to see heritage sites as children, the higher the probability that they would visit heritage sites as adults
Findings include the following as having negative impacts:
• Having no higher education qualifications (Level 4 +) was found to decrease the probability of visiting heritage sites • Being a member of an ethnic minority was found to decrease the probability of visiting Monuments, Castles or Ruins
3.5 Summary of Key Findings
• Nationally, the market for visiting heritage sites is buoyant, there is an upward trend of attendance at heritage sites and museums, more people visit more frequently • Visits to heritage sites are more popular than visits to museums, with the caveat that the heritage data includes leisure trips to historic towns and cities • People from higher socio-economic groups are more likely to visit both heritage sites and museums than those from lower socio-economic groups; this corresponds
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 9 The Plymouth & South Hams Market: Summary
to levels of higher education – having no higher education was found to decrease the probability of visiting heritage sites • The value of online promotion and information has increased over recent years • There is a strong positive association between museum visitors and historic sites visitors
Implications
The public are increasingly interested in visiting heritage sites and museums, however much of this growth relates to the impact of significant investment in the sector, and a more audience-centric approach to exhibition display and programming. Exhibition design and the curatorial approach to interpretation on the Fort Bovisand site must respond well to the needs and interests of potential visitors. Methods such as public testing of themes before design, continuing informal research to keep in touch with visitor’s interests, and the development of core public engagement groups such as Friends and volunteer teams will help to tune the public offer, matching programming to levels of interest and engagement.
The high level of crossover with museums, and increased frequency of attendance both point to the value of forming good working partnerships with other organisations and networks operating in this sector. This can range from joint programming, joint promotions and shared visitor market intelligence.
The value of effective on and off-line media is high. Good media content, well placed, will help launch a new attraction and keep it in the public eye. Early investment in professional public relations skills, with an expertise in the local, regional and national visitor market will pay dividends in terms of public profiling, and will ensure clarity of key messages from the outset.
4 The Plymouth & South Hams Market: Summary
4.1 The Home Market
The population of Plymouth is 256,4005, an increase of 6% since the last Census in 2001, and as such accounts for 5% of the South West’s population. The population of the South Hams district is 83,100 spread across a wide rural area.
5 2012 Census, July release
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 10 The Plymouth & South Hams Market: Summary
In audience engagement planning terms, it is useful to look at a catchment as a “drive time” to a venue or site. For purposes of planning, two drive time area profiles from the site have been commissioned. Within a 30 minute drive time of Fort Bovisand the population is 239,640; extending this to 60 minutes, the population is 515,555.
30 minute drive time map
60 minute drive time map
Outline economic profile of Plymouth and South Hams
Plymouth is the most significant urban area on the South West peninsula, however by all economic indicators Plymouth is low within a national ranking of key cities. The recession was deeper and more enduring in Plymouth than elsewhere and pre-recession concerns
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 11 The Plymouth & South Hams Market: Summary about the reliance on public sector jobs, construction-led housing boom and the relative weakness in higher value financial, professional and business services have been borne out. Overall GVA6 growth over the decade has been lower than national and regional (SW) averages. Other economic indicators for Plymouth include:
• A low skills base: 19.3% NVQ level 4+ against a UK national figure of 27.3%
• Low levels of innovation: 13.3% employed in knowledge based jobs compare to 18.9% nationally
• Deprivation: Plymouth ranks 72 out of 326 local authorities
Against this challenging backdrop, Plymouth City Council and the private sector led Plymouth Growth Board present an ambitious plan for growth in productivity and innovation, building on current levels of investment that support graduate retention and knowledge-based research stimulated by the Plymouth Higher Education sector and the associated knowledge-based industries.
The South Hams is the southern-most district in Devon and is bounded by two major urban areas: Torbay to the east and Plymouth to the west. South Hams is a predominantly rural district, and is officially classified as Rural-80, signifying a district with at least 80 % of their population in rural settlements and larger market towns. With a population of 12,425, Ivybridge is the largest urban area in South Hams and is located within 15 minutes’ travel time of Plymouth. The district demonstrates higher than average employment rates and above average percentages of working age residents with higher level qualifications (NVQL4+). Despite these positive indicators, productivity rate (GVA) is below the national figure and highly skilled occupations are under-represented in the district, with particular gaps in professional occupations. As a result, workplace earnings are just 86% of the Devon level and, on average, residents who travel outside the area for work have higher earnings than people working locally.
4.2 The Home Market for Heritage and Museums
Area Profile Reports are available to cultural sector organisations to support audience engagement and audience development planning. Defined on a basis of a drive time distance from a defined point, the reports gives an indication of the numbers of adults with a propensity to attend key art forms, or visit museums, galleries or heritage sites within the set catchment. The reports also profile the catchment through cultural sector segmentation
6 Gross Value Added is an economic measure of the value of goods and services in an area.
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 12 The Plymouth & South Hams Market: Summary and Mosaic7 profiling. As described above, Area Profile Reports have been commissioned from a 30 and 60 minute drive time of the Fort Bovisand site. The reports index the area data set against a benchmark, in this instance the data for England is used as the base which is expressed as 100.
