WORKSHEET EC7: TOURISM AND VISITOR SERVICES
TASK: to measure the level of tourism activity in the area and make assessments of visitor services and facilities.
1: Introduction to the task
Although tourism is part of the local economy you may find that it is difficult to get hold of reliable information about tourism issues. If there is not enough published information available to answer the questions, you may want to carry out an audit of tourist and visitor activities. Your audit will probably need to include a wide range of topics including:
- Visitor attitudes: what do they come for, what do they do, and what do they think about what the town/hinterland have to offer?
- Community Attitudes: how does tourism impact on the local economy both economically and socially, and what are the benefits and the problems?)
- Economic impact assessment: how does tourism and tourism related employment affect the area?
The regional development agency or local authority tourism officer may be able to help with collecting and analysing the data. You might want to consider 'benchmarking' the town's businesses and facilities. This involves making a comparison between your town and other similar towns. The Countryside Agency‘s Leaky Luggage‘ model may help you with this process.
Techniques for visitor attitude surveys, benchmarking and gauging the community benefits of tourism are given in Data Sources and Survey Methods. On the website you will also find 'Tourism Guidance for Market Towns' a step-by-step guide to help market towns realise their visitor potential.
NB The provision of sports and leisure facilities is covered in Worksheet S5: Sport, Leisure and Open space.
2: Getting the following information will give you the facts you need to assess visitors' needs and the services and facilities available.
Sub Section 1: Who are our visitors?
EC7 Q1
How many visitors come to the area each year? Consider:
a. Day visitors
b. Overnight visitors
c. Longer stay visitors
(Worksheets S1 Q8 also refers to visitors and tourism)
Starting points for information
Local Tourist Information office
Visitor surveys
EC7 Q2
VISITOR ACTIVITY:
a. Is visitor activity susceptible to seasonal peaks and troughs?
b. If yes, when do these occur, and why?
Compare visitor numbers and employment rates at different times of the year.
(Worksheets S1 Q4 also refers to employment)
Starting points for information
Visitor Surveys conducted by the District Council or Tourist Board
Sub Section 2: What do tourists want?
EC7 Q3
Where do visitors go during their visit?
Starting points for information
Local Tourist Information office
Visitor surveys
EC7 Q4
What do visitors do during their visit?
Look at, for example, whether they go shopping, visit tourist attractions, do sport, visit friends/relatives, etc.
Starting points for information
Local Tourist Information office
Visitor surveys
EC7 Q5
How much money do visitors spend in the town and the surrounding area?
Starting points for information
Visitor Surveys conducted by the District Council or Tourist Board
Sub-section 3: What does our town offer tourists?
EC7 Q6
ACTIVITIES:
a. What are the main tourist or visitor activities in the town or nearby?
b. Are there any specialist tourism enterprises, such as language schools or conference centres that may encourage people to visit the area? If so, what proportion of visitors use these facilities?
Consider both major activities (for example, festivals, sports events, key landmarks, etc), and smaller scale activities (for example, footpaths, cycle ways/cycle hire, etc).
Starting points for information
Local Tourist
Board Yellow Pages
EC7 Q7
What are the transport links:
a. To the town in the first instance (for example, road and rail)
b. For visitors once they have arrived (for example, buses, hire cars)?
Consider whether there are viable alternatives to private cars.
(Worksheets EN1 Q10; S3 Q1,4; T1; T2; T3 also refer to public transport or travel)
Starting points for information
Local authority
Local transport providers
EC7 Q8
How accessible is the town and its facilities for people with disabilities?
(Worksheets T3 also refers to disability issues)
Starting points for information
The Tourist Information Office
local survey.
www.tourismforall.org.uk
www.holidaycare.org.uk
EC7 Q9
AVAILABLE ACCOMMODATION
What is the range and capacity of accommodation available with respect to these grades:
a. B&B
b. Guest House
c. Hotel
d. Self-catering
e. Caravan and camping
f. Youth hostels
g. Bunkhouse barns
Starting points for information
District Council
Local Tourist Board
Local surveys
Q9 DRAFT ANSWER:
(a),(b) BED & BREAKFAST & GUEST HOUSE ACCOMMODATION: Yateley has a good selection of B&B accommodation cateringing for the three market sectors: tourists, business and for guests at family events such as weddings held locally:
| B&B Name | Single Rooms | Double Rooms | Total Guests | % Tourists | % Business | % Family Event |
| 39 Weybridge Mead | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 90 |
| Carisbrooke Cottage | 1 | 1 | 3 | 60 | 20 | 20 |
| Greenwood House | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 90 | 10 |
| Martock | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
| Mulberry House | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 80 | 20 |
| 3Brook Cottages | 2 | 1 | 4 | | | |
| Old Cedar | | | | | | |
Yateley's only Guest House was the Coach House on Yateley Green. This has closed in the last few years and developers are seeking planning permission to turm the house and grounds into flatted accommodation. The former proprietor of the Coach House now has a smaller establishment, Mulberry House. Holly Lodge has also closed. The remainder in the above table can all be found on the internet.
