Visitor Attractions Trends in England 2009
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Visitor Attractions Trends in England 2009 Annual Report Prepared for VisitEngland Steve Mills Director Tel: 0207 400 0381 [email protected] File location/File Name/Author Initials/Support Initials/Date Contents Page No. 1. Key findings ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Overall trends in visits to English attractions 2008-2009 ............................................. 1 1.2 Overall trends in admission prices 2008-2009 ............................................................ 5 1.3 Overall trends in gross revenue 2008-2009 ................................................................ 5 1.4 Marketing expenditure trend 2008-2009 ..................................................................... 7 2. Introduction and background .............................................................................................. 9 2.1 Research objectives ................................................................................................... 9 2.2 Survey method............................................................................................................ 9 2.3 Population, sample and response rate ...................................................................... 10 Guide to the tables ............................................................................................................... 11 3. England visit trends 2008-2009 ........................................................................................ 13 3.1 England visit trends 2008-2009 by attraction category .............................................. 14 3.2 English visit trends 2008-2009 by admission type ..................................................... 15 3.3 English visit trends 2008-2009 by volume of visits to attractions ............................... 16 3.4 English visit trends 2008-2009 by geographic location ............................................. 16 3.5 English visit trends 2008-2009 by proportion of overseas visits ................................ 17 3.6 English visit trends 2008-2009 by proportion of child visits ....................................... 17 4. Visit trends – by origin (2008-2009) .................................................................................. 18 4.1 Visit trends by origin (2008-2009) – by attraction category ....................................... 18 4.2 Visit trends by origin (2008-2009) – by English GOR ................................................ 19 4.3 Visit trends by origin 2008-2009 - by admission type ................................................ 20 4.4 Visit trends by origin 2008-2009 - by volume of visits to attractions .......................... 20 4.5 Visit trends by origin 2008-2009 - by geographical location ...................................... 21 5. English Government Office Region visit trends 08-09 ....................................................... 22 5.1 Visit trends 2008-2009 by English government office region ..................................... 22 5.2 Visit trends 2008-2009 by attraction category by English GOR ................................. 23 5.3 Visit trends 2008-2009 by English GOR by admission type ...................................... 24 5.4 Visit trends 2008-2009 by volume of visits by English GOR ...................................... 24 5.5 Visit trends 2008-2009 by geographic location by English GOR ............................... 25 6. Adult admission price trends 2008-2009 ........................................................................... 26 6.1 Adult admission prices 2008-2009 by English GOR .................................................. 26 6.2 Adult admission prices 2008-2009 by volume of visits .............................................. 27 6.3 Adult admission prices 2008-2009 by attraction category ......................................... 27 File location/File Name/Author Initials/Support Initials/Date 6.4 Adult admission prices 2008-2009 by geographic location ........................................ 28 6.5 Adult admission prices 2008-2009 by proportion of child visits ................................. 28 7. Revenue & marketing expenditure trends 2008-2009 ....................................................... 29 7.1 Gross revenue trend 2008-2009 ............................................................................... 29 7.2 Marketing expenditure trend 2008-2009 ................................................................... 33 8. Provision of services in 2009 ............................................................................................ 36 9. Trends in the number of visits to England attractions 1989-2009 ...................................... 43 9.1 Trends in number of visits to visitor attractions 1989-2009 ....................................... 43 10. Visits to individual attractions ........................................................................................... 47 10.1 Major attractions in England ..................................................................................... 48 10.2 Major attractions in English Government Office Regions .......................................... 54 10.3 Individual attractions by category .............................................................................. 59 Appendix A. Survey of visits to visitor attractions questionnaire ........................................................... 95 B. Reference sources ........................................................................................................... 97 C. Index of attractions in Section 10 ...................................................................................... 98 File location/File Name/Author Initials/Support Initials/Date Acknowledgements VisitEngland would like to thank all representatives and operators in the attraction sector who provided information for the national survey on which this report is based. For a number of the main attractions, data has been included with kind permission of ALVA (Association of Leading Visitor Attractions). Where relevant this has been been referenced in the report. No part of this publication may be reproduced for commercial purposes without previous written consent of VisitEngland. Extracts may be quoted if the source is acknowledged. Statistics in this report are given in good faith on the basis of information provided by proprietors of attractions. VisitEngland regrets it cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this report nor accept responsibility for error or misrepresentation. Published by VisitEngland (incorporated under the 1969 Development of Tourism Act as the British Tourist Authority) © 2007 British Tourist Authority (trading as VisitBritain) VisitEngland is grateful to English Heritage and the MLA for their financial support for the 2009 survey. August 2010 File location/File Name/Author Initials/Support Initials/Date 1. Key findings 1.1 Overall trends in visits to English attractions 2008-2009 As in 2007, 2008 reported rainfall well above average across England, particularly during the summer months. August reported particularly low levels of sunshine. The 2008/9 winter period saw colder than average temperatures, with significant snowfall for many areas in February. However, rainfall was significantly below average; Spring 2009 was generally warm and sunny, with temperatures and sunshine levels some of the highest on record for the period. Rainfall was also below average; Summer 2009 recorded rainfall levels well above average, particularly in July and to a lesser extent, August (June was drier). The combined 2007-2009 summer periods delivered the highest rainfall of any consecutive three year period since records began; The autumn period was characterised by warmer than average temperatures (although not particularly sunny), with rainfall below average in September and October. However, November was very wet with some areas reporting rainfall twice the average. (Source: MetOffice) The 1,806 England visitor attractions that provided visit figures for both 2008 and 2009 reported a +5% increase in visitor admissions overall in 2009. This was a notably stronger increase than in each of the past three years (+2% in 2008 and +3% in both 2007 and 2006). The trend towards domestic overnight stays and away from overseas trips is likely to have contributed towards this strong increase. United Kingdom Tourism Survey data for 2009 reported an increase of +8% in overnight staying trips made by England residents within England. Conversely, International Passenger Survey data for 2009 reported a year-on-year decrease in visits abroad of -15%. The table below illustrates that there has also been a strong trend towards day trips, with attractions reporting an +8% increase in visitors who live locally/within day trip distance in 2009. Visits to attractions made by overseas residents have also held up (+2% in 2009), despite International Passenger Survey data which reported that visits to the UK made by overseas residents for holiday of visiting friends/relatives purposes declined by -3 in 2009. Table A.1 Visit trends by origin 2008-2009 – by admission type (%) Local Visitors Overseas Visitors Attractions % Change Attractions % Change Admission sample 09/08 sample 09/08 Free (299) +6 (284) +2 Paid (447) +11 (428) +4 England (746) +8 (712) +2 1 File location/File Name/Author Initials/Support Initials/Date Table A.2 England visit trends 2008-2009 - by attraction