Visitor Attraction Trends in England 011 Full Report
Acknowledgements VisitEngland would like to thank all representatives and operators in the attraction sector who provided information for the national survey on which this report is based. For a number of attractions, data has been included with kind permission of ALVA (Association of Leading Visitor Attractions), English Heritage, Arts Council England and The National Trust as well as several Destination Management Organisations. Where relevant this has been referenced in the report. No part of this publication may be reproduced for commercial purposes without previous written consent of VisitEngland. Extracts may be quoted if the source is acknowledged. Statistics in this report are given in good faith on the basis of information provided by proprietors of attractions. VisitEngland regrets it cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this report nor accept responsibility for error or misrepresentation. Published by VisitEngland (incorporated under the 199 Development of Tourism Act as the British Tourist Authority) 01 British Tourist Authority (trading as VisitBritain). VisitEngland is grateful to English Heritage for their financial support for the 011 survey. July 01 1
Introduction This report presents the findings of the Survey of Visits to Visitor Attractions undertaken in England by VisitEngland. The report provides a comprehensive England-wide analysis of trends plus visits data for individual attractions. Objectives To monitor trends in the visitor attraction sector in England and to improve understanding of the dynamics of the sector. Findings contribute to estimates of the economic impact of tourism and inform development and planning work. Results allow operators to benchmark their operation within their category, within their region and across the sector as a whole. Survey Method Attractions have the option of either online or postal survey completion. All attractions for whom email contacts are held are sent an email invitation with a link to their attraction s online questionnaire. Attractions not responding are subsequently sent a postal questionnaire alongside attractions with no or only generic email contacts. A copy of the questionnaire is appended. BDRC Continental holds the contract for the survey in England and is responsible for the preparation of this report. It is important to highlight that major individual attractions can have a significant impact upon the proportion of visits within each region and attraction category. Their participation or nonparticipation in the survey year-on-year can result in significant fluctuations in the data within each region and attraction category. Visitor Attraction Definition an attraction where it is feasible to charge admission for the sole purpose of sightseeing. The attraction must be a permanently established excursion destination, a primary purpose of which is to allow access for entertainment, interest, or education and can include places of worship (but excludes small parish churches); rather than being primarily a retail outlet or a venue for sporting, theatrical, or film performances. It must be open to the public, without prior booking, for published periods each year, and should be capable of attracting day visitors or tourists as well as local residents. In addition, the attraction must be a single business, under a single management, so that it is capable of answering the economic questions on revenue, employment etc.
Response by attraction category Category Number of attractions that provided data Country Parks 7 Farms Gardens 109 Historic properties 0 Leisure / theme parks Museums / art galleries Steam / heritage railways 7 Sample and Response 7,9 English visitor attractions were invited to take part in the 011 survey. 1,9 English visitor attractions provided visits figures for the year 011. 98 completed online 8 completed by post 1 provided data through umbrella organisations 1,809 attractions provided admissions for both 011 and 010 and these attractions form the basis of this report s trend evaluation. Visitor / heritage centres 87 Wildlife attractions / zoos 8 Workplaces Places of worship 10 Other 187 Total 1,9
Headlines (1) 011 remembered for a warm Spring and Autumn, contrasting with an indifferent Summer Attractions reported a +% annual increase in total visits in 011 Child visits also increased by +% Schoolchildren visits increased by +%. Outdoor attractions reported the strongest increases in visits in 011, particularly gardens and wildlife attractions Attractions charging admissions (+%) reported stronger increases in visits than free attractions (+1%) The smallest attractions with 0,000 or fewer visits per annum continue to struggle to keep pace with larger attractions, visits increasing by less than 0.% among this group Adult entry charges to paid attractions increased by +% in 011, with child charges increasing by +7% Gross revenue for attractions increased by an average of +% in 011 Fewer attractions are increasing their marketing spend (19%) now than five years ago (%) Two-thirds (%) of attractions offered some form of digital communications in 011 011 has seen a major shift in the nature of employment within attractions: towards the voluntary sector (% are employing more) and away from full-time permanent staff (1% are employing fewer)
Headlines () Services offered by attractions in 011: 77% website 8% retail shop % public events 0% membership scheme % café/restaurant % venue hire % corporate events 18% online booking 1% costumed interpretation
011 Weather Summary (source: Met Office) The year 011 will be remembered for a warm Spring and Autumn, contrasting with an indifferent Summer. Sunshine was % above average, mean temperatures 1ºC higher than average and rainfall 1% below average for the year. Winter 010/11: Whilst less cold than 009/10 this was still the second coldest Winter for 1 years, with December particularly cold (although much drier and sunnier than normal). February was much warmer and wetter than average. Spring 011: Summer 011: Autumn 011: The warmest Spring for 100 years, with mean temperatures ºC above normal, sunshine 7% higher and rainfall less than half what would usually be expected. April was particularly warm and sunny. Characterised by much cooler than average temperatures (being the coolest since 199), slightly below average sunshine (-7% on normal) and above average rainfall (+1% on normal). England was generally wetter than 010 but not as wet as 007-009 Summers. August was particularly lacking in sunshine. The second warmest in the last 100 years, with late September / early October setting new temperature records and November also well above average. Sunshine was 8% above average and rainfall only around two-thirds of normal (although higher in the North West).
