Cover Page
Research Report
Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
Prepared for: The Forestry Commission
Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
Prepared for: The Forestry Commission Prepared by: BMG Research March 2011
Produced by BMG Research
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Table of Contents
1 Executive summary ...... 2 1.1 Quality of Visitor Experience research ...... 2 1.2 Alice Holt Forest ...... 2 1.3 Perceptions of the site ...... 2 1.4 Strengths of the site ...... 2 1.5 Areas for improvement ...... 3 1.6 Visitor profile ...... 3 2 Introduction ...... 4 2.1 Background...... 4 2.2 Research programme ...... 4 2.2.1 2010-2013 programme ...... 4 2.2.2 2010 programme ...... 5 2.3 Report ...... 5 2.4 Data reporting ...... 6 3 Visitor profile information ...... 7 3.1 Visitor profile ...... 7 3.2 Group profile ...... 9 3.2.1 Size of group...... 9 3.2.2 Composition of group ...... 10 4 Profile of visit ...... 11 4.1 Type of visit...... 11 4.2 Visitor origin ...... 12 4.3 Frequency of visits ...... 13 4.3.1 First time visitors ...... 13 4.3.2 Repeat visitors ...... 13 4.4 Length of visit ...... 14 4.5 Activities undertaken ...... 15 4.6 Length of time spent on activities ...... 17 4.7 Overall spending during the visit ...... 18 5 Perceptions of the site...... 20 5.1 Overall rating of the site as a place to visit ...... 20
Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
5.2 Rating of Alice Holt as safe and welcoming...... 21 5.3 Recommending the site as a place to visit ...... 22 5.4 Favourite thing about the site ...... 23 6 Site facilities ...... 25 6.1 Importance of site facilities ...... 25 6.2 Rating of site facilities (where used) ...... 26 6.3 Ratings of site facilities by perceived importance ...... 27 7 Information about sites ...... 28 7.1 Sources used to plan visit ...... 28 7.2 Use of Forestry Commission website ...... 29 7.3 Ratings of the website ...... 29 7.4 Visiting other sites ...... 29 8 Season tickets & Discovery passes ...... 30 8.1 Current uptake of Season tickets & Discovery passes ...... 30 8.2 Interest in Season Tickets & Discovery Passes ...... 31 9 Appendix 1: Questionnaire ...... 32
Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
1 Executive summary
1.1 Quality of Visitor Experience research BMG Research has been commissioned to undertake a Quality of Visitor Experience (QoE) survey on behalf of the Forestry Commission and from 2010-2013 will conduct approximately 10,000 surveys across fifty forest sites in England and Wales. In 2010, BMG conducted interviews at twenty forest sites including ten high usage sites in England and three high usage, four medium usage and three low usage sites in Wales. This report summarises findings from 270 visitor interviews completed at Alice Holt in 2010; throughout the report, comparisons have been made between findings at Alice Holt and the straight average across the ten high usage sites in England.
1.2 Alice Holt Forest Alice Holt Forest is an ancient Royal Forest in Hampshire, south west of Farnham in Surrey near the village of Rowledge. It is noted for its oak trees which once supplied timber for navy ships. Recently Alice Holt oak has been used to build a replica of Shakespeare's Globe theatre in London. Part of the forest is designated as a research area, used for studies into subjects such as forest carbon dynamics, environmental change and wood fuels. The forest's central area serves as a visitor attraction, with facilities like car parks, a cafe, playgrounds, cycle hire and waymarked trails for walking and cycling. Cycling provision includes inclusive equipment to accommodate cycling by disabled people.
1.3 Perceptions of the site Nine in ten visitors said Alice Holt was either excellent or very good as a place to visit (96%), which was consistent with the average across all sites (92%). Furthermore, nine in ten visitors (93%) rated the site as either excellent or very good in terms of how safe and welcoming it is. The majority of visitors would recommend Alice Holt as a place to visit – more than three quarters (76%) provided a rating of 9 or 10 out of ten, in terms of how likely they would be to recommend the site to friends or family.
1.4 Strengths of the site Visitors’ favourite things about Alice Holt were activities/good for/ something to do with children, as well as the walks, paths and trails and the beautiful scenery / views. Visitors said that play areas and equipment and car parking at Alice Holt were particularly important when they were deciding to visit the site, and around a third said that choice of paths for walking and the toilets were important. The majority of those who had used the play areas and equipment at Alice Holt said these were excellent or very good; fewer visitors had used the Go Ape facilities, but all
2 Executive summary
of those who had rated them as excellent, very good or good, as was the case for the choice of paths for walking.