The Very Local Market
The profile of the 30 minute drive time is described as the “Very Local Market” and shows that the catchment comprises:
• Higher than base (England) proportions of households defined as social grade C2 (107 against a base of 100) and C1 (110), with higher than base proportions of residents employed in sales and customer services occupations (120) • Lower than base proportions of households defined as social grade AB (80), with lower than base proportions of residents employed in professional occupations (89) • Higher than base proportions of full-time students (146) • Lower than base proportions of residents with Level 4 qualifications and above (88) • Significantly lower than base proportions of BME residents (e.g. Black, 19), and correspondingly higher than base number of white residents (113)
Segmentation
The Area Profile Report includes cultural sector segmentation in the form of Audience Spectrum8
Within the very local market there are above base proportions of the following audience segments (among others):
Segment Description / Approach
Trips & Treats While this group may not view arts and culture as a passion, they are reasonably active despite being particularly busy with a wide range of (149 against a base leisure interests. Comfortably off and living in the heart of suburbia of 100) their children range in ages, and include young people still living at 25% of the home. With a strong preference for mainstream arts and popular catchment culture like musicals and familiar drama, mixed in with days out to museums and heritage sites, this group are led by their children’s interests and strongly influenced by friends and family.
7 Mosaic is a consumer demographic classification system http://www.experian.co.uk/marketing- services/products/mosaic-uk.html 8 http://audiencefinder.org/audience/#segmentation
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 13 The Plymouth & South Hams Market: Summary
Trips & Treats are already as active as they might be in cultural and other leisure activities, so the challenge is to support their interest within a familiar offer whilst also encouraging them to broaden or deepen their engagement beyond the obvious. They are receptive to advertising and direct marketing messages, but need endorsement from friends and family – as they do not have the time or perhaps the inclination to seek out new or different opportunities from the known. Led by their children’s interests, depending on their age, a good family friendly offer or accessible work offering a guaranteed family day or night out is what they are seeking.
Home & Heritage Conservative in their tastes, this more mature group appreciates all things traditional: a large proportion are National Trust members, (114) while classical music and amateur dramatics are comparatively 10% of the popular. While this is not a highly engaged group – partly because catchment they are largely to be found in rural areas and small towns – they do engage with the cultural activity available to them in their locality. They look for activities to match their needs and interests, such as accessible day-time activities or content exploring historical events.
Home & Heritage live their lives locally, expressing their creativity through craft and local participation. Nearly half feel that they have plenty of opportunity to get involved in the arts, and only 26% feel that “the arts is not for them”. They feel that heritage is an important contributor to sense of place and believe in the conservation of local heritage sites. About 70% have been to an arts event in the last year, and about 50% have attended a museum or gallery. They have a low reception to broadcast advertising, and respond to tailored/targeted communications, like plain speaking and face to face contact.
Up Our Street Living reasonably comfortable and stable lives, Up Our Street engage with popular arts and entertainment and museums, and are also (120) visitors of heritage sites. Many are older and have some health issues, 8% of the living on average or below average household incomes, so access in all catchment its forms can be an issue. Modest in their habits and in their means, value for money and low-risk are important factors in leisure decision making. Up Our Street are infrequent attenders that make up a significant proportion of the English population, and some will be open to encouragement to engage a little more often with popular or mainstream arts and cultural events. This group have difficulty with too much choice and so are swayed by other people’s opinions. The goal should be to introduce something with which they’re reasonably familiar and comfortable. Any introduction of risk, to which they’re naturally averse, should come much further down the development line. Heritage sites potentially have an advantage in seeking to develop audiences from this segment, as they’re already averagely disposed to
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 14 The Plymouth & South Hams Market: Summary
do so. This group like taking days out (often with grandchildren for a treat), and many are interested in history and wildlife – all of which might be brought together in suitably packaged offers. Many museums will also be able to cater to this group by offering similar features.
On balance the profile describes high proportions of residents of modest means with relatively mainstream interests. The anomaly is the presence of a high proportion of “Experience Seekers” (220), reflecting the numbers of term time students. “An important and significant part of urban arts audiences, these highly active, diverse, social and ambitious singles and couples are younger people engaging with the arts on a regular basis… Students, recent graduates and in the early to mid-stages of their careers, they live close to city centres, have easy access to and attend a wide variety of arts, museums galleries and heritage”. The segment accounts for 17% of the catchment, however this is not necessarily the resident catchment, but does emphasise the value of Plymouth Higher Education sector as a market, and as a partnership organisation.
It is important to note that the catchment is not made up exclusively of these audience types, however the three segments described above make up 43% of the resident population within the 30 minute drive time area.
Mosaic UK
Additionally the report offers a Mosaic profile for the area.
Within the very local market there are above average proportions of the following audience segments (among others):
Segment Description / Approach
Suburban Suburban Mindsets are mostly married people of middle age, living together with their children in family houses. These homes are typically Mindsets semi-detached houses that were popular during the inter war years or during the period between1945 and 1960. 16% of the catchment Suburban Mindset people have unpretentious tastes and are among the most likely to purchase mainstream brands and to shop at nationally known retail chains. They are responsive to advertising that illustrates value for money as well as endorsements from satisfied users.
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 15 The Plymouth & South Hams Market: Summary
Industrial Industrial Heritage people are traditional and conservative, living in communities that historically have been dependent on mines, mills and Heritage assembly plants for their livelihood. Most of these people are married and are approaching retirement age. Their children have left them in a 11% of the family home larger than they really need and their mortgage is nearly catchment paid off.
Industrial Heritage consumers prefer traditional sales approaches and promotions that emphasize value for money. They are responsive to door-to-door distribution and addressed mail, and are frequent readers of mid-market tabloid newspapers. Many know how to use the internet and have access to broadband but are infrequent users.