Visitor admission trends
Visitor admission trends 8 Annual % change in visits Attractions reported a +% annual increase in total visits in 011 (adults and children). Child visits also increased by +% and schoolchildren visits by +%. Attractions are likely to have benefited from a +% increase in domestic overnight holiday trips in England in 011 (source: GBTS), with increases particularly strong in the second half of the year. 1 -* 00 00 00 00 00 007 008 009 010 011 There was also a +% uplift in holiday visits to England from abroad (source: IPS) After two years of strong declines in outbound trips away from the UK, visits abroad increased slightly in 011 (by +1%). However, visits have not returned to any where near the levels of 009, implying potential for domestic day trips among those who might ordinarily be holidaying abroad. Base: All attractions providing visits data for current and previous year (1,809 in 011). 8
Visitor admission trends 011 by attraction category Country parks Farms Gardens Historic houses / castles Other historic properties Leisure / theme parks All attractions average (%) 9 9 009/10 change (%) + - - +1 +1-1 011 was a positive year for outdoor attractions, especially gardens and wildlife attractions. This perhaps reflects the unusually warm, dry weather in the shoulder periods which had the effect of extending the season for many. Outdoor attractions bounced back from a generally challenging year in 010 when the Summer period was characterised by dull weather. Conversely, museums / art galleries experienced a challenging year with visits down -1% overall, following a positive year in 010. Museums / art galleries Steam / heritage railways Visitor / heritage centres - -1 + +1 - Places of worship experienced another positive year, following strong increases in visits of +%, +% and +% in each of the three previous years. Wildlife attractions / zoos 9 - Workplaces -* + Places of worship 7 + Other + Base: All attractions providing visits data in both 010 and 011 (1,809) 9
1989 1990 1991 199 199 199 199 199 1997 1998 1999 000 001 00 00 00 00 00 007 008 009 010 011 Index of visits to attractions sectors outperforming market 0 0 TOTAL ENGLAND ATTRACTIONS Country parks Workplaces Gardens Museums/art galleries Visitor/heritage centres Farms 00 180 10 0 0 19 17 1 10 10 17 10 100 80 10
Index of visits to attractions sectors outperforming market Index Calculation The charts presented on slides 9 and 11 show the indexed visits trend for each attraction category. The base year for the index is 1989, with the index set at 100 for that year. Annual percentage changes in visits are subsequently applied to this index e.g. visits to museums / art galleries increased +% between 1989 and 1990, increasing the index for 1990 to 10. Because the number of attractions responding each year differs, the percentage change between any two years is applied each time to the previous year s index to take account of varying sample sizes each year. Operators are asked in each survey year to provide the number of visits for both the survey year and previous year. This enables the trend between any two years to be calculated based on the same attractions. The chart shows the attraction categories which have shown above average annual visit increases since 1989. Across England attractions as a whole, visits have increased 7% in that time. Farms have seen the greatest increase in visits, particularly in the last ten years, since the Foot and Mouth outbreak of 001. Visitor / heritage centres and gardens have also seen very strong increases overall. The popularity of workplaces peaked in the mid 000s and is now declining once again. Visits to museums / art galleries overall are now over 0% higher than they were on the introduction of free entry to national museums in 001. Recent DCMS data on visits to former charging sponsored museums indicate that this increase has been primarily driven by visits to these museums. These figures state that visits to former charging sponsored London museums were up by +11% in the past ten years and those outside London by +18%. 11
1989 1990 1991 199 199 199 199 199 1997 1998 1999 000 001 00 00 00 00 00 007 008 009 010 011 Index of visits to attractions sectors under performing against market 0 0 TOTAL ENGLAND ATTRACTIONS Leisure / theme parks Wildlife attractions / zoos Historic properties Steam / heritage railways 00 180 10 10 10 100 17 10 118 11 10 80 1
Index of visits to attractions sectors under performing against market Although underperforming against the rest of the sector, visitors to historic properties (including places of worship) have shown some signs of strong visit increases since 008. Visits are now 0% higher than in 008, having been tracking at below 1989 levels for many years. Visits to wildlife attractions / zoos have also shown some encouraging signs of growth in recent years. Visits to leisure / theme parks have rather stagnated over the past six years, although it should be noted that attractions operated by Merlin Entertainments are not included in this survey. 1