1.5 Areas for improvement In terms of facilities, visitors were slightly less positive about baby changing facilities, dog waste bins, toilets and disabled access to facilities. Furthermore, the toilets received lower than average ratings in terms of how many visitors rated them as excellent or very good, and visitors also rated these aspects as more important than average.
1.6 Visitor profile Over eight in ten visitors had been to Alice Holt before, which was similar to the average across sites. Visitors were more likely than average to come to the site on a monthly basis. Visitors surveyed at Alice Holt were more likely than average to be 35-44; half were within this age range, compared with two fifths across the average of all English sites. Visitors were less likely to be over 55 years of age. Due to the age range of surveyed visitors, it is unsurprising that the majority of respondents were classified as ‘Families’. Indeed, more families visit Alice Holt than on average compared to the other English sites, and close to nine in ten visitors to the forest had children in their group. Reflecting this, Alice Holt had a higher than average percentage of female visitors and visitors were more likely than average to have used the play area. Cycling was a less popular activity here than at other sites, although walking was undertaken by similar proportions to the average. The majority of visitors to Alice Holt came to the forest as part of a day trip less than 3 hours from their home. No one visited as part of a longer holiday and only 1% undertook an overnight visit.
3 Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
2 Introduction
2.1 Background The Forestry Commission (FC) is the non-Ministerial Department responsible for managing over 350,000 hectares of woodland estate in England and Wales on behalf of the UK and Welsh Assembly Government. Each year in Wales, somewhere in the region of 4 million visits are made to this estate, including 0.5 million to sites with visitor centres, whilst in England somewhere in the region of 40 million visits are made to the estate each year, including 3 million to sites with visitor centres. The provision of a quality visitor experience is vital in encouraging both new and repeat visitors to the forests. Maintaining or improving the quality of experience at Forestry Commission managed sites is part of a wide-ranging programme of work by the Forestry Commission to encourage the development and promotion of woodland access throughout England and Wales, developing suitable infrastructure and well managed woodlands that feel safe and welcoming to visitors. As part of this programme of work, BMG Research was commissioned to undertake a Quality of Visitor Experience (QoE) survey at selected sites across England and Wales. The aims of the survey are as follows: To provide the Forestry Commission with information on the quality of visitor experience at each site; To use a set of standard questions so that the quality of visitor experience at each site can be scored, benchmarked and tracked over time; To use a set of tailored questions at each site to give information on how the visitor experience at that particular site could be improved; At lower usage sites only (12 in total, and all in Wales), to conduct an additional survey of residents in the immediate area of the site, in order to provide information on how greater usage of the site could be encouraged.
2.2 Research programme
2.2.1 2010-2013 programme
Between 2010 and 2013, BMG will conduct around 10,000 surveys across 50 forest sites in England and Wales. All selected sites in England are high usage, but sites in Wales will include a mix in terms of low, medium and high usage sites. All interviews are conducted face-to-face, with interviewers based at key forest access points, and conducting interviews with visitors who are coming to the end of their visit. Interviewing days are spread by season, day of the week and time of day, in order to capture the views of a range of visitors. For low usage forests (all of which are in Wales), on-site interviewing is supplemented with surveying of local residents to explore levels of usage and any barriers to accessing the site.
4 Introduction
2.2.2 2010 programme In 2010, BMG Research conducted interviews at twenty forest sites, including ten high usage sites in England: Hamsterley; Whinlatter; Grizedale; Cannock Chase; Sherwood Pines; Salcey; Wendover; Alice Holt; Westonbirt; Beechenhurst.
In Wales, interviews were conducted at ten sites, which were mixed in terms of level of usage:
Coed y Brenin (High usage); Newborough (High usage); Garwnant (High usage)
Gwydyr (Medium usage); Whitestone (Medium usage); Hafren (Medium usage); Moel Famau (Medium usage);
Gethin (Low usage); Llan Wynno (Low usage); Cwm Saebran (Low usage).
At Alice Holt, a total of 270 visitors were interviewed, over 2nd and 5th September 2010 (133 interviews), 2nd – 3rd October 2010 (86 interviews), and 3rd and 29th January 2011 (71 interviews).
2.3 Report This report summarises results of the survey undertaken at Alice Holt Forest during 2010, and includes site scores on key visitor measures. As mentioned, surveys have been undertaken at nine other forest sites across England, providing a total sample for England of 2566 respondents. Throughout this report, comparisons have been made between findings at Alice Holt and the average across all English sites. Where any differences are statistically significant1 this has been highlighted in the text.