The proprietor of Old Cedar tells us he is definitely not doing B&B anymore, and it seems that 3 Brook Cottages has probably also closed.
There are no therefore no Guest Houses, nor are there self-catering establishments, camping, youthhostels or bunkhouse barns.
EC7 Q10
COMPETITIONS:
a. Does the town enter any national competitions, such as 'Britain in Bloom'?
b. Do the surrounding villages enter the 'Best Kept Village'?
(Worksheets EN1; EN2; EN3; S3 Q7,11 also refer to environmental quality)
Starting points for information
District Council
Local Tourist Board
EC7 Q11
Question is missing in the questionnaire
EC7 Q12
FOOD DIRECTORY:
Is there a local food directory for the town and surrounding hinterland?
a. How is it produced?
b. Who is it distributed to?
c. How often is it updated?
(Worksheets EN2 Q13; EN3 Q5; S5 Q9 also refer to food)
Starting points for information
local food groups
Tourist Information Office
Sub-section 4: Do we need to improve what we offer?
EC7 Q13
VISITOR INFORMATION:
If there is a Tourist or Visitor Information Centre in the town, how well used is it?
a. Where are the Visitor Information Points in the town?
b. Around the town and its environs, are there:
ba. current visitor guides
bb. town trails
bc. up to date walking and cycling trails
Consider the number of enquiries in various forms, including phone calls, hits‘ to the Internet and the number of visitors to the Centre.
(Worksheets EN1 Q10; EN3 Q7; T1 Q5; T2 Q6; T3 also refer to pedestrian access. Worksheets EN3 Q6,7; S5; S6; T3 Q17 also refer to recreation and leisure))
Starting points for information
Tourist Information
Visitor Centre
Local surveys
Visitor surveys
Tourist Board
Tourism officer
EC7 Q14
Is there adequate and effective pedestrian and road signing to visitors‘ attractions and services (for example, parking and public toilets, the Tourist Office and the town centre)?
Look at signage to/from tourist attractions from key points such as at car parks, the train station, and between attractions.
Starting points for information
Visitor surveys
Tourist Board
District Council Tourism Officer
Local survey
EC7 Q15
How convenient is public transport for shopping areas/facilities and tourist attractions?
(Worksheets EN1 Q10; S3 Q1,4; T1; T2; T3 also refer to public transport or travel)
Starting points for information
Local survey
EC7 Q16
PARKING:
a. How many car parks, coach parks, meters, free parking zones, etc, are there?
b. Are they situated conveniently for the Town Centre, shopping and tourist attractions?
(Worksheets EN1 Q9; S7 Q2; T1; T3 also refer to transport access)
Starting points for information
Local survey
EC7 Q17
VISITOR EXPECTATIONS:
To what extent does the number, range and quality of visitor services and ancillary services match visitor expectation and needs?
(Worksheets EN1; EN2; EN3; S3 Q7,11 also refer to environmental quality)
Starting points for information
Visitor surveys
Tourist Board
District Council, Tourism Officer
EC7 Q18
What do visitors think about the general appearance and attractiveness of the town/hinterland, and the public facilities?
Look at:
The number of and standard of public facilities (for example, public toilets; seating (in covered and uncovered areas); accessibility for older people and the less able; litter bins. Add to this list as appropriate.
The general appearance: for example, are the streets clean and tidy? Is graffiti a problem? Are there well-tended flower beds and borders, etc? Are the railway station/bus terminals in good repair? Add to this list as appropriate.
(Worksheets EN1; EN2; EN3; S3 Q7,11 also refer to environmental quality. Worksheets EN1; EN2; EN3 Q4; S2; S3 Q13; S5 Q8; S6 also refer to the built environment)
Starting points for information
Local survey
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