Visitor admission trends 011 by admission charge, geographic location and size Free All attractions average (%) 1 009/10 change (%) + The challenging year for museums / art galleries is reflected by the lower than average visit increases experienced by free attractions, many of which are museums / art galleries. Paid Coastal 1-1 -* Conversely, there is a preponderance of charging attractions within the attraction categories which have see large visit increases, particularly gardens, historic houses / castles and wildlife attractions. Rural Urban 0,000 visits or less * 1-1 + -1 Rural attractions have also benefited from their attractions profile, with their higher proportion of historic houses / castles and gardens in particular. Urban attractions, with their high proportion of museums / art galleries have performed less well in 011. 0,001-0,000 visits 0,001-00,000 visits Over 00,000 visits -* +* + As has been the consistent case in recent years, the larger attractions with 0,000+ visits per annum have outperformed the smaller attractions with fewer than 0,000 visits, with visits to the very smallest attractions with fewer than 10,000 visits again declining by -1%, following a -% decline the year before. Base: All attractions providing visits data in both 010 and 011 (1,809) 1
Visitor admission trends 011 paid and free attractions ALL FREE ATTRACTIONS (7) Country parks () Farms (17) Gardens (10) Historic houses / castles () Other historic properties () Leisure / theme parks (7) Museums / art galleries (7) Steam / heritage railways () Visitor / heritage centres (0) Wildlife attractions/zoos () Workplaces () Places of worship (8) Free Attractions Other () -7 -* -1-1 1 1 009 / 10 change (%) + + + + + + - + -1 - +1 + +10 + ALL PAID ATTRACTIONS (1,07) Country parks (11) Farms () Gardens (91) Historic houses / castles (19) Other historic properties (8) Leisure / theme parks () Museums / art galleries (0) Steam / heritage railways (1) Visitor / heritage centres (1) Wildlife attractions/zoos (8) Workplaces () Places of worship (9) Other (1) Paid Attractions - 1 7 9 11 11 009 / 10 change (%) -1 - - -7 +* +1 -* +* +1 - - +1 -* +1 Free attractions reported only a modest increase in visitor admissions in 011 (+1%). This was suppressed by a -1% decline in visits to free museums / art galleries which account for around half of all free attractions. The significant increase in visits to other historic properties was driven, as in 010, by a small number of large attractions. Paid attractions reported a stronger +% increase in visits for 011. This was driven by strong performances of outdoor attractions such as gardens and wildlife attractions / zoos and the revival of visits to historic houses / castles. Many of these bounced back from experiencing declines in 010. Paid museums / art galleries out-performed their free counterparts, seeing visits increase by +% in 011. Steam / heritage railways was the only category to decline within the paid attractions sector. Base: All attractions providing visits data in both 010 and 011 N.B. Figures in brackets represent sample sizes of attractions upon which data is based. 1
Visitor admission trends 011 - by region All attractions average (%) 009/10 change (%) North West North East - + -1 Attractions in the East and South East performed most positively in 011. These regions benefited from the driest, sunniest weather during the year for their outdoor attractions and a return to the domestic staycation trends of 009. Yorks / Humber East Midlands West Midlands East 1 1 7 -* -1 + +* London s attractions reported a more challenging year, reflecting its proliferation of indoor attractions, especially the major free national museums. Many of these experienced declines in visits in 011 following a strong performance the previous year. Perhaps a sign that budget cuts are beginning to bite in the sector, not helped by being the only region to experience a decline in domestic overnight stays in 011. London South East + + Only the North East attractions reported a decline overall, this following a similar decline in 010. This despite domestic overnight visits to the area increasing strongly in 011. South West +1 Base: All attractions providing visits data in both 010 and 011 (1,809) 1
Visitor admission trends 011 by attraction category within region % change 010 / 011 Region NW NE Y+H EM WM EAST LON SE SW Country parks -1 +8 - + + +1 n/a + + Farms +10 - + + + +11 + +1-8 Gardens +1-1 +8 +1 + +1 + +1 + Historic houses / castles + + + + +1 +1 + +10 + Other historic properties - - + -1 +7 +8 +17 + + Leisure / theme parks -7 n/a +9-7 -9 + + + + Museums / art galleries -* - +8-7 - +1 -* - + Steam / heritage railways -17 0 n/a +11 n/a + n/a + - Visitor / heritage centres +10 - - +10 + -* n/a - - Wildlife attractions / zoos +18-1 +8 - +7 +10 +8 + + Workplaces +* n/a +7 - -* -9 n/a + +1 Places of worship +* - -1 + +1 + +1 + + Other + + - + + + + + + N.B. Figures in grey represent data where there is less than attractions in the group. Results should therefore be treated with caution Base: All attractions providing visits data in both 010 and 011 (1,809) 17
Visitor admission trends 011 other regional dimensions % change 010 / 011 Free Paid Coastal Rural Urban North West 1 - North East - -11-7 Yorks / Humber -1 8 East Midlands -1 - - West Midlands - n/a -1 East 9 10 London * 8 n/a 1 South East * 8 10 - South West All attractions +1% +% +1% +% +1% Base: All attractions providing visits data in both 010 and 011 (1,809) 18