1 At 95% level of confidence
5 Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
In some instances, respondents who answered ‘don’t know’ or who did not answer the relevant question have been excluded from the sample to ensure comparability of responses across different elements within each site, and across different sites, which results in a reduced sample base. The title of each table or graph will state whether data has been run on all responses, or if certain responses have been removed (valid responses only). Results have been presented rounded to 0 decimal places, which may mean that in the reporting of percentages, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%. For example, if there are 48.5% of males and 51.5% of females, these figures would be rounded up to 49% and 52%, totalling 101%. This explains the instances where summary text does not match a graph or table it is referring to. Sections 3 to 7 of this report present the main findings from the Quality of Visitor Experience Survey. Appendix 1 provides a copy of the questionnaire used for the survey.
2.4 Data reporting A separate data report is available, containing cross-tabulations by the following: Gender; Age; Economic activity; Size of group; Age of children in group; Lifestage (Family, Empty Nesters etc.)2; Type of visit; Frequency of visiting; Overall rating of site; Activities undertaken or planned to undertake.
2 Lifestage is defined as follows: Family - Has children aged 15 or under living in their household; Empty Nesters - Aged 45-65+ with no children in the household, and; Young Independents - Aged 16-34 with no children in the household.
6 Visitor profile information
3 Visitor profile information
3.1 Visitor profile Visitors were asked a number of demographic questions to determine the types of people who are visiting Alice Holt. Responses to these questions are shown in the table overleaf, compared with data for the average across all sites. The sample of visitors at Alice Holt was weighted towards females (55%), with 45% being male. This distribution was the reverse in comparison to the average across all sites, where 59% were male and 41% female. Results indicate that visitors surveyed at Alice Holt were more likely than average to be 35-44; half (50%) were within this age range, compared with 38% across the average of all English sites. Visitors were less likely to be over 55 years of age (6% cf.15%). Similarly, visitors to Alice Holt were more likely than average to be ‘Families’ (81% cf. 54%) and less likely to be ‘Young Independents’ (7% cf.15%) or ‘Empty Nesters’ (9% cf. 23%). Visitors surveyed at Alice Holt were also less likely than average to be employed full time (49% cf. 64% on average across sites in England), but more likely to be looking after the home (14% cf. 6%). In terms of disability, visitors to Alice Holt were fairly consistent with the average across English sites; just 4% of those surveyed said they had a disability, whilst the majority said they did not (96%).
7 Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
Figure 1: Profile of visitors in terms of key demographics Average across all
Alice Holt England sites % % Gender Male 45 59 Female 55 41 Age 16-24 3 5 25-34 23 23 35-44 50 38 45-54 17 18 55-64 4 9 65+ 2 6 Refused 1 1 Family Lifestage 81 54 (Children in household) Empty Nesters 9 23 (Aged 45-65+ with no children) Young Independents 7 15 (Aged 16-34 with no children) Other 4 8 Employee in full time job (30 hours plus Working status per week) 49 64 Employee in part time job (under 30
hours per week) 20 14 Self-employed full or part time 7 4 On a government supported training programme (e.g. Modern 0 0 Apprenticeship, Training for Work) Full time education at school, college or
university 2 2 Unemployed and available for work 1 1 Permanently sick/ Disabled <0.5 0 Wholly retired from work 3 9 Looking after the home 14 6 Other 1 1 Disability3 Yes 4 4 No 96 96 Sample base 270 2566
3 Whether respondent has any illness, disability or infirmity that has troubled them over 12 months or more.
8 Visitor profile information
3.2 Group profile
3.2.1 Size of group In terms of group size, the profile of visitors at Alice Holt was somewhat larger than the average across sites. Reflecting the prevalence of families, the mean number in a group at Alice Holt was five, which was slightly higher than the average across English sites (four), with group sizes at the site ranging from one to thirty. Only 2% of visitors came to the site alone, and fewer than one in seven (13%) visited in a couple. In contrast, almost two fifths (38%) visited in a group of five or more and nearly a third (29%) in a group of four.
Figure 2: Q1. Total size of group (All respondents)
2% One 6%
13% Two 30%
17% Three 19%
29% Four 22%
38% Five or more 24%
Alice Holt Total
Sample base = Alice Holt: 270 / Total sample: 2566
9 Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
3.2.2 Composition of group At Alice Holt, the majority of visitors (87%) had children in the group, which was a significantly higher proportion than the average across all sites (55%). Almost seven in ten (69%) were visiting with children aged 0-5 years, whilst over two fifths (43%) had children aged 6-10 in the group and just over one in ten (11%) were visiting with children aged 11-15 years. These figures were generally higher than the average across all English sites in relation to younger children (i.e. up to 10 years of age).
