Your questions answered about statistics
and visitor management in
Exmoor National Park

Introduction

Statistical data is an important tool for research and management of Exmoor National Park, particularly management for visitors. It can be used to:

• target resources e.g. to discover whether visitors are reading information provided
• help identify overuse of particular areas
• show what people do e.g. stay in cars and drive about so adding to traffic congestion
• find out what people want and if appropriate help to provide it

Exmoor National Park Authority obtains its statistics in different ways. e.g.

• surveys such as the All Parks Visitor Survey detailed below.
• simple questionnaires addressing particular issues.
• counts of people, vehicles, mountain bikes, horses etc.

THREE CASE STUDIES

Exmoor bus service

To try to limit the number of cars being brought onto Exmoor’s narrow roads the NPA have worked with county councils and local bus companies to provide a comprehensive bus service linking nearby towns with Exmoor villages and beauty spots. Timetables include details of walks linking with the bus routes.

In order to monitor the success of the scheme, counts of passengers have been maintained and simple questionnaires have identified where people were going and what they were doing and where they heard about the bus service. This year the service has been well used and received and so the bus companies are considering extending the service next year.

Coast Path management

A survey of people using the South West Coast Path was made in 1994. In addition an automatic laser beam counter was installed near Combe Martin though its value is limited as it does not distinguish between people, dogs, horses and bikes!

This monitoring of use helps in managing the path. For example if mountain bikes were over-using the route and causing bad erosion the ENPA would have to consider putting in a more sustainable surface or asking cyclists to use another more sustainable route. Survey findings regarding information and facilities help the ENPA to decide what is needed.

Draper's Way

Every year for a few weeks in early Spring a wooded valley near Wheddon Cross is densely carpeted with snowdrops. Once the word gets out that the snowdrops are in bloom thousands of people flock there to see the snowdrops. The valley is approached by a narrow single-track road with passing places, in one direction down a steep hill. The only places to park are verges and passing places.

The results are predictable: a high degree of traffic congestion: erosion of the verges:

difficulties for local, especially farm, traffic and enjoyment spoilt. In order to cope with these problems the ENPA organised a survey of visitors and parked vehicles in Spring 19%. Results show that many people would welcome a minibus 'park and ride' to the valley so this will be tried out in 1997.

Exmoor National Park

Visitor Survey 1994

The latest comprehensive survey of visitors to Exmoor National Park was made in 1994 as part of an All Parks Visitor Survey carried out by the Centre for leisure Research at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh and JMB Consultants. The report on Exmoor (volume 6) is one of twelve describing the characteristics and views of visitors and the pattern and nature of visits to each of the ten National Parks in England and Wales, the Broads and the New Forest. The key findings are summarised in Volume 13 while a summary published by the Countryside Commission includes key findings and also their implications for policies and practice in the National Parks.

It is the first ever survey of visitors to all National Parks in England and Wales. Identical methods were used in each Park making it the most comprehensive and comparable survey of visitors to the Parks. It includes a wide range of information about Park visitors, their activities and their attitudes.

Methodology summary

Data was obtained in the following ways.

• roadside surveys
• automatic traffic counts
• site surveys
• estimates from desk-based surveys
• visitor counts at attractions, accommodation and car parks

The interview locations within the Park were chosen to provide a representative cross-section of sites, including towns and villages, places of interest and countryside recreation sites. Most of the information was collected through personal interviews with some additional data about attitudes and expenditure obtained through self completion questionnaires distributed to the recreational visitors interviewed.

Comparisons

Often students enquire about comparative numbers of visitors throughout the year or over a number of years. It will be clear from the methodology summary how much time and effort is involved in collecting such statistics so that surveys are only undertaken occasionally.

A Visitor Survey of Exmoor National Park was made in 1987 and results are still available. Although it is possible to make some comparisons between the 1987 figures and those from 1994 no comparison can be wholly accurate because of the different methods involved in collecting data.

Numbers

In the 1994 survey of Exmoor National Park, 3412 people were interviewed and 1135 questionnaires were returned, a response rate of 46% which is high for this type of survey and 1% higher than the national response.

Glossary

In the All Parks Visitor Survey the following definitions apply.

Day visitor Someone who has travelled to the Park from home and who will return home the same day.
Holidaymaker Someone who is staying away from home, inside or outside the Park.
Visitor A day visitor or holiday maker.
Visitor Day A day visit to the Park or holiday day spent in the Park by someone staying inside or outside it.

Summary of Results

There follows a selection of briefly summarised results relating to Exmoor National Park from the All Parks Visitors Survey 19%. Full results are available. Details can be found in the Resources panel on page 4.

Nature and scale of visits

Estimating the number of visitors/ visitor days is both complicated and notoriously inaccurate. The estimated total number of visitor days spent in the ENP in 1994 lies somewhere between 14 million (the figure used in calculations) and 2 million. Exmoor National Park has a low number of visitor days compared with many other Parks, because of its small size and location some way from large centres of population.