Visitor admission trends 011 child visits summary Attractions with 0% or less children Over 0% children 0% or less schoolchildren All attractions average (%) 009/10 % change +1 + + Attractions with over 0% of their visits accounted for by children (perhaps described as family attractions) experienced a +% increase in visits in 011, not dissimilar to the market overall. As in 010, attractions that were reliant on school visits found 011 more challenging, perhaps not surprising given that many of these are the free museums. Attractions with more than 0% of their visits accounted for by schoolchildren saw their total visits decline in 011. This was also the case in 010. Over 0% schoolchildren -1 - However, both child (+%) and schoolchildren (+%) visits did increase in 011 at a similar rate to total visits. Child admissions 010/11 % change As with total visits, attractions where there is a child admission charge (child visits up by +%) outperformed attractions where children go free (child visits up +1%) Schoolchildren admissions Schoolchildren visits increased by +% at attractions where children visit free versus +% among paid attractions. Base: All attractions providing visits data in both 010 and 011 (1,809) 19
Visitor admission trends 011 by visitor origin Overseas visitors Up Similar Down Compared with 010 (%) 9 18 7 % in visits Attractions reported overseas visitors up by +% in 011, with twice as many attractions reporting an increase as a decrease. Over half (%) of overseas visits are accounted for by London attractions, with overseas visitors up by +% here. Attractions reported local visitors within day trip distance up by +% in 011, with the proportions reporting an increase also significantly outstripping those reporting a decrease. Local / day trippers Compared with 010 (%) Up 18 Similar Down 8 7 % in visits The implication is that visits made by domestic residents staying away from home have not increased by as much as these two markets. With almost a third (9%) of all visits accounted for by London attractions and GBTS data reporting a -% decline in domestic overnight trips to London, it is likely to be London which is driving the lower performance of this market. Base: All attractions responding ( c.1,00) 0
10 1 1 1 Visitor admission trends 011 overseas visitors by attraction category and region 9 8 7 8 8 8 8 Attraction Category: overseas visitors % down % up Country parks Farms Gardens Historic houses / castles Other historic properties Leisure / theme parks Museums / art galleries Steam / heritage railways Visitor / heritage centres Wildlife attractions / zoos Workplaces Places of worship Other 7 9 1 1 1 1 19 1 0 010/11 % change % 9% 1% 10% 18% % % 1% 1% 1% % 9% % 11 1 9 9 9 9 7 Region: overseas visitors % down % up North West North East Yorks / Humber East Midlands West Midlands East London South East South West 1 1 1 1 0 17 18 8 010/11 % change % 8% 11% 1% % % % 7% 8% Gardens, historic properties and wildlife attractions / zoos reported the largest increases in overseas visitors in 011, in line with increases in visits overall. Base: All attractions responding ( c.1,00) All regions experienced an increase in overseas visitors, with over a third of London attractions reporting a rise. The challenging year for London attractions therefore does not appear to have been driven by a lack of overseas visitors. 1
Visitor admission trends 011 overseas visitors by size and admission charge Admission Charge: overseas visitors % down % up 9 9 Free Paid 19 17 010/11 % change 1% 11% The increase in overseas visitors was driven primarily by paid admission attractions. Overseas visits increased by +11% among paid attractions, but just +1% among free attractions. Size: overseas visitors % down % up 11 7 7 Up to 0k p.a. 0k 0k p.a. 0k 00k p.a. 17 1 17 % 1% 7% Overseas visitors were up across the board, with small as well as large attractions experiencing notable increases. Over 00k p.a. % Base: All attractions responding ( c.1,00)
1 10 10 Visitor admission trends 011 local / day trip visitors by attraction category and region 7 8 8 Attraction Category: local visitors % down % up 0 Country parks Farms Gardens Historic houses / castles Other historic properties Leisure / theme parks Museums / art galleries Steam / heritage railways Visitor / heritage centres Wildlife attractions / zoos Workplaces Places of worship Other 1 11 1 17 1 1 1 1 010/11 % change Historic properties and wildlife attractions / zoos reported the largest increases in local visits in 011, in line with increases in visits overall. % % % 11% 1% 1% 1% % % 7% *% 1% 7% 8 8 9 10 9 Region: local visitors % down % up North West North East Yorks / Humber East Midlands West Midlands East London South East South West 11 1 1 18 0 17 010/11 % change All regions experienced an increase in local visitors except London attractions which reported a -% decline. This decline in local visitors may be at least partly responsible for the lower than average performance of London attractions. % 8% 11% % 1% % % % % Base: All attractions responding ( c.1,00)
Visitor admission trends 011 local / day trip visitors by size and admission charge Admission Charge: local visitors 010/11 % change % down % up 8 Free 18 7 Paid 18 % % The increase in local visitors was driven primarily by paid admission attractions. Local visits increased by +% among paid attractions, but just +% among free attractions. Size: local visitors % down -8 - - -9 Up to 0k p.a. 0k 0k p.a. 0k 00k p.a. Over 00k p.a. % up 17 18 0 % % 7% % Local visitors were up across the board, with small as well as with a large attractions experiencing notable increases. Base: All attractions responding ( c.1,00)