Figure 3: Q1. Composition of group (All respondents)
87% ANY Children in group 55%
69% Children aged 0-5 34%
43% Children aged 6-10 28%
11% Children aged 11-15 14%
Alice Holt Total
Sample base = Alice Holt: 270 / Total sample: 2566
10 Profile of visit
4 Profile of visit
4.1 Type of visit The majority of visitors to Alice Holt were visiting as part of a day trip of less than 3 hours away from home (84%), which was slightly higher than the average across all sites (80%). Few respondents at Alice Holt were visiting the site as part of an overnight stay, and none as part of a longer holiday or visit.
Figure 4: Q2. Type of visit (All respondents)
84% A day trip of less than 3 hours away from home 80%
15% A day trip of more than 3 hours away from home 9%
1% A visit that includes an overnight stay 5%
0% Part of a longer holiday/visit 5%
Alice Holt Total
Sample base = Alice Holt: 270 / Total sample: 2566
There was a link between type of visit and frequency of visit, with those who visit at least weekly (97%) being more likely to visit on a day trip that is less than 3 hours away from home, and first time visitors (17%) being more likely to visit as part of a day trip more than 3 hours from home.
11 Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
4.2 Visitor origin All visitors were asked if they would be willing to provide their postcode for mapping purposes, and the map below shows how these postcodes are distributed across the UK. Reflecting the prevalence of day trips, the map below shows that most of those surveyed at Alice Holt and providing a valid postcode live in or around the South East, with few respondents coming from further afield, although a small number had travelled from the North East.
Figure 5: Map of visitor origin showing postcodes of visitors (Where provided a valid postcode)
North West
12 Profile of visit
4.3 Frequency of visits
4.3.1 First time visitors Eight in ten visitors had been to Alice Holt before (83%), which was the same as the average across all sites, where 83% of respondents had visited the relevant site on a previous occasion.
4.3.2 Repeat visitors Excluding first time visitors, respondents at Alice Holt were more likely than average to visit 1-3 times per month (31% cf. 27%) or 4-6 times a year (25% cf. 18%), and somewhat less likely to visit 1-3 times a year (20% cf. 27%) or less often (7% cf. 13%).
Figure 6: Q3. Frequency of visits (Where visited site before)
0% Every day <0.5%
4% 4-6 times per week 3%
13% 1-3 times per week 12%
31% 1-3 times per month 27%
25% 4-6 times per year 18%
20% 1-3 times per year 27%
7% Less often 13%
Alice Holt Total
Sample base = Alice Holt: 224 / Total sample: 2138
Respondents who rate the site as ‘excellent’ overall were more likely to visit on at least a weekly basis (24%).
13 Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
4.4 Length of visit Visitors to Alice Holt had generally spent a couple of hours at the site. The average amount of time spent at Alice Holt was 2 hours and 6 minutes, which was somewhat lower than the average across all sites (2 hours and 24 minutes). Respondents at Alice Holt were more likely than average to have been at the site for under two hours (53% cf. 43%), and less likely to have been at the site for 3-5 hours (13% cf. 22%).
Figure 7: Q7a. Approximate length of time spent at the site when interviewed (All respondents)
12% 30-60 minutes 11%
41% 1 to 2 hours 32%
33% 2 to 3 hours 33%
13% 3 to 5 hours 22%
1% More than 5 hours 2%
0% Don't know / not sure 0%
Alice Holt Total
Sample base = Alice Holt: 270 / Total sample: 2566
Those who travelled for under three hours to reach the site were likely to stay for 1-2 hours (46%), whilst those on a longer visit were more likely than other groups to stay for more than five hours (36%). First time visitors (20%) were also more likely to stay at the site for over five hours.
14 Profile of visit
4.5 Activities undertaken All visitors who were interviewed were asked to say what activities they or other members of their group had taken part in during the visit, or were intending to take part in. Respondents were allowed to select as many activities as applicable, including where activities were of a similar nature, for example, they could walk a dog as well as walking on paths or trails. Responses to this question that were made by at least 1% of respondents are shown in the table overleaf. Similar proportions of visitors to the Alice Holt forest participated in walking compared as the average across English sites (59% cf. 63%), although cycling was less common than average (25% cf. 35%). However, the play area was used by a significantly higher proportion of visitors compared to the average (63% cf. 34%), reflecting the prevalence of families. Picnics and barbeques were also a popular activity at Alice Holt with one in six visitors participating (16% compared to 10% on average). There was some variation among subgroups of respondents at Alice Holt: Visitors most likely to access the play area were females (68%) and those with any children (72%), particularly those with children aged 0-5 years old within the group (78%); Visitors who came on a day trip less than 3 hours from home were more likely to participate in cycling (28%); and One in seven (14%) visitors who came as part of a longer visit (more than three hours drive from their home) participated in photography.
