Callander Landscape Partnership Visitor Survey Report Prepared for: Emma Martin Callander Landscape Partnership Development Officer Prepared By: Nicki Souter Associates June 2017 1 Callander Landscape Partnership – Visitor Survey Report Introduction The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has provided grant funding to 124 Landscape Partnerships since 2003. Landscape Partnership schemes focus on the conservation of heritage within rural and peri-urban regeneration projects by bringing a range of organisations together to create a balanced approach to the management of landscape heritage. In 2015, The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park was awarded funding to establish the Callander Landscape Partnership (CLP). The vision for the CLP is: “Through the Callander Landscape Partnership we will change the way our landscape set within both the highlands and the lowlands is managed, understood, celebrated and linked to our town. Local people and visitors of all ages will enjoy and appreciate the important cultural, historical and natural features that surround us. We will leave a legacy that supports the town’s drive to become the outdoor capital of the National Park” The CLP has the following aims alongside its vision: Improve the setting of Callander through much needed investment in the surrounding landscape; building momentum through a partnership minded to address the issues surrounding Callander’s key heritage. Make the most significant contribution to Callander’s outdoor capital aspiration, by recovering and restoring the rich cultural and natural heritage and providing physical and intellectual access to the Callander landscape. Engage more people in the landscape and heritage, invigorating the local economy, improving lives and sustaining the community. 2 The CLP intends to meet these aims and vision through the delivery of more than twenty ‘sub-projects’ organised into four principal themes: Restore – focussing on conservation and land-based projects, as well as the largest capital project – the bridge at Leny Falls Explore – focussing on improved recreational opportunities and healthy activity; Research – focusing on all sub-projects with an archaeological, historical or heritage theme; and Engage – focussing on projects with connections to people such as volunteering and education The sub-projects, divided into the four themes, are presented in Appendix 1. This overall Outdoor Capital Approach aspires to offer a range of opportunities with an outdoor focus for all ages and abilities in Callander and the surrounding area. To help to deliver this the CLP wanted to more fully understand the existing visitor profile and their interaction and engagement with Callander. Previously the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority Tourism Survey (2012- 17)1 identified the current visitor profile as: Mature Devotees - enjoy visiting Scotland to explore the local area and culture, typically 50 plus, low disposable spend; and prefer to sightsee from car or coach; and Affluent Active Devotees - typically 50 plus, high disposable income, enjoy good food and drink, active pursuits and like to stay in boutique hotels The Peak District National Park described a similar visitor profile[2], with two thirds of visitors to this National Park classified as ‘affluent achievers’ or within a ‘comfortable communities’ category. 1 http://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/rr-content/uploads/2016/07/Our-Plans_Tourism- Strategy2012-2017.pdf [2] http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/538772/vistor-non-visitor-survey-2014.pdf 3 Scope of Research The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority commissioned Nicki Souter Associates (NSA) to undertake a quantitative face to face survey with visitors to Callander to help the CLP gain greater insight and understanding of: The existing visitor profile of Callander, including nationality, length of stay, accommodation, average daily spend and activities undertaken; Current awareness and opinions of tourist locations and if these could be improved; Opinion on the suggested Outdoor Capital Approach Methodology In order to fulfil the research objectives, the following methodology was carried out. A quantitative face to face visitor survey was carried out at 3 key locations in and around Callander over a 6-day period by trained NSA survey consultants. Survey The quantitative survey detailed in Appendix 2 was developed in consultation with the Callander Landscape Partnership Development Officer. The questions were designed to assess visitors: Socio-demographic information; Current visiting behaviour including length of stay, number of previous visits, accommodation; Reasons for visiting, and the activities engaged in; Average daily spend; Current levels of awareness and opinion of key locations, including: o Falls of Leny; o Callander Crags and Bracklinn Falls; and o The Meadows; Opinion of the overall Outdoor Capital Approach for Callander; and Any other comments or recommendations. 