Admission charge and revenue trends
Adult admission charges 011 % Over 10.00 9.01-10.00 8.01-9.00 7.01-8.00 7 8 1 Almost half (%) of attractions charging admission, charge or less for admission. Museums/art galleries (%) and other historic properties are the most likely attraction categories to charge or less for admission..01-7.00.01 -.00.01 -.00 9 10 1 7% of attractions in the North East also charge or less. Conversely, % of London attractions charge over for admission compared with % among attractions as a whole..01 -.00.01 -.00.00 or less 8 8 1 8% of the very smallest attractions with 10,000 visits or fewer visitors per annum charge or less. Conversely, 8% of attractions with over 100,000 visitors charge over for admission. Not stated Base: Attractions charging for admission in 011 (1,1)
Adult admission charge trends 011 by attraction category ALL ATTRACTIONS Country parks Farms Gardens % increase in adult charge versus 010 Average 011 charge 7..7 7.01.1 009/10 change (%) + +1 + +8 The past four years have seen adult admission charges increase by % (011), % (010), % (009) and % (008). As in recent years, increases were not dissimilar across attraction categories. Historic houses / castles Other historic properties Leisure / theme parks.87. 1.89 + + +8 Increases were lower among the very smallest attractions with fewer than 10,000 visitors per annum (+%). Museums / art galleries Steam / heritage railways Visitor / heritage centres 7.18 8.8.70 + + + Average child admission charges increased by an average of 7% in 011, slightly narrowing the gap between adult and child charges. Wildlife attractions / zoos 9.9 +7 Workplaces. +10 Places of worship 7.9 + Other 1.7 + Base: Attractions providing admission charge data for both 010 and 011 (8) 7
Adult admission charge trends 011 by region % change in adult admission charge All attractions average (+%) Average 011 charge 009/10 change (%) North West North East Yorks / Humber East Midlands 7 7.9.00 7.0 7. + +7 + + Increases in adult admission charges were similar across all regions. Following admission increases of only +% in 010, London attractions saw similar average increases compared with the rest of England in 011. West Midlands East London 8 7.70.0 9. + + + London s attractions remain the most expensive, followed by the South East and North West. Attractions in the North East remain the least expensive to enter for adults. South East 8.1 + South West 7. + Base: All attractions providing admission charge data for both 010 and 011 (8) 8
Adult admission charge trends 011 by attraction size % change in adult admission charge Annual visits 10,000 or less p.a. 10,001 0,000 p.a. 0,001 0,000 p.a. 0,001 100,000 p.a. All attractions average (+%) 7 Average 011 charge.08.9 7. 7.0 009/10 change (%) + + +8 + Smaller attractions with fewer than 0,000 visits p.a. appear to be responding to their more limited growth in visitor admissions by holding admission charges at a lower level. Admission charges among these smallest attractions increased by only +% in 011. 100,001 00,000 p.a. Over 00,000 p.a. 7 9. 1.18 + + As in 010, attractions with between 0,001 and 0,000 visitors p.a. seem most bullish with their pricing. Once again, average admission charges in this category are higher than within the 0,001 100,000 visits p.a. category. Base: All attractions providing admission charge data for both 010 and 011 (8) 9
Adult admission charge trends 011 by geographic location and child admissions Coastal Rural Urban All attractions average (+%) Average 011 charge 7.8 7. 7. 009/10 change (%) + + + There remains little difference in admission charges between attractions in different geographic locations, with average admission charges between 7 and 8 in each of coastal, rural and urban locations. Attractions with 0% or less child visits Over 0% child visits 7.9.98 + + Family attractions appear to have been more bullish with pricing than non-family attractions in 011, increasing their admission charges by +7% on the previous year. Base: All attractions providing admission charge data for both 010 and 011 (8) 0
Gross revenue trend % change in gross revenue 8 Increases in gross revenue in 011 (+%) once again increased in line with increases in admission charges. Overall, 9% of attractions reported an increase compared with 19% reporting a decrease in gross revenue. 007 008 009 010 011 By way of comparison, the Consumer Price Index measure of inflation ran at an average of.1% for 011. North West North East Yorks / Humber - Despite seeing lower than average visit increases (+%), London attractions reported the highest increase in gross revenue, finding it easier to generate revenue than admissions this year. East Mids West Mids East 7 The North East was not only the single region to experience declines in visits, but also the only region to report a decline in gross revenue for its attractions. London South East South West 7 8 As with visitor admissions, gross revenue increases are stronger among the larger attractions with over 00,000 visits per annum (+7%) than the smaller attractions with fewer than 0,000 visits per annum (+%). Base: All attractions responding (1,) 1