As with the Audience Spectrum segmentation, the anomaly within the Mosaic profile is the high proportion of “Liberal Opinions”, accounted for by the high number of term time students. As the Census and other measures of economic profiling show, graduate retention in Plymouth is low, with significantly lower than average numbers of residents with Level 4 qualifications or above, and low levels of GVA. Thus it would be unwise to consider these segments as members of the resident population.
Leisure Outings in the last year
The Area Profile also presents data that reflects cultural leisure activity9. The data shows that visits to “stately homes and castles” is below base (88), and the proportion of people “visiting museums outside of London” is inline with England base figure (100). “Visits to a heritage site” is not a question asked by this survey.
The Local Market
When comparing the 30 minute drive time profile to the 60 minute drive time profile the following is apparent:
• There are similarly low proportions of social grade AB residents (83) and higher than base C1 (102) and C2 (115) residents • Audience Spectrum segments “Trips and Treats” (153) and “Home and Heritage” (165) are similarly prevalent, and the numbers of ‘Experience Seekers” has dropped (114) • The wider catchment is equally less inclined to visit museums (97) and demonstrates a similarly low interest in castles and stately homes (88)
9 Target Group Index (TGI) Leisure
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 16 The Plymouth & South Hams Market: Summary
• The main difference is in the prevalence of a more diverse range of Mosaic types, namely above base proportions of “Rural Solitude” (245), “Small Town Diversity” (155), “Active Retirement” (173) and “Ex- Council Community” (131). The proportion of “Liberal Opinions” has dropped right down (77), reflecting the high concentration of students within the very local (i.e. Plymouth city) market.
4.3 Summary of Key Findings
• Plymouth and its catchment is a populous area when compared to the South West peninsular, with just over half a million adults resident in a one hour drive time of the Fort Bovisand site • By all measures of economic wealth Plymouth and the catchment is under achieving, it is characterised by low levels of wealth and productivity • By all measures of demographic and lifestyle profiling, high proportions of residents in the catchment are less inclined to visit heritage sites and museums than the population of England as a whole • Profiling descriptors show the public taste to be modest, mainstream and unpretentious • The presence of several higher education establishments in Plymouth has a significant impact on the demographic profile of the city catchment, presenting a picture of active, diverse and social individuals who engage with the arts on a regular basis
Implications
There is no ambiguity about the Plymouth market and to misunderstand it would be an expensive mistake to make at the early stages of planning. The findings point to the need for a set of clear, strong key messages that create easy hooks for the market to understand and feel “safe” with. A review of the interpretation themes as presented within the Round 1 Outline Plan for Learning and Engagement show several durable core themes and stories which should resonate with the Plymouth catchment market, specifically World War 2 and the Plymouth Blitz. Again, interpreting those themes will benefit from testing, with creative ingenuity to present the exhibition narrative in an engaging and effective way.
The value of the higher education sector is significant and represents opportunities beyond attracting the paying public. Opportunities for partnerships to support research, programming and events are apparent with early investment at the Activity Planning stage.
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 17 The Plymouth & South Hams Market: Summary
4.4 The Visitor Market
National Trends
Both UK inbound and domestic tourism is growing, with inbound tourism predicted to be the fastest growing tourism sector; spend by international visitors is forecast to grow by 6% a year. International brand ranking analysis10 positions the UK in 3rd place as a ‘nation brand’, and within the Tourism brand dimension, the UK is strongly identified for our ‘vibrant city life and urban attractions’, ‘rich in historic buildings and monuments’ and ‘cultural heritage’.
Visit England commissioned research to examine domestic leisure trends for the next decade11 which highlight several significant shifts in demographic and socio-economic changes that will impact on the domestic visitor market:
• Population growth and the aging society – the impact being the need for all types of businesses to meet accessibility needs, plus an acknowledgement that the next retired generation will be heavily comprised of the baby boomer cohort, who differ greatly from previous older generation in their attitudes to leisure. They are generally more affluent and far more leisure focused than previous generations of older people • Families are changing in size, shape and composition and are far removed from the ‘nuclear’ family – tourism businesses need to be flexible and responsive, not prescriptive • The ‘squeezed middle generation’ – amid the increase in the number of younger and older people, the number aged between 35 – 49 is falling, this cohort will be time poor and willing to treat themselves
Plymouth and South Hams Trends
Plymouth is a very popular day trip destination, economic impact data12 for 2012 shows that Plymouth attracted 4,747,000 tourism day visits. A comparison of findings for Plymouth, South Hams and Devon as a whole is shown below:
10 Anholf GfK National Brand Index, ranked out of 50 nations 11 December 2013 12 Visit Devon, The economic Impact of Devon’s Visitor Economy 2012
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 18 The Plymouth & South Hams Market: Summary
Plymouth v 2011 South v 2011 Devon v 2011 data Hams data data
UK staying trips 677,000 461,000 5,260,000
Overseas 62,000 29,000 387,000 staying trips
Total staying 739,000 +2% 490,000 - 2% 5,647,000 0% trips
Tourism day 4,747,000 + 8% 3,987,000 + 4% 30,803,000 + 6% visits
Key points taken from the Visit Devon 2012 report, for Devon as a whole show that:
• July and August were the top months for staying trips, nights and spend • August and September were the top months for volume day visits • Holiday (73%) and visiting friends and relatives (15%) were the main purpose of the majority of trips to the county • Serviced accommodation was used by 27% of staying visitors with a further 35% choosing to stay at the home of a friend or relative • September and November were the top months for day visit expenditure
Visit Devon model the full visitor data set using a forecasting tool, which, based on an estimate of “mid-range” growth predicts (for Devon as a whole): a 22% growth in overseas staying trips; 3% growth in domestic staying trips; and 13% in day visits.