15 Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
Figure 8: Q4/5/6. Activities visitors / other members of their group have taken/intend to take part in during their visit (All respondents)
Alice Holt Total
Cycling/ mountain biking off tracks and trails 12% 24% Cycling on forest roads, tracks or trails 16% 19% SUMMARY: ANY CYCLING 25% 35%
Walking on a sign-posted trail 41% 47% Walking but not following sign posts 19% 23% Dog walking 20% 17% SUMMARY: ANY WALKING 59% 63%
Using the play area 63% 34% Using the café /restaurant/ other catering 39% 48% Picnic or barbecue 16% 10% Admiring the views 8% 11% Sculpture Trail 7% 6% Using the visitor centre/ shop 5% 13% Photography 4% 6% Nature/ natural history visit 2% 2% Running/ jogging 2% 2% Organised event/ trip 1% 1% Bird watching 1% 3% Orienteering <0.5% 1% Horse riding/ pony trekking <0.5% <0.5% Other 1% 6%
Sample Bases 270 2566
16 Profile of visit
4.6 Length of time spent on activities Visitors who said they had taken part or intended to take part in certain activities were asked how long they would spend on that activity during their visit. Although walking was a more popular activity at Alice Holt than cycling, on average, respondents spent a similar amount of time on both activities – around an hour and a quarter.
Figure 9: Q7B. Approximate time spent on various activities (All respondents: 270; All who walked: 154; All who cycled: 60)
Time spent on any Time spent on any Total time on site walking cycling
0-15 minutes 0% 4% 18%
15-30 minutes 0% 7% 7%
30-60 minutes 12% 32% 23%
1 to 2 hours 41% 44% 23%
2 to 3 hours 33% 10% 17%
3 to 5 hours 13% 1% 7%
More than 5 hours 1% 0% 0%
Don't know/ not sure 0% 2% 5%
Average 2 hours 6 minutes 1 hour 16 minutes 1 hours 19 minutes
17 Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
4.7 Overall spending during the visit Respondents were asked how much they thought their whole group would spend in the local area as a result of their visit, across a number of items. The mean amount spent by groups of visitors to Alice Holt was £24.63, which was lower than the average across English sites (£30.88). The average spend per person at Alice Holt was £6.03, which again was slightly lower than the average across all sites (where average spend per person was £10.19). Average spend per person is shown in the chart below.
Figure 10: Q19. Average spend per person – frequency of spending within each price range (All respondents)
51%
33% 31% 28%
20%
10% 11% 4% 3% 2% 1% 1% 0% 1% 0% 1% 1% 1%
£0-£2 £3-£5 £6-£10 £11-£20 £21-£30 £31-£40 £41-£50 £51-£60 £61+
Alice Holt Total
Base: Alice Holt = 270 / England = 2566
than £6 per person, on average.
18 Profile of visit
The table below shows the average amount that groups of respondents spent on individual items during their visits, where the item was purchased by sufficient numbers of respondents to provide robust results (e.g. only 1% reported spending anything on miscellaneous items, so this element has been excluded, as has accommodation, as only 1% of those surveyed were on an overnight stay). The majority of respondents spent something on parking during their visit (79%), although the average amount that was spent on parking was low (£3.70 among those who spent anything). Half (50%) spent money on transport, and visitors spent £8.50 on average on this aspect.
Table 1: Average spend across individual items (All respondents) Proportion at Average spend Alice Holt Average spend, at Alice Holt spending where visitors (All anything on spent anything respondents) this item Parking £2.91 79% £3.70
Transport including petrol, taxis, £4.25 50% £8.50 public transport etc.
Food and drink purchased £8.50 38% £22.28 outside of any accommodation Sample bases Sample base 270 N/a vary
19 Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
5 Perceptions of the site
5.1 Overall rating of the site as a place to visit Alice Holt was rated very positively as a place to visit, with more than nine in ten visitors saying the site was either excellent or very good (96%). This figure was slightly higher than the average across all sites (92%). This included almost half (49%) who said the site was excellent, and 48% who said it was ‘very good’ (50%).
Figure 11: Q16. Overall rating of the site as a place to visit (Valid responses only)
49% Excellent 42%
48% Very good 50%
3% Good 8%
<0.5% Fair <0.5%
0% Poor 0%
Alice Holt Total
Sample base = Alice Holt: 267 / Total sample: 2559
As the majority of respondents are all extremely positive about the site, there are no significant differences by sub group.