Gross revenue trend 011 by attraction category Country parks Farms Gardens All attractions (+%) 7 1 009/10 % change +10 + + In line with strong increases in visitor admissions, both gardens and farms have seen corresponding strong increases in gross revenue in 011. Historic houses / castles Other historic properties Leisure / theme parks Museums / art galleries Steam / heritage railways 1 + + + + + However, the strongest increase in gross revenue was reserved for steam / heritage railways, with an increase of +1% - despite decreasing visitor admissions. Information on secondary spend and events indicates that these attractions are much more likely to generate revenue in these other ways than many other attraction categories, perhaps explaining this strong increase. Visitor / heritage centres Wildlife attractions / zoos Workplaces + + +1 Country parks and places of worship both saw gross revenue increasing below the average rate in 011. Places of worship 1 + Other 8 + Base: All attractions responding (1,)
Gross revenue trend 011 by admission charge and visit volume Admission Charge Free Paid All attractions (+%) 009/10 % change + + As has been the case in recent years, it is paid attractions that contribute most strongly towards increasing gross revenue. Annual visit volume Up to 0k p.a. 0k 0k p.a. 0k 00k p.a. Over 00k p.a. 7 Reflecting the more positive performance in terms of visitor admissions, larger attractions also outperform the smaller attractions in terms of gross revenue although perhaps not by as much as one might expect. Base: All attractions responding (1,)
Gross revenue trend 011 by geographical location and child visits Geographic location All attractions (+%) 009/10 % change Coastal Rural Urban Child visits + + +8 There was very little difference in gross revenue trends between coastal, rural and urban attractions in 011. All increased their gross revenue by an average of +%. Similarly, those attractions with a significant proportion of child visitors were no more likely to have increased their gross revenue than those with fewer child visitors. Attractions with. 0% or less child visits + Over 0% child visits + Base: All attractions responding (1,)
Marketing and communications trends
Marketing expenditure trend % down % up 1 011 19 1 11 11 1 010 009 008 007 0 1 1 Over the past seven years, the proportion of attractions reporting increases in marketing expenditure has been in gradual decline. Conversely, the proportions reporting decreases in marketing has slowly risen. 11 10 00 00 Nevertheless, the number of attractions reporting increased marketing spend still outstrips those reporting declines. 011 % down % up Marketing spend shows more volatility among larger attractions, particularly those with over 00,000 visitors per annum. 0 17 1 10 0,000 visits or less 0,001-0,000 visits 0,001-00,000 visits Over 00,000 visits 17 1 Base: Attractions answering marketing question (1,)
Marketing expenditure trends 011 by attraction category % down % up 18 17 11 8 1 1 1 1 18 10 1 Country parks Farms Gardens Historic houses / castles Other historic properties Leisure / theme parks Museums / art galleries Steam / heritage railways Visitor / heritage centres Wildlife attractions / zoos Workplaces Places of worship Other 8 1 1 7 18 18 7 1 1 Leisure / theme parks were most likely to report increases in marketing spend in 011. Steam / heritage railways and workplaces were also more likely than average to have increased their spend in this area. For the first time in many years, museums / art galleries were more likely to have decreased than increased their marketing spend, perhaps a reflection of budget cuts in recent times. Base: Attractions answering marketing question (1,) 7
Marketing expenditure trends 011 by region and admission charge 17 10 18 10 1 1 11 1 11 % down % up North West North East Yorks / Humber East Midlands West Midlands East London South East South West 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 19 There was little variation in marketing expenditure trends by region in 011. Spend in London attractions seems to have held up well. As reported in recent years, paid attractions continue to be more likely to increase their marketing expenditure than free attractions. % down % up 1 1 Free Paid 1 Base: Attractions answering marketing question (1,) 8
Impact of marketing expenditure - summary Marketing spend in 011 010 / 11 change in Up Down Total visitor admissions +8% +% Children admissions +1% -1% Local visits +11% +% Overseas visits +18% +1% Gross revenue +17% -*% Those attractions increasing their marketing expenditure in 011 reported some very strong increases in visits and gross revenue. Visitor admissions increased by +8% among those increasing their marketing spend compared with just +% among those decreasing their spend. Perhaps evidence of the potential return on marketing investment: indeed, gross revenue fell very slightly among those reducing their marketing spend. 9
Digital communications offered % offered in 011 ANY DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS Facebook page Twitter account E-newsletter Online blogs Mobile website 1 9 1 Two-thirds (%) of all attractions offered some form of digital communications in 011. This ranged from 90% among the largest attractions with over 100,000 visitors per annum to just 9% among the smallest attractions with fewer than 10,000 visitors per annum. YouTube Flickr page Mobile apps Other social media 1 11 8 8 Whilst Facebook pages are reasonably common across attractions, regardless of size, other forms of digital communications are primarily the domain of the largest attractions with over 100,000 visitors per annum. Number of visits p.a % offered 0k or less 0k-100k Over 100k ANY DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 7 90 Facebook page 78 Twitter account 1 0 E-newsletter 1 1 Online blogs 1 Mobile website 10 1 1 YouTube 1 0 Flickr page 11 7 Mobile apps 9 1 Other social media 7 1 Base: All answering digital communications question (1,08) 0