The Plymouth Visitor Plan
The Plymouth Visitor Plan is the guiding strategic document for developing Plymouth as a visitor destination:
By 2020, Plymouth will be the UK’s premier marine city and famous for its Waterfront. It will be recognised as unique among UK cities for its natural drama and for its 500-year old history as a place of embarkation and exploration. Plymouth’s continuing journey towards a world-leading marine city will support the cultural experiences it offers to visitors who are looking for authenticity and character
An analysis of the starting point for the Visitor Plan demonstrates that:
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 19 The Plymouth & South Hams Market: Summary
• Plymouth has a relatively small volume of overnight stays yet high room occupancy at a low per room yield. That means to grow volumes of overnight visitors requires increasing and diversifying the hotel offer and attracting higher spend markets. Currently, Plymouth is heavily reliant on repeat and day visitors with a slightly below average spend. • The latest VisitEngland research13 suggests that staycations are a trend not a fashion – that means more British people now include Britain on their choice of holiday destinations – Plymouth needs to attract more day trips from visitors on a staycation in Devon & Cornwall • Plymouth needs to stake a claim and become part of the city short-break market – it needs to carve out an offer that is clearly differentiated from the large metropolitan cities such as Manchester and Liverpool and also different to the traditional historic cities such as Chester or York • One of Plymouth’s strengths is its quality of life as a place to live and work; great open safe spaces, on the doorstep of some of the UK’s best coast and countryside but with many of the conveniences and diverse culture that a city offers. It is part of the place marketing message that can work for visitors too, especially the younger culture & explorer markets
The Plymouth Visitor Plan presents a set of priority markets for growth:
• Resident trippers: day trips from home within a 60 minute drive-time • Entertainment seekers: families, day visitors from within a 90 minute travel time staying in holiday parks / caravans • Boden set: families, days visitors from within 90 minute travel time staying in quality self-catering accommodation • University, Visiting Friends and Relatives: Friends and family of students at Plymouth university • Cultural Couples: couples with no children from London, Birmingham and Manchester train route corridors • US East Coasters: baby boomers and seniors with English heritage living on USA East Coast
13 VisitEngland / Future for the Staycation – 2104 and Beyond
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 20 The Plymouth & South Hams Market: Summary
The strategic approach to developing this growth highlights the value of Plymouth’s heritage in all its forms via a set of “Telling Stories” campaigns, and the opportunity to build on the existing calendar of events, which takes advantage of the water front, dubbed as “Eventful Plymouth”. The primary event in the Plymouth calendar is the Mayflower 2020 celebrations which will mark the 400th anniversary of the Sailing of the Mayflower (September 1620). This is planned to be a high profile, international event affording the opportunity to raise the profile of the city across the East Coast of America.
Visit South Devon Marketing Strategy 2013/14
Visit South Devon has identified a set of target audiences for their marketing communications, they are:
Families; Over 50’s; Couples without children; Visiting Friends and Relatives; Day visitors from Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset; Locals
Principle themes for promotion are:
• Folk Tales and Myths: working with local guides and trail experts to explore “hidden” aspects of the South Hams • Inspiring South Devon: a focus on creativity • Food: sustainable food production and quality food offers • Landscape and agriculture: opportunities to experience South Hams in a different way e.g. boat, steam train, cycle etc.
4.5 Summary of Key Findings
• Nationally and locally the visitor market is growing steadily. Forecasts suggest this growth is set to continue • There is a high level of awareness of the UK’s cultural heritage and richness of historic monuments and sites • Plymouth is a popular day- trip destination reflecting the diversity of the city’s offer and its prominent urban position within the South West peninsular • Findings suggest that the visitor market, although active year round, is most pronounced in summer and early autumn months • Both Plymouth and South Hams have well established destination marketing operations and both are working to a clear set of strategic objectives
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 21 Competitor Analysis
• Themes interpreted through “stories” is a common thread through both destination marketing plans • 2020 is a milestone year for Plymouth and represents the opportunity to position Plymouth on an international stage including focused targeting on the East Coast of America
Implications
Reaching and attracting the visitor market is essential to the success of launching and maintaining visitor numbers at a new heritage visitor attraction. Working closely with Visit Plymouth, Visit South Hams and the wider grouping, Visit Devon is a prerequisite to success. This will necessitate the commitment of resources prior to opening for membership of these groupings, both budget and project management time to attend meetings and develop strong networking contacts. The PR opportunities presented by the collaborative marketing efforts are significant, as is the value of being knitted into longer term plans from the outset, and can only be capitalised on through investment and membership.
The apparent seasonality of the visitor market will influence the balance of programming and other public engagement opportunities on the site. As plans develop and more market intelligence emerges, programming plans should reflect the peaks and troughs of visitor flows and makeup through the range of opportunities the site affords.
5 Competitor Analysis
5.1 Heritage Sites and Museums
A review of the market place for heritage sites, heritage attractions and museums in the 60 minute catchment area demonstrates that the market is diverse, but by no means overcrowded. A summary of key findings, grouped by type, and where available the last known visitor figures14 is presented below. Several properties, including those within the Plymouth City Council portfolio of heritage properties, have limited opening hours, even within the main visitor season months.
14 Includes data from the R1 application, plus information from Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery. It is most likely these figures do not include school and other group visits – however this is not clear from the information available at present.