20 Perceptions of the site
5.2 Rating of Alice Holt as safe and welcoming All respondents were asked how they would rate the site in terms of how safe and welcoming it feels. Alice Holt was rated very positively on this measure, with more than nine in ten (93%) visitors providing a rating of excellent or very good. This was consistent with the average across all sites, where 90% provided ratings of very good/excellent for the relevant site.
Figure 12: Q13. Ratings of the site in terms of how safe and welcoming it feels (Valid responses only)
47% Excellent 45%
46% Very good 45%
7% Good 10%
1% Fair 1%
0% Poor 0%
0% Very poor 0%
Alice Holt Total
Sample base = Alice Holt: 270 / Total sample: 2562
21 Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
5.3 Recommending the site as a place to visit Visitors were asked whether they would recommend Alice Holt as a place to visit to a friend or relative. The overwhelming majority provided one of the top two ratings (76% provided a rating of 9-10) and the mean score was 9.2, so responses were generally very positive. Results can be analysed further using a Net Promoter Score, which is based on the idea of dividing customers into three categories: Promoters (score 9-10) who are loyal enthusiasts, Passives (score 7-8) who are satisfied but unenthusiastic, and Detractors (score 0-6) who are somewhat less satisfied. To calculate a Net Promoter Score (NPS) for Alice Holt, the percentage of customers who are Detractors is subtracted from the percentage of customers who are Promoters. This produces a score of 75.5%, which is slightly higher than the average across English sites (70%).
Figure 13: Q17. How likely it is that respondents would recommend this site as a place to visit to a friend or relative, where 0 is not at all likely and 10 is extremely likely (Valid responses only)
52%52%
23% 20%21% 20%
6% 4% 1% 0% 1%
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Alice Holt Total
Sample base = Alice Holt: 254 / Total sample: 2469
Visitors who come to the site as a day trip of less than 3 hours from their home are significantly more likely than those on a longer visit to be promoters (81% cf. 50%). Respondents who rate the site as excellent overall, are also significantly more likely to be promoters (64% compared to 43% of those who rate the site as very good).
22 Perceptions of the site
5.4 Favourite thing about the site Respondents were asked what they liked most about Alice Holt. This question was unprompted and respondents were allowed to mention as many aspects as they wanted. Comments made by at least 2% of respondents are shown in the chart below. The top aspect was activities/good for/something to do with children (48%), which was significantly more likely to be mentioned by visitors to Alice Holt compared with the average (24%). Sizeable proportions mentioned walks, paths and trails (38%) and beautiful scenery / views (30%). Visitors were less likely than average to mention cycle trails/freedom/opportunity to cycle or peace/tranquillity/relaxation (both 16%) compared to the average across all English sites (26% and 32% respectively).
Figure 14: Q12. Respondent’s favourite thing about the site (All respondents)
Activities/ Good for/ Something to do with children 48% 24% Walks/ Paths/ Trails 38% 41% Beautiful scenery/ views 30% 41% Fresh air/ Being outside 23% 24% Safe environment 17% 11% Cycle trails/ Freedom/ Opportunity to cycle 16% 26% Peace/ Tranquillity/ Relaxation 16% 32% Opportunity to spend time with family/ friends 16% 11% Good on-site facilities 15% 13% Close to home/ Convenient 14% 14% Exercise/ Keeping fit 11% 14% Clean/ Well looked after 11% 8% Lots to see and/or do 11% 7% Wildlife/ Bird watching 8% 8% Been before/ wanted to come again 7% 4% Cost/ Value for money 6% 2% Like forests/ trees/ variety of trees 6% 13% Helpful/ Pleasant staff 2% 1% Other (please specify) 4% 2%
Alice Holt Total
Sample base = Alice Holt: 270 / Total sample: 2566
23 Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
There were some differences among subgroups: Males were significantly more likely than females (22% cf. 11%) to mention that they visited for peace/tranquillity/relaxation; Females were significantly more likely than males (11% cf. 4%) to say they visited for wildlife/bird watching; Over a quarter (26%) of groups with children aged 11-15 within the party stated they most enjoyed the opportunity to exercise/keep fit, this is a significantly higher proportion than groups with any children or with children of younger ages. Additionally groups with children aged 11-15 within them were also more likely (52%) to visit for beautiful scenery/views than groups with no children (26%) or those with younger children; Respondents who stated they were visiting for a day trip of less than 3 hours from their home were significantly more likely than those undertaking longer visits to mention walks/paths/trails as a favourite thing at Alice Holt (40% cf. 24%); and Those who visit the most frequently (at least weekly) were significantly more likely than less frequent visitors to mention cycle trails/freedom/opportunity to cycle and exercise/keeping fit (38% and 24% respectively).