Digital communications offered in 011 by attraction category % offering Country Parks Farms Gardens Historic houses / castles Other historic properties Leisure / theme parks Museums / art galleries Steam / heritage railways Visitor / heritage centres Wildlife / zoos Workplaces Places of Worship Other Facebook 8 0 7 1 1 7 0 Twitter account 18 9 8 1 E-newsletter 0 1 0 7 1 0 0 1 17 Online blogs 8 8 0 1 18 11 18 1 Mobile website 1 1 11 7 19 1 18 7 1 10 1 17 YouTube 8 1 1 1 1 1 9 1 Flickr page 1 1 10 7 1 1 0 8 7 Mobile apps 8 8 8 8 8 1 8 9 10 18 10 Other social media 8 7 7 19 9 9 8 11 ANY 8 7 87 7 9 89 8 1 9 Attractions geared toward the family audience tend to be more deeply involved with digital communications almost 90% of farms, leisure / theme parks and wildlife attractions / zoos offer some form of digital communication. Indeed, three-quarters (7%) of attractions who have over 0% of their visitors consisting of children offered digital communications compared with just % among attractions with fewer than 0% of their visitors being children. Country parks, places of worship and other historic properties are somewhat behind the digital communications curve. Base: All answering digital communications question (1,08) 1
Impact of digital communications - summary Offer any digital communications? 010 / 11 change in Yes No Total visitor admissions +% +% Children admissions +% +% Local visits +% +% Overseas visits +% +% Gross revenue +7% +% Those attractions offering some form of digital communications platform in 011 reported stronger increases in gross revenue. Gross revenue increased by +7% among those offering digital communications compared with just +% among those not offering. The impact of offering digital communications was lower in terms of visitor admissions, although those offering digital communications reported slightly stronger increases in visits. The impact of digital communications perhaps has more of a positive impact upon revenue outside the sphere of visitor admissions.
Provision of services trends
Provision of services trends 100 90 80 70 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 100 90 80 70 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 77 9 8 77 7 8 7 1 18 18 009 010 011 7 70 8 7 0 0 8 7 1 % offering online / events % offering facilities 1 1 009 010 011 Website Public events Venue hire Corporate events Online booking Retail shop Member scheme Café / restaurant Costumed interpretation Attractions are asked about the services that they offered across five dimensions: Online Facilities Interpretation Events Membership There has been little change in the proportions of attractions offering each service in 011. N.B. Although provision appears to have dipped slightly for most categories, there are many more smaller attractions who responded to this question in 011 (who are less likely to offer these services). Base: Any answering services question in 011 (1,)
Provision of services trends 011 events provision by attraction category Country parks Farms Gardens Historic houses / castles Other historic properties Leisure / theme parks Museums / art galleries Steam / heritage railways Visitor / heritage centres Wildlife attractions / zoos Workplaces Places of worship Other 18 1 1 8 1 79 1 0 0 1 18 8 7 9 9 7 0 0 0 1 19 9 0 Public events (outside usual operations) Public venue hire Corporate events Country parks, historic houses / castles, steam / heritage railways, visitor / heritage centres and museums / art galleries lead the way in terms of public event provision (outside usual operations). Country parks are also leading the way on public venue hire, with places of worship also with strong provision in this area. Provision by museums / art galleries is below average. Provision of corporate events is lead by leisure / theme parks. Both historic houses / castles and museums / art galleries are behind the curve is there more that these two categories can do in the area of corporate events? Base: Any answering services question in 011 (1,)
Provision of services trends 011 online provision by attraction category Country parks Farms Gardens Historic houses / castles Other historic properties Leisure / theme parks Museums / art galleries Steam / heritage railways 1 7 1 8 1 8 1 8 7 1 78 1 7 77 The majority of attractions (77%) now offer a website, although this remains a little lower among workplaces and places of worship. Steam / heritage railways lead the way in terms of provision of online booking facilities, with leisure / theme parks and wildlife attractions / zoos also strong in this area. Less than a quarter of attractions within all other attractions categories offer online booking. Visitor / heritage centres Wildlife attractions / zoos Workplaces Places of worship Other 79 0 8 0 9 7 9 7 Website Online booking Base: Any answering services question in 011 (1,)