Of the 1 A million, 86% travelled into the Park by private motor vehicle, 13% by public transport while 1% were residents. Of the 1.2 million recreational visitor days spent by people travelling by private motor vehicle from outside the Park, 0.3 million were day visits from home and 0.9 million were holiday days spent by people staying inside and outside the Park. 0.18 million visitor days were made to the ENP by people travelling by public transport or private coach.

A rough estimate of the actual number of holidaymakers staying in the Park can be obtained by dividing the total number of holiday days by the average length of stay, 5.6 days.

The report on the findings of the survey in the ENP considers the accuracy of these results and suggests that they may be low.

Origin of Park visitors

Day trip visitors

Excluding residents of the National Park, 80% of people on day trips came from areas within easy reach of the Park. Almost a third (32%) came from the five main towns in the area Taunton 11%, Minehead and Tiverton 6% each, Barnstaple 5%, Bridgwater 4%). Almost a fifth (18%) came from other Paris of Devon and 13% from other parts of Somerset. Of the remaining 20%, 13% came from the South West, 3% from the West Midlands, 2% from the South East and Greater London and 1% from both the North West and from Wales. Holiday Visitors

People on holiday came from all over the United Kingdom with 6% coming from overseas. Most (56%) came from the south with 15% coming from the West Midlands.

Reasons for visiting the Park

A = all reasons B = only or most important reason.
Figures are shown in percentages. Over 94% of respondents were aware that they were in a National Park.

Purpose of visit

For people on day trips, walking or sightseeing were the most important reasons for visiting the ENP. 30% said they had come for a short walk (up to 2 hours), 17% for a long walk (over 2 hours) and 27% to drive around sightseeing.

A third of holidaymakers described their visit as a 'moderately active' holiday (e.g. going for short walks and/or cycling) and a further 7% were on an 'active' holiday with most of their time spent on outdoor pursuits or sport (e.g. hill/fell walking, mountain biking). 32% were driving around sightseeing while 26% said that their main aim was to have a quiet relaxing holiday staying in one place most of the time.

Activities undertaken

Most people did what they set out to do. General sightseeing was the most common activity, both driving round and on foot, followed by walking which ranged from a stroll to hill walking and including guided walks. Picnicking or having a drink or meal were other common activities.  41% visited an information or National Park Centre while 36% visited a castle or historic site.

Visitor attitudes

Visitors were asked to indicate from a list of options those qualities which were most important in contributing to the enjoyment of their visit and the aspects which spoilt it. Scenery and landscape were rated most important in contributing to enjoyment followed by 'fresh clean air', the Park being not too crowded and 'pence and quiet'. 71% considered sport and outdoor pursuits not to be important.

Most people (over 88%) indicated that none of the aspects listed spoilt the enjoyment of their visit. 11% thought there were not enough signs while 8% complained of traffic congestion on roads outside the ENP.

How much visitors spend

Excluding the cost of accommodation, holiday makers staying inside the Park spent an average of £11.70 per person per day. Those staying outside the Park spent an average of £6.70 while day trip visitors spent £4.70 on average. The purchase of food and drink represented 36% of all spending. Accommodation

45% of holidaymakers were staying in the Park the night before they were interviewed. They spent an average of £18.90 per night including food and drink. Those in serviced accommodation spent more than three times as much as those in self-catering accommodation; £30.70 compared with £7.80.

Statistics and your studies

Statistics are not only useful as a tool in research for ENPA management. They are also an essential part of many personal studies which are made of Exmoor. Usually students use statistics which are available from the ENPA alongside the results of surveys which they carry out themselves.

Park staff will be glad to discuss studies with tutors and teachers; advise students on their choice of study and make available appropriate information and statistics. They will also be able to advise if they consider that there is not sufficient material available to make a study viable. In return Park staff would welcome the opportunity to incorporate the results of student studies on the Park database as a method of building up as much information as possible about the ENP.

Resources available from Exmoor House

Please address requests in the first instance to:

The Education Officer, Exmoor National Park Department, Exmoor House, Dulverton. TA22 9HL

• ALL PARKS VISITOR SURVEY RESULTS FOR EXMOOR. The ENP will be publishing its own summary in early 1997
• ENP Visitor survey results 1987
• More detailed statistics & sample questionnaires elating to Bus Service survey 1996; South West Coast Path survey 1994; Drapers Way survey 1996

Resources available from elsewhere

• ALL PARKS VISITOR SURVEY 1994

A summary report of the survey findings, Visitors and National Parks, (£10.00) can be ordered from Countryside Commission Postal Sales, PO Box 124, Walgrave, Northampton NN6 9TL. The report of the survey in Exmoor National Park (Vol.6) can be ordered from:

Centre for Leisure Research, Moray House Institute, Heriot-Watt University, Cramond Road North, Edinburgh EH4 6JD

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