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 22 Competitor Analysis
Plymouth / close Numbers – South Hams Numbers – best catchment best known known
Mount Edgcumbe House c15,000 Dartmouth Castle 41,674
Crownhill Fort c2,000 Berry Pomeroy Castle -
The Merchants House c3,000 Totnes Castle -
Elizabethan House c3,000 Dartmouth Steam c200,000 Railway
Smeaton’s Tower c15,000 Totnes Museum -
Buckland Abbey (NT) 66,878 Overbeck (NT)
Saltram House (NT) 63,843 Coleton Fishacre (NT) -
Cotehele & gardens (NT) 132,000 Greenway (NT) -
Anthony House (NT) 23685 Dartington Hall and - Estate
Plymouth Gin Distillery -
Devonport Guildhall and - Column
Mayflower Centre c10,000
Plymouth City Museum c70,000 and Art Gallery
As the findings show, there is a high concentration of National Trust properties within the catchment area. Visitor numbers reflect the value of membership to the public, with an estimated 90% of visits to some properties being made by National Trust members. Thus the trade from members of the public who are non-members is very low. In addition, all efforts are made to convert those visitors to National Trust members so as to develop and maintain a relationship with them.
In respect of family orientated visitor attractions, the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth is the only large-scale attraction in the catchment area. Visitor numbers are in the region of 300,000 annually. Beyond its significance as a national centre of marine conservation research, one of its major plus points as a visitor attraction is its scale and the fact that is all under cover. There are no other wet-weather attractions that will occupy visitors for 2 – 3 hours in the catchment area.
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 23 Competitor Analysis
It is known that the Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery (PCMAG) learning programme supported attendance from around 6,500 onsite school visits (2012/13), both facilitated and self-directed, and a further 14,500 visitors engaged in a wide range of other onsite learning activities. The National Marine Aquarium onsite school visits account for a reported 34,000 pupil visits within the last year (2013).
Looking ahead, it is important to be aware of that Plymouth City Council has ambitious plans to create a Plymouth History Centre to host a range of organisations in the city with responsibility for records and archives, and to use those records and archives to tell the story of Plymouth through a social history narrative. The Plymouth History Centre achieved an HLF Round 1 pass in early 2014, and aims to be open in time for the Plymouth 2020 celebrations.
There is no charge to visit Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery. All other heritage attractions listed charge an entrance fee, although National Trust and National Marine Aquarium membership create saving opportunities for repeat visitors.
5.2 The Visitor Profile
Through interview and review of internal planning documents the following key points are raised in respect of the visitor profile to both PCMAG and the National Marine Aquarium.
• Visitor numbers at PCMAG are highest in the summer months, the museum would aim to record around 20,000 visits over the July, August and September period • In-museum visitor research, although slightly out of date, suggests that PCMAG’s visitor profile shows a 75% / 25% home to visitor market split; • and that the level of AB (higher social grade) visitors is lower than average15 and conversely the C2,D,E (lower occupations) is higher than average • Around 30% are first time visitors, therefore around 70% are repeat visitors, averaging 2 - 3 visits • An estimate of penetration rates concludes that the museum is reaching +/- 20% of its home market. The exercise was not repeated for the visitor market • The National Marine Aquarium finds that around 75% of visitors are visitors to Plymouth, thus 25% are from the very local market. Of that 75%, a quarter is made
15 Based on a MLA national data set
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 24 Competitor Analysis
up of people visiting on a day trip and the larger proportion (50%) are visitors to the area who are staying in the area • On a busy day the National Marine Aquarium will experience visitor levels of 4- 5,000 people
5.3 Summary of Key Points
• The heritage and museum offer in Plymouth and its catchment area is diverse, with a high concentration of National Trust properties • Within Plymouth the range of the offer is relatively small, and in some cases low visitor numbers are a reflection of limited opening hours and seasons • The National Marine Aquarium is a leading high quality visitor attraction and its popularity is reflected in very visitor figures • The profile of visitors at PCMAG is predominately made up of the Plymouth home market, and correspondingly reflects the demography of the city well • The visitor profile of The National Marine Aquarium is predominately made up of the visitor market, both day visitors who live within an estimated 60 – 90 drive time range, and visitors who are staying on holiday within the catchment area • Both PCMAG and The National Marine Aquarium have a successful schools offer, sustaining high numbers throughout the year • The market place in Plymouth will potentially change with the introduction of the Plymouth History Centre
Implications
From this limited competitor analysis it would suggest that there is a gap in the market for a new heritage attraction, ensuring that the themes and storylines do not duplicate those already told within the existing heritage sites and museums. Work undertaken for Round 1, the Outline Plan for Learning and Engagement, highlights that the story of Plymouth during WW2 is currently poorly covered in the city and that interpretation presents an opportunity to fill the market gap. Alongside this, Defending the Sound and Diving are suggested as core themes, and recent research to support the Activity Plan in this Development Phase introduces the further idea of coastal marine ecology and conservation. As the Plymouth History Centre plans take shape, it is essential to keep abreast of interpretative theme development to ensure that duplication is avoided or minimised.
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 25 SECTION TWO – Education & Learning Market: Summary
Given the presence and strength of the PCMAG and The National Marine Aquarium on-site schools offer, it will be important to comprehensively research and understand the formal education market before making any assumptions about curriculum links, themes, levels of charging and target numbers. This is a highly competitive and price sensitive market.
In respect of Activity and Marketing Planning it will be essential to clarify Fort Bovisand’s target market in terms of the balance of visitor and home market, and the core demographics. This will be achieved as more market intelligence is gathered and business planning decisions made before completion of the Development Phase.
