qo - lo?z- rvr nn oenB¡n¡UU C- Bound by 10237017 Abbey Bookbinding Co.. otoolor Cordiff Uc 5' lel: (0222) 395882 Fol.t<027'21223345 lilll ll I lt r r ilililllilt il il]t 1ilil È .t r1, .{ ìI THE IMPACT OF GARDEN FESTIVAT WALES ON THE LOCAL TOURISM INDUSTRY FIONA ]AYNE WILLIAMS A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the Open University for the degree of Master of PhilosoPhY LL)r[Luau¿ (ct-a't+) February 1994 Ca¡diff Institute of Higher Education DECLARATION I hereby declare that this dissertation is the result of my own work and that due reference is made where necessary to the work of other researchers and authors' I further declare that this disserbation has not beeir accepted in substance for any former degree and is not currentlY submitted in candidature for any other degree. C-andidate Supervisor ,rl1 LU,-tltaL¡¿ -/"^À¿ Fiona J Williams e P#,8¿"47 Director of Studies Supervisor C L DrJ Evans Dr D Botterill ABSTRACT by the Government as The concept of the garden festival was introduced to Britain part of the problems. have varie basic parameters as stated bY the D considerations' 'l'his accorded to each festival haíe diffe local some of the objectives of thesis describes attempts to determine the of company, Garden Ga¡den Festival wales held at Ebbw vale in 1992. The Festival image of the area, which in Festival wales Limited, placed priority on improving the Therefore, it is turn would act as a ffiur for more rápid economic regeneration' postulated in this study that Garden Festival W numbers attributable to the event would have a tourism industry. The criteria for assessment ar atEibutable to Garden Festival Wales' A multiple resea¡ch approach is adopted which involve methods and results in three data sets' Sixteen visitor a I Wales sampling purposes a¡e all located within a 25km radius tryside ,it",^ar,íir,Aude heritage attractions, mu a method of attractions and industr nl/craÍtattraction visitor ii-guf"tion which combines the percepti ocal of visitors to those athactions with an investigatiot oi th" áttit.tdut and opinions data is atEactions. An evaluation"of this primary data and the relevant secondary undertaken to achieve the research objectives' 'perceived' and 'actual' Evidence is presented to demonstrate the extent to which the Festival wales' benefits to the local visitor atÚactions were attributable to Garden generated by the Most of the benefits were the result of the new visitors to the area evenl The occurrence of image-related b Festival, is not supported by the evidence Garden Festival Wales had a beneficial i impact was modest in terms of what was explored ; they include market overlap, a to the concept of The issues addressed in this study, and its findings, are relevant recommendations a¡e festirrals and special events in a broader definition. Therefore, events as part of presenæd r"grrair,g the wider application of festivals and special iourism product development and economic regeneration' ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS "The ímpossìbte ìs possible when people ølìgn wìth Aort." (Gita Bellin) support : I would like to thank all of the following people for their help and The interviewers: Mr G. Evans Ms J. Gwilliam Ms A. Pontin Ms N. Summerill Mr R. Wooding R. The interviewees : Mr O. Brace Ms Howells Ms S. Carter Ms P. Jahnson Ms C. Colthart Ms L. Liversuch Mr B. Davies Mr D. Radford Mr S. Done Ms C. Ross Mr R. Ellis Ms M Scourfield Mr G. Gregory Mr S. Sully Mr S. Griffiths Mr B. Trett Ms E. Harries Ms V. Williams Mr D. Zienkiewicz at Cardiff Institute of Higher The Library and Technical Support-noard Staff particular : Educationitt u Wut"s Tourist and the Welsh Office, in Mr I. Burrage Mr D. Duggan lvtu G. Helmich Mr B. Thomas Mr I. Williarns Hayes and I would like to extend specÍal thanks to my Supervisors, Dr M' Dr D. Botterill, and my Director of Studies, Dr J'C' Evans' I have learned from eadr of them. ll CONTENTS PAGES 1 ABSTRACT ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii CONTENTS iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS v LIST OF TABLES VI-X LIST OF FIGURES 1.-47 CHAPTER L : INTRODUCTION 48-63 CHAPTER 2 : METHODOLOGY 64- 80 CHAPTER 3 : WSITORSURVEYRESULTS 81 -721 CHAPTER 4 : HOSTSURVEYRESULTS 122 - 1,40 CHAPTER 5 : ,ANA¿YSIS !41- 1.46 CHAPTER 6 : CONCIUSION xl - xvll REFERENCES APPENDICES lll LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS B.G.B.C. Blaenau Gwent Borough Council B.I.E. Bureau International des Expositions B.S.C. British Steel CorPoration CADW Welsh Historic Monuments c.s.o. Central Statistical Office D.o.E. Department of the Environment G.A.T.A. Gwent Association of Tourist Athactions G.C.C. Gwent CountY Council G.F.W. Garden Festival Wales G.G.T.B. Greater Glasgow Tourist Board G.M.B.C. Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council G.S.G. Golley Slater GrouP I.C.L.I. Joint Council of Landscape Industries M.D.C. Merseyside Development Corporation N.O.P. National Opinion Poll N.M.W. National Museum of Wales s.D.A. Scottish DeveloPment AgencY S.T.B. Scottish Towist Board T.I.C. Tourist Information Centre U.K.T.S. United Kingdom Tourism SurveY w.D.A. Welsh DeveloPment AgencY w.T.B. Wales Tourist Boa¡d lv LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGES 1.1 Tou¡ism by British Residents within Britain - Purpose of Visit, 1986 31 'J,.2 Wales' Share of the Overseas Visitor Market, L986 32 1.3 Wales' Share of the British Tourism Market 32 7.4 Wales' Accommodation Stock and the Expenditure C,enerated,t986 33 2.t The Visitor Attraction sample : c-ategorisation of the Resouræ 50 2.2 The Visitor Athaction Sample : Ownership and Management 51 2.3 G.A.T.A. Members Induded in the Visitor Attraction Sample 52 v LIST OF FIGURES PAGES FIGURE 4 1.1 British Garden Festivals Location Map 8 1.2 Total Costs for Each Festival, 19U- 1990 Festival' 1.3 Sponsorship Contribution to Each Garden 10 19U- 1990 23 7.4 Wales - Counties and Districts 24 1..5 Location of Ebbw Vale 25 1.6 Population of Blaenau Gwent, 1897 -1991 in Comparison 1.7 Unemployment Rate for Bliaenau Gwent 27 to Wales, 1984 - t99t 29 1.8 Wales - Tourism 1991 in 1986 30 7.9 Expenditure by British and Overseas Tourists 1.l0TheDistributionofAccommodationinRelationto 33 Popul,ation in Wales by County, 1980 - 1986 Target Markets 39 1.11 Garden Festival Wales Limited's Proposed 4l 1..12 The Garden Festival Wales Logo ''Gryff' 49 2.1 The Data Sources il 2.2 Location of the visitor Attractions in the sample at Eadl Attraction 2.3 Quota of Visitors to be Interviewed 56 During the SurveY Period vl 58 2.4 Visitor SurveY - DaY of Interview 59 2.5 Visitor Survey - Time of Day of Interview 59 2.6 Visitor Survey - Weather at Time of Interview 64 3.1 The Age Distribution of the Sample Population 65 3.2 Social Classification of the Respondents 65 3.3 C-ategorisation of Respondents into Group TyPe 66 3.4 C-ategorisation of Respondents into Group Size 3.5 Mode of Transport Used by Respondents to Visit the Attractions 66 67 3.6 How Respondents Lea¡ned of the Visitor Attractions 68 3.7 Domicile of ResPondents 3.8 Categorisation of Respondents into Day-Trippers and Staying Visitors 69 3.9 Type of Accommodation Used by Respondents Staying Overnight 70 7t 3.10 Locatign of Staying Visitors' Accommodation 72 3.11 Length of Stay of Respondents Staying Overnight 72 3.12 Trip Arrangements of Respondents Staying Overnight 3.13 Organising Arrangements of Respondents Staying Overnight 73 73 3.1,4 Package Tour Indusions vu 74 3.1s Change in Overnight Stayers'Image of Wales 3.16 Overnight Stayers Who Stated That They Would Visit 74 Wales Again 3.77 Visitation to GFWby Respondents 75 75 3.1.8 Intention of Respondents to Visit GFW 76 3.19 How ResPondents Leamed of GFW Affect 3.20 Respondents'Opinions on Whether GFW Would 77 the Local Tourism IndustrY Affect 3.21 Respondents' Opinions of How GFW Would 78 the Local Tourism Indushry 79 3.22 Association of the Sample to GFW Resource 3.23 Respondent categorisation at Eadr Attraction 80 TyPe 4.1 The Change in Visitor Numbers at the Attractions During the 7992Summer Season 81 4.2 The Variables to Which Lrterviewees Attributed 83 Changes in Visitor Numbers 4.3 Influence of GFW on Visitor Numbers at the Attractions 85 as Perceived bY Interviewees 4.4 The ctranges of Particular Markets at the Attractions During l}ret992 Summer Season 87 GFW on 4.5 Interviewees'Expectations of the Effect of 89 Their Business and the Consequent Meastues Taken 91 4.6 Measures taken as a Direct Result of GFW vlll Over 4.7 The Attractions Involved in Market Research theTgglSummerSeasonandthelnformationGained 96 Relating to GFW 4.8 Involvement of Interviewees With Their Umbrella Organisations In Making Decisions Regarding 96 Representation of the Attractions at GFW Authorities 4.9 Involvement of Interviewees with Their Local in Making Decisions Regarding Representation of the 97 Attractions at GFW 4.lo Interviewees'Assessment of the coordination Among theReleva¡rtlnterestsandSatisfactionRegarding 99 Their Involvement With GFW 4.llInterviewees'PerceptionsofthelmagePortrayedby 101 GFW in Terms of WTB Poliry by 4.12 Interviewees' Perceptions of the Image Portrayed 103 GFW in General Terms 4.73 Interviewees' opinions of the Media's Portrayal of 104 GFW 4.14 Interviewees'Perceptions of the Role of GFW in Increasing Awareness of Wales as a Tourism Destination (U.K.Market) 106 4.15 Interviewees'Perceptions of the Role of GFW in Increasing Awa¡eness of Wales as a Tourism 106 Destination (International Market) 4.16Interviewees'opinionsoftheRoleofGFWinChanging 109 Visitors' PercePtions of Wales 4.17 Interviewees' opinions of the Influence of GFW on Positive 109 Word-of -Mouth Recommendation lx 4.lsInterviewees'opinionsofthelnfluenceofGFWin 109 Encouraging Repeat Visits to Wales 4.1g Interviewees'Evidence showing That Visitors were 111, Athacted to South Wales bY GFW Local 4.20 Interviewees' Perceptions of the Benefits to the 113 Tot¡¡ism IndusüY 4.21 Interviewees' Perceptions of the Costs to the Local Tourism tt7 IndustrY Athibutable to GFW 4.22 Interviewees'Assessment of GFW in Terms of the costs 120 and Benefits to the Local Tourism Industry x CHAPTER ].