4 The NSA survey methodology used printed surveys laid out in a pre-coded format, which not only allowed the surveyor to quickly record the responses to the questions but also enabled efficient data input. The number of surveys completed and how many people were engaged with were also recorded. Visitors to the area were surveyed at 3 locations, at the: Station Road Car Park; Bracklinn Falls Car Park; and The Meadows Car Park. The surveys were carried out between 10 am and 6pm over a 6-day period during May 2017. The survey days were selected to coincide with good weather to optimise the number of visitors engaged. In total 264 visitors were engaged by the NSA surveyors with 146 surveys successfully competed giving an overall response rate of 55.3%; the final sample and response rates are detailed in Table 1. Table 1 – Final Sample and Response Rate Number of Number of Response Date Survey Location Visitors Engaged Surveys Rate 19/05/17 Station Road Car Park 42 25 59.5% 24/05/17 Bracklinn Falls 28 22 78.6% 25/05/17 Meadows Car Park 67 30 44.8% 26/05/17 Station Road Car Park 54 27 50% 30/05/17 Meadows Car Park 32 17 53.1% 31/05/17 Station Road/ Meadows Car Parks 41 25 61% Totals 264 146 55.3% Analysis Survey results were input into the statistical software programme QPSMR which allows complex data sets to be sorted, filtered and analysed. Data was cleaned to ensure incomplete surveys were removed from the dataset, exported into Microsoft Excel where the results were used to generate a series of tables and graphs. 5 Results Visitor Profile 1. Age The age demographic of the visitors surveyed is detailed in Table 2. Approximately 90% of all visitors completing a survey were over 45, with 63.7% in the 60 and over age group, and 26% in the 45-59 age group. Table 2 – Age of Visitor Number of Surveys Age % Completed 18-29 6 4.1% 30-44 9 6.2% 45-59 38 26.0% 60 and over 93 63.7% Total 146 100.0% The life stages of the visitors surveyed are displayed in Table 3. The majority of people were empty nesters, and/or 60+, with approximately 18% of the visitors categorised as families with children still at home. Table 3 - Life Stages of Visitors Number of Surveys Life Stage % Completed Young adult(s) 18- 29 6 4.1% Adult(s) 30-59 (no children) 20 13.7% Family with young children (youngest under 5) 3 2.1% Family with older children (youngest over 5) 24 16.4% Adult(s) 60+ 92 63.0% Not given 1 0.7% Total 146 100.0% The age and life stage profiles are similar to the visitor profile detailed within the tourism strategy which states the most common visitors to the National Park are people over the age of 50. 6 Based on these findings the CLP should look to further explore and to identify what would encourage a younger visitor base to the area and specifically to attract people under 50 with and without children. Visitor Profile 2. Gender The gender profile of the visitors surveyed was 53% women and 47% men. Visitor Profile 3. Nationality The nationality profile for the visitors surveyed is detailed in Figure 1. The majority of visitors were from the UK (87%): 58.9% from Scotland; 26% from England; and 2.1% from Wales. 13% of visitors were from abroad, of which 11.6% were Non-European with just over half of these from the USA and a quarter from Australia. Nationality of Visitors 70.0% 58.9% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 26.0% 20.0% 11.6% 10.0% As % of Visitors % of Visitors As Surveyed 2.1% 1.4% 0.0% Scotland England Wales European Non-European Nationality Figure 1- Nationality of Visitors Based on these findings the CLP should look to further explore and identify what could encourage a wider visitor base to the area from the rest of the UK, and from both European and Non-European countries.2 This should be linked to existing tourism strategies and highlight the key selling points of the Callander Outdoor Capital approach. 2 http://www.visitscotland.org/pdf/Tourism%20in%20Scotland%20Factsheet%202015.pdf 7 The profile for Scottish visitors is displayed in Figure 2 with the majority of people residing in the Central Belt (87.2%). Scottish Visitor Profile 20.0% 18.6% 18.0% 16.0% 14.0% 12.8% 11.6% 12.0% 10.0% 9.3% 8.0% 5.8%5.8% 6.0% 4.7%4.7% 4.7% 4.7% 3.5% 4.0% 2.3%2.3% 2.3% 2.0% 1.2%1.2% 1.2% 1.2% 1.2% 1.2% As % of Visitors % of Visitors As from Scotland 0.0% Areas of Scotland Figure 2 – Scottish Visitor Profile The profile for Scottish visitors is displayed in Figure 2 with the majority travelling to Callander from the Central Belt (87.2%).