For the purposes of scenario planning and target setting it is proposed that the targets for general admissions are lower for the home market than for the visitor market, thus reflecting the challenging demographic local market catchment. Additionally, early planning should focus on an offer that targets families, retired and semi-retired couples and individuals, with a communications skew towards C1 and C2 households. This reflects the strong potential to position Fort Bovisand within the visitor market place, however in order to achieve that potential, the quality and impact of the planned visitor attraction must be significant to ensure high levels of visitor satisfaction are established and maintained.
6 SECTION TWO – Education & Learning Market: Summary
6.1 Formal and Informal Education
In assessing the education and learning market it is necessary to evaluate:
• the relevance of the heritage attraction to the National Curriculum and the needs of schools • the cost of a school visit • the quality of the educational experience for different age groups including interactivity, re-enactment, role play etc. • the support services offered to schools including educational programmes offered, staff, sessional workers and volunteer support, leaving of bags, place for picnic lunches etc. • ancillary services including coach/minibus park.
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 26 SECTION TWO – Education & Learning Market: Summary
The market assessment in Section One has indicated that the 30 minute catchment of Fort Bovisand is 239,640 growing to 515,555 in a 60 minute catchment.
The size of the schools population in the area is over 50,000 with Plymouth comprising the majority including 5 nursery/infant schools, 65 primary/junior schools, 16 secondary schools, 7 special schools and 1 alternative complementary school.
It is important to also recognise that the city has a significant student population including Plymouth University (28,600 which is the 10th largest in the united Kingdom), University College of St Mark and St John (5,000) and City College Plymouth (18,619 : 4,500 full time).
Whilst there are a wide range of competing venues for education visits, none have the unique setting of Fort Bovisand overlooking Plymouth Sound or have the potential to put the city into context. Neither do other sites offer access to a complete Palmeston Fort with the ability to present the story of the protection of Plymouth and its Royal Dockyard, the story of the Western Approaches, Plymouth in World War 2 and the Marine Ecology of Plymouth Sound.
Extensive consultation has been undertaken with the principle education audience, namely Plymouth City Council, at all levels from senior administrators and advisers to teaching staff. The Trust Board includes senior representatives of Plymouth City Council (culture and education) and the Director of Marine Specialism, Marine Academy Plymouth (a city secondary school). Presentations have been made to Plymouth Youth Council and Parliament. Visits to site have been arranged with the National Aquarium, the Youth Parliament and teachers from Marine Academy.
Findings from this early research demonstrate that the formal education sector consider that Fort Bovisand is a unique site with enormous educational potential with an emphasis on history, science (ecology) and geography, and with the opportunity for cross-curricula study including art, drama, creative writing, photography etc. The opportunity for experiential learning, for example role-play, costumed tours and interactivity are all important. In response to the findings, proposals include the:
• development of a dedicated education centre with two teaching areas capable of accommodating up to 30 pupils/students (including wet areas) plus areas for bag storage and picnic lunches • commissioning of wide ranging education resources to support key curriculum learning links, preparation to be overseen by a “teacher group”
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 27 SECTION TWO – Education & Learning Market: Summary
• appointment of an Education Manager with a team of up to 8 sessional workers who will be trained and be able to deliver various activity based curriculum focused programmes on demand • recruitment of up to 12 education volunteers to support the Education Manager and sessional workers • provision of themed study weeks • support to students undertaking further education and research projects
The next stage of exploration will include further research and concept testing with teachers through the Plymouth Teaching School Alliance.
In addition to the findings from the formal education sector, early discussions with a range of individuals suggest that there is a real opportunity to develop the leisure learning on site. This could range from structured leisure courses to volunteering opportunities e.g. conservation, archaeology and military enthusiasts and researchers. Aligned to this, the potential to develop a productive alliance with Plymouth City College has been established, in respect of apprenticeships engaged on the renovation of the heritage site.
6.2 Competitor Analysis
Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery has a strong education programme which reaches around 10,000 young people per year onsite (both directed and self-directed), and a further 8,000 off site through the “Museum in Transit” initiative. In addition, the public engagement programme successfully attracted 10,000 visitors onsite for informal learning activities e.g. family workshops, lunchtime lectures etc.
The National Marine Aquarium (NAM) in Plymouth attracts in the region of 34,000 pupils per year for a wide range of curriculum related activities. Through interview it has been established that the education team at NAM are interested in developing links with the Fort Bovisand Trust, with the potential for developing their offer to include snorkelling and rock pool studies. Access from their Barbican location, via a ferry link would create a new and diverse schools offer.
Wembury Marine Centre, run by Devon Wildlife Trust, specialise in marine conservation (they are well known for their Rock Pool Ramble sessions), and coastal wildlife studies. The centre attracts 25-30,000 visits per annum with over 20,000 school visits. Early discussions suggest the potential for joint day visits linking Wembury to Bovisand via the South West Coast Path.
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 28 SECTION TWO – Education & Learning Market: Summary
6.3 Developing the Potential for the Education Market
The potential is clearly enormous and in developing that potential it is important to consider the implications of a range of potential barriers to engagement, which include:
• The site’s distance and time travelled to and from school - important therefore to plan to target schools from within a one hour drive time • The quality of education service and direct relevance to teaching and learning needs - success will require investment and specialist knowledge of curriculum links, and the ability to inspire and engage a wide range of key stage pupils • The cost of travel for schools who need to hire a coach for their trips – however some secondary schools own mini buses and local community transport schemes are becoming increasingly popular for schools • The exposed nature of the site - it will be essential to ensure there is wet and windy weather cover for any outdoor learning experiences • The potential seasonality of the site - again mitigated by good quality indoor learning spaces and learning opportunities that are not weather dependent
Findings to date demonstrate a demand for an education service that supports visits to Fort Bovisand and its immediate coastal environment. It would not be unreasonable to set targets for the build up of education groups as follows:
Primary School – Key Stage 1 and 2
Year 1 100
Year 2 125
Year 3 150
Year 4 200
Years 5 & 6 250
On the basis of 25 – 30 pupils per group this represents 3,000 - 7,500 per annum.