24 Site facilities
6 Site facilities
6.1 Importance of site facilities Visitors were asked to say which of a number of different facilities were important in their decision to visit Alice Holt. This question was prompted and respondents were able to select as many facilities as applicable. Play areas and equipment were particularly important in respondents’ decisions to visit the site (45%); two fifths said that car parking (40%) was important and a third stated choice of paths for walking (33%).
Figure 15: Q14. Importance of different facilities in deciding to visit the site (All respondents)
Play areas and equipment 45% Car parking 40% Choices of paths for walking 33% Toilets 30% Cafe/ Restaurant/ Catering 27% Picnic areas 20% Cycling trails 15% Clear sign posting of paths and trails 14% Open grassy areas 14% Go Ape (ropes and swings) 7% Baby changing facilities 7% Litter bins 6% Dog waste bins 5% Cycle hire 4% Staff available at the site 4% Printed information available 3% Other (please specify) 2% Disabled access to facilities 1% None 4% Don't know 9%
Sample base: Alice Holt = 270
Play areas and equipment was most likely to be important to females (53%), visitors with children (51%), respondents who are economically inactive (66%) and those who rate the overall site as excellent (52%).
25 Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
6.2 Rating of site facilities (where used) The chart below shows visitors’ ratings of each site facility where the facility had been experienced or used during the visit. The play areas and equipment were used by the majority of visitors and 99% of users rated them positively with 86% rating them at least as ‘very good’. Fewer respondents had used Go Ape facilities, but everyone who had used them (100%) provided a positive rating; as did 100% of users of paths for walking. Ratings were somewhat less positive in relation to baby changing facilities (19% of users rated them as fair/poor), dog waste bins (16%), toilets (15%) and disabled access to facilities (12%).
Figure 16: Q15. Ratings of site facilities (where respondent had used the facility)
Go Ape (ropes and swings) (45) 49% 38% 13%
Play areas and equipment (235) 36% 50% 13% 1%
Choice of Paths for walking (223) 25% 57% 17%
Car parking (261) 21% 51% 22% 5%
Staff available at the site (142) 17% 50% 27% 5% 1%
Cycling trails (94) 16% 62% 18% 1% 3%
Clear sign posting of paths and trails (211) 16% 56% 21% 6% 1%
Picnic areas (192) 15% 58% 23% 4%
Toilets (221) 15% 46% 24% 9% 6%
Baby changing facilities (53) 15% 34% 32% 11% 8%
Cafe/ Restaurant/ Catering (196) 14% 57% 23% 4%2%
Open grassy areas (216) 13% 63% 23% 1%
Printed information available (180) 12% 58% 24% 4%1%
Disabled access to facilities (43) 12% 49% 28% 7% 5%
Litter bins (192) 7% 58% 26% 5% 4%
Dog waste bins (87) 6% 48% 30% 7% 9%
Cycle hire (37) 5% 62% 27% 5%
Excellent Very good Good Fair Poor
Unweighted sample bases in parentheses
26 Site facilities
6.3 Ratings of site facilities by perceived importance The chart below shows, for each site facility, the proportion rating the facility as important in their decision to visit the site by the proportion of visitors who rate that facility as excellent or very good. The chart is divided into four quadrants based on the average ratings of facilities as very good to excellent, and as important. In general all facilities were positively rated; however, it can be seen that some facilities, such as play areas and the choice of paths for walking (J and D), were both important and highly rated, yet some facilities such as toilets (M) were regarded as important, but received slightly lower than average ratings.
Figure 17: Chart showing ratings of each site facility in terms of importance, and ratings in terms of % saying ‘excellent or very good’ (All respondents; Where used facility)
Less important and rated More important and rated higher than average
) higher than average 100%
K D J 80% BI L E A C H G F M Average rating = 72% 60% O N 40% Average importance = 18% 20% Less important and rated ating (% saying Excellent/ Very Good More important but rated R lower than average lower than average 0% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Importance (% saying important ) Sample bases vary
Table 2: Key to chart shown above
Staff available at the Go Ape (ropes and A Car parking F K site swings) Cafe/ Restaurant/ Printed information B Cycling tracks or trails G L Catering available C Cycle hire H Picnic areas M Toilets D Choices of paths for walking I Open grassy areas N Baby changing facilities Clear sign posting of paths Play areas and Disabled access to E J O and trails equipment facilities
27 Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
7 Information about sites
7.1 Sources used to plan visit Visitors were asked how or where they found out about the site as a place to visit, and were allowed to mention as many sources as applicable. First time visitors were most likely to say they found out about the site through word of mouth (72% at Alice Holt), or they had always known about it (11%). Almost one in ten (9%) first time visitors found out from the Internet or a website. In contrast, those who had visited before were most likely to say they had always known about the site or had been before (61% at Alice Holt), or that they had found out through word of mouth (35%). For both first time visitors and those who have visited before, the proportion saying they found out about Alice Holt via word of mouth was significantly higher than the average across sites in England.