In addition, there are opportunities for Secondary school (Key Stage 3 plus,) degree and post-graduate student involvement.
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 29 SECTION THREE – Creating a Heritage Attraction
7 SECTION THREE – Creating a Heritage Attraction
The opportunity to restore part of the Fort Bovisand complex as a heritage attraction represents a unique opportunity to enable visitors to appreciate the sheer scale and extent of the defences created by Lord Palmerston in the 1860s to protect some of the most vulnerable sites across England, in this case the Plymouth Sound, the Devonport Dockyard and the City of Plymouth. Findings show that:
• the site is quite stunning overlooking Plymouth Sound and placing the city in context • there is no similar site as complete and accessible to the general public around Plymouth Sound and few examples of the scale or extent of Fort Bovisand across the country
In planning an attraction of this kind, it is necessary to consider a wide range of factors including:
• access and parking for a range of visitor needs • the stories to tell and the potential media that will be used • the visitor journey, including inside and external spaces • the ancillary facilities to include visitor service such as retail, catering, toilets etc. • the potential visitor numbers that will be attracted to the facility and how they are spread over a year • the budget available to restore the complex and develop the attraction, and the basis of the financial model for the Trust to run the attraction post-renovation
In developing a visitor attraction on this site it is necessary to be mindful of the potential impact of visitors on the site as a whole, and to structure the ‘visitor journey’ in such a way that any negative impact can be minimised. This is particularly pertinent at Fort Bovisand as there is only one access road from Staddon Heights down to the complex, although other forms of access, by foot via the South West Coast Path, or by boat via the Wembury and possibly other ferries, will be available.
A wide range of interpretive themes have been proposed through research at the HLF R1 stage of planning, these include:
• the history of the protection of Plymouth over the centuries up to 19th Century, including the work of John Rennie in constructing the Breakwater (1820s) and Bovisand Pier (what could be called ‘Defending the Sound’)
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 30 SECTION THREE – Creating a Heritage Attraction
• the advances of construction techniques and development of artillery fortifications during the 19th Century, leading to the construction of the Palmerston Forts around the country • the grand plan for Plymouth and the role of Fort Bovisand • the fortifications of Fort Bovisand and Staddon Heights and what they represented: life in the fort • how Fort Bovisand has evolved in the 20th Century (including training) • the Defence of the Western Approaches • Fort Bovisand in the two World Wars (with links to the Plymouth Blitz) • the shipwrecks of Plymouth Sound and the stories they tell • the growth of diving and the international significance of the Bovisand Diving School • the setting of the site within Plymouth Sound and the international importance of the marine conservation, with potential links with the National Marine Aquarium
It will be important that the stories are presented with a strong human dimension to make it interesting for the whole family. The attraction needs to have space for re-enactment, interaction and costumed interpretation and, without doubt, there will be a need to constantly refresh and enhance the attraction to stimulate repeat visits. This has a direct implication on the Trust’s medium to long term business model.
It is crucial in the development of the new attraction that the Trust works closely with Plymouth City Council, the National Marine Aquarium and the Royal Naval Dockyard Museum to ensure that storylines and exhibitions are complementary with Plymouth City Museum and Art Galley, the new Plymouth History Centre, the plans for Mayflower 2020 celebrations and the development of the Dockyard Museum. Early links with Destination Plymouth and Destination Devon will ensure that plans are in step with the visitor market growth agendas of both these destination marketing organisations.
The heritage attraction needs to have a clear and logical structure of the visitor experience comprising:
• arrival, parking, welcome and visitor orientation • a clear and logical route to the visitor entrance, ticketing, cloakroom, toilets etc • an introduction to Fort Bovisand (maybe through a film/AV) • a series of exhibition rooms presenting the interpretive themes described above • area for temporary (special) exhibitions
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 31 SECTION THREE – Creating a Heritage Attraction
• visitor services at the end of the experience including retail, catering and toilets • the return to the entrance and farewell • the north tower needs to be accommodated in this structure (potentially telling the WW2 story)
This structure needs to accommodate visitors coming by ferry, by public transport and from the South West Coast Path.
A facility of this kind, which will have a strong reliance on volunteers, also requires space for:
• offices for staff • sizable space to use as a volunteer base • education centre • museum/attraction store for artefacts and collections that will inevitably be offered/collected • workshops • general storage
There is also a need for external space for displays, events and activities and for general visitor circulation to enjoy the stunning setting of the site and therefore a landscape setting of the overall site including the foreshore installations and the pier.
The space currently allocated for the heritage attraction includes:
The underground magazines (1 – 23) 1109 sqm
Casements (1 – 12) 727 sqm
West tower 163 sqm
Building 2 17.2 sqm
Building 3 (Learning ‘hub’) 83.8 sqm
Building 4 22.4 sqm It is acknowledged that the configuration of the space is challenging. Each of the casements is relatively small i.e. 50 – 60 sqm, which is the size of a typical small museum gallery, and
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 32 SECTION FOUR - Target Setting will limit the size of object display within these spaces. The underground magazines are also a challenge and will require constant electricity to allow usage.
The retail and catering is currently planned for casemates 1 to 3, with preparation/storage in the magazine below.
At this stage in the project development of the attraction our professional opinion is that the allocation of 12 casements to the heritage attraction is reasonable and the minimum required to present the stories we want to tell and to provide the ancillary facilities required for an attraction of this kind.
If a smaller facility is created it will inevitably diminish the quality of the overall visitor experience, have an impact on visitor numbers, warrant a lower admissions charge and have a detrimental effect on the overall Business Plan. If any reduction of space is contemplated then it is suggested this would need to be in the basement magazines but these spaces also represent an opportunity to create, for instance, a themed children’s play experience which could attract a family market.
Most attractions never have sufficient space to maximise their potential however this is not the case at Bovisand and is a welcome characteristic of the site.
We believe at this stage in the development process, and subject to further detailed marketing testing, that the space allocated within the building complex for the heritage attraction is the minimum required for it to be sustainable.
8 SECTION FOUR - Target Setting
8.1 Assumptions
For the purposes of scenario planning for general visitor attendance the following assumptions are made:
• To avoid double counting, the home market is defined by the 30 minute drive time i.e. the very local market • The day trips market (the 60 minute drive time and beyond) is therefore a segment of the visitor market • The home market penetration rates (based on the TGI Outings “stately homes and castles” data) has been estimated at 20% of potential
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 33 SECTION FOUR - Target Setting
• The visitor market penetration rates are based on the TGI Outings “stately homes and castles” data using the England base) have been estimated at – o Plymouth day trips 1% o Plymouth staying trips 1.5% o South Hams day trips 0.5% o South Hams staying trips 1% • Although day trips to Plymouth are high, it is assumed that a strong driver is retail and other leisure activities such as cinema and theatre, thus penetration rates are set relatively low • Visitor numbers are based on one visit per year, it assumed that repeat visits may accounted for within an offer of “free return within the year” • Figures are for adults only, simply because the market data accounts for adults only (to be modelled against family ticket pricing) • It is assumed that the implications highlighted within this market assessment, and other any findings that emerge during the Development Phase that have an impact on business planning, are addressed so as to manage the identified risk • The calculation does not include the potential for schools and other group visit, and other public engagement with the site
8.2 Calculations
Estimated Target Heritage penetration visitor Full market interest only rate numbers 100% 19%16 20%17 H ome Market 202,03418 38386 7677 7677
Visitor Market 100% Plymouth 22%19 1.00% Day trips 4747000 1044340 10443 10443 1.50% Staying trips 739000 162580 2439 2439
16 TGI Leisure % figure for Visiting Stately Homes / Castles for the 30 minute drive time 17 Estimated penetration rate for scenario modeling 18 Adults 15+ 19 TGI Leisure % figure for Visiting Stately Homes / Castles for England (base)
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 34 SECTION FOUR - Target Setting
South Hams Day trips 3987000 877140 0.50% 4386 4386 1.0% Staying trips 490000 107800 1078 1078 18745 Target 26022
On the basis of this scenario, with an annual target figure of around 26,000 visitors, the split of home market to visitor market would be in the region of 30% home market and 70% visitor market.
The estimates of visitor numbers associated with the education market (Section Two) are in the range of 3,000 – 7,500. A mid point taken for the purposes of target setting is 5,250. Thus the overall number of visitors to the site per year is targeted to be 31,250.
Forward Planning
The following estimate of visitor flow is offered, subject to testing:
• Given the high dependency on the visitor market, it is prudent to plan for a high proportion of visitors making a visit in the core summer months i.e. June, July, August and September (17 weeks). If, for the purposes of planning, 70% of visits being made in these months, the target would be in the range of 1070 people per week in the core period. • In respect of mode of transport, the following estimates are given – o 88% visitors will come by car o 7% ferry o 2% bicycle o 2% bus o 1% South West Coast Path • Weekends are likely to attract more visitors than weekdays although events/activities (and weather) will make a difference • Assume 60% will come at weekend = 642 • Assume 40: 60 split Saturday/Sunday i.e. 257: 385
Saturday Total: 257 visitors Sunday Total: 385 visitors
80% of visitors will come 11- 1 & 2-4 = 205 80% of visitors will come 11-1 & 2-4 = 306
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 35 SECTION FOUR - Target Setting
Assume afternoon: morning 60:40 Morning peak 123 = 62/hour Morning peak 82 = 41/hour Afternoon peak 183 = 92/hour Afternoon peak 123 = 61/hour 10 – 11 & 4 – 5 10 – 11 & 4 – 5 77 = 38/hour 52 ÷ 2 = 26/hour
Based on these assumptions:
• The heritage attraction will peak at 642/weekend with 257: 385 Saturday/Sunday • The peak day will be Sunday/Bank Holiday with 92/hour 2 – 4pm and 62/hour 11 – 1
Implications for Car Parking
Based on car occupancy of 2.4 persons and length of stay of between 2 – 3 hours, the visitor attraction will require a maximum number of 102 parking spaces. With events at weekends/Bank Holiday this could increase by between 50 – 100% to require up to 200 spaces or park and ride equivalent.
With schools and conferencing/meetings trade largely coming on weekdays there will be sufficient space, however consideration should be given to enabling coaches to either park on site, or drop and park off-site.
Fort Bovisand Visitor Attraction: Market Assessment 36