Figure 18: Q8. How or where respondents found out about the site as a place to visit (All respondents) First time visitors Visited before Average Average Alice Holt across sites in Alice Holt across sites in England England Word of mouth 72% 55% 35% 24% Always known about 11% 17% 61% 71% it/been here before Internet/website 9% 16% 2% 4%
National newspaper 4% 1% 0% 0%
Leaflet 2% 5% 0% 1% Tourist Board 2% 2% <0.5% 1% Road signs 2% 3% 4% 1% Library 0% 0% 0% 0% Local newspaper 0% 0% <0.5% 0%
Just passing/ en route 0% 2% 2% 1%
Map 0% 1% 0% 0%
Other (please specify) 7% 5% 0% 2%
Sample bases 46 426 223 2129
28 Information about sites
7.2 Use of Forestry Commission website Visitors who said they found out about the site through an Internet website (just 9 respondents) were asked which one this was. Two respondents said they had used the Forestry Commission website but the majority had used a search engine such as Google (5 respondents). One respondent had used the Council website.
7.3 Ratings of the website Where visitors said they had used the Forestry Commission website (just two respondents) they were asked to rate it; one felt it was ‘excellent’ the other ‘fair’.
7.4 Visiting other sites Visitors to Alice Holt were asked whether they had visited any other Forestry Commission sites in the previous twelve months. This question was prompted with the aid of a map, and respondents were allowed to select as many sites as applicable. The most commonly visited sites were the New Forest (29%), Queen Elizabeth Country Park (20%) and the Moors Valley Country Park (10%).
Figure 19: Q18 Other sites respondents have visited in the last twelve months (All respondents)
New Forest 29% Queen Elizabeth Country Park 20% Moors Valley Country Park 10% Forest of Dean 7% Dalby Forest 5% Kielder Forest 4% Thetford Forest 4% Whinlatter 4% Bedgebury Forest and Pinetum 3% Grizedale 3% Guisborough Forest 3% Sherwood Pines 3% Cardinham Woods 2% Chapwell 2% Dunwich Forest 2% Haldon Forest Park 2% Wendover Woods 2% None 10%
Sample base = Alice Holt: 270
29 Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
8 Season tickets & Discovery passes
8.1 Current uptake of Season tickets & Discovery passes All visitors surveyed in England were asked whether they held a season ticket or discovery pass for the site they were visiting. The majority said they did not (88%), which was the same proportion compared with the average across sites. Just 5% of respondents said they held a discovery pass and 7% held a season ticket.
Figure 20: Q20. Whether respondents hold a season ticket or discovery pass for the site (All respondents)
88% No 88%
7% Yes - Season ticket 8%
5% Yes - Discovery pass 4%
Alice Holt Total
Sample base = Alice Holt: 270/ Total sample: 2566
30 Season tickets & Discovery passes
8.2 Interest in Season Tickets & Discovery Passes Respondents were informed that currently it is only possible to get season tickets or Discovery Passes for individual Forestry Commission sites, or for a few sites in a local area. They were asked how interested they would be in having a pass that allowed free parking and discounts at all Forestry Commission sites nationally, based on a cost of around £60 to £70 per year. The majority of respondents at Alice Holt said they were not interested (67%), including over two fifths who said they were not at all interested (41%). This was similar to the average across sites, where 70% said they were not interested. One in five said they would be interested (20%), which again was similar to the average across English sites (21%). A further 10% were unsure, and 3% said it would depend on the exact cost, and the latter comment was made unprompted as this option was not read out.
Figure 21: Q21. Respondents’ interest in a pass for all Forestry Commission sites nationally (All respondents)
6% Very interested 6%
14% Fairly interested 15%
26% Not very interested 20%
41% Not at all interested 50%
3% Depends on how much it costs 3%
10% Don't know 6%
Alice Holt Total
Sample base = Alice Holt: 270 / Total sample: 2566
First time visitors (76%) and those who visit on a yearly basis (74%) were more likely to say they were not interested, as were those who rated the site as very good overall (72%).
31 Quality of Visitor Experience Survey: Alice Holt
9 Appendix 1: Questionnaire
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