Provision of services trends 011 facilities provision by attraction category Country parks Farms Gardens Historic houses / castles Other historic properties Leisure / theme parks Museums / art galleries Steam / heritage railways Visitor / heritage centres Wildlife attractions / zoos 1 1 7 8 7 7 7 1 8 7 71 7 1 8 778 18 7 1 77 889 81 97 77 Whilst half of attractions now offer some form of membership scheme, this varies significantly from over three quarters of wildlife attractions / zoos and steam / heritage railways to less then a quarter of workplaces and places of worship. There are also less than half of museums / art galleries that offer such a scheme. Two-thirds of all attractions provide a retail shop, although again this is much lower among country parks, gardens and places of worship. Cafés / restaurants were offered by around half of attractions, although this varies enormously by attraction category. Provision is much lower at museums / art galleries. Workplaces Places of worship Costumed interpretation Other Member scheme 0 0 9 80 17 7 8 9 Café / restaurant Retail shop Costumed interpretation remains primarily the domain of the heritage sector, although there are notable minorities of country parks, museums / art galleries and visitor / heritage centres that provide this facility Base: Any answering services question in 011 (1,) 7
Provision of services trends 011 by visitor volume % offering Online Under 10k 10k- 0k Visit Volume 0k- 0k 0k- 100k Over 100k Presence of a website is high among attractions with over 10,000 visitors per annum, although there are still a notable minority with no website presence. Events Website 8 8 8 90 Online booking 11 18 7 Public events 1 0 1 7 Venue hire 17 8 Facilities Corporate events 1 0 9 9 7 Retail shop 9 7 79 90 8 Member scheme Café / restaurant Costumed interpretation 1 9 7 8 7 8 18 0 1 A third of attractions with less than 10,000 visitors per annum still have no website. Online booking only really becomes prevalent among the largest attractions with over 100,000 visitors per annum. Online booking remains the exception rather than the norm among smaller attractions. Corporate events also only really become reasonably commonplace among attractions of this size. Provision of the majority of other facilities tends to increase fairly steadily as visitor numbers increase Base: Any answering services question in 011 (1,) 8
Provision of services trends 011 by admission charge % OFFERING Online Free attractions Paid attractions Website Online booking 1 9 0 8 Paid attractions are more likely to offer each of the services. However the gap tends to be larger for member schemes, cafés / restaurants and online booking. Events Public events Free attractions are almost as likely as paid attractions to put on events for the public. Venue hire 1 Corporate events 8 Facilities Retail shop 7 Member scheme Café / restaurant 0 Costumed interpretation 11 17 Base: Any answering services question in 011 (1,) 9
Provision of services trends 011 by child / overseas visitors % OFFERING Online 0% or less of total visits Child Visits Over 0% of total visits 0% or less of total visits Overseas Visits Over 0% of total visits Website 7 8 78 79 Online booking 1 18 1 Events Public events 1 8 1 Venue hire 0 1 Corporate events 9 9 Facilities Retail shop 7 8 7 Member scheme 9 1 0 Café / restaurant 7 Costumed interpretation 11 0 1 19 Base: Any answering services question in 011 (1,) 0
Impact of public events - summary Hold public events? 010 / 11 change in Yes No Total visitor admissions +% +% Gross revenue +% +% Those attractions that hold public events reported stronger increases in gross revenue in 011. Gross revenue increased by +% among those holding public events compared with just +% among those holding such events. There was little evidence that holding public events helps to increase visitor admissions during regular opening hours. Those attractions holding public events reported visitor admissions increasing by +% compared with +% among those not holding public events. 1
Employment trends
Employment trends Change in employees since 010 % down % up 1 10 Full-time permanent Full-time seasonal Part-time permanent Part-time seasonal Unpaid volunteers 7 8 10 Proportions of attractions employing any of the following employees in 011: 78% full-time permanent 0% full-time seasonal 77% part-time permanent % part-time seasonal 80% unpaid volunteers Anticipated change in employees in 01 % down % up In the current challenging financial climate there has been a major shift towards employees from the voluntary sector. Attractions predict this to continue during 01. 7 Full-time permanent Full-time seasonal Part-time permanent 8 Conversely, there has been a decline in full time permanent employees within the sector in the past year, although this decline is predicted to be arrested in 01. Part-time seasonal 9 Unpaid volunteers 0 Base: All answering employment questions
Employment trends unpaid volunteers summary (010 to 011) % down 010 to 011 % up % down 0 0 Country parks Farms Gardens Historic houses / castles Other historic properties Leisure / theme parks Museums / art galleries Steam / heritage railways Visitor / heritage centres Wildlife attractions / zoos Workplaces Places of worship Other Free Paid % up 18 1 0 0 1 1 9 % any volunteers in 011 8 9 70 77 8 88 100 87 8 9 7 % any volunteers in 011 8 78 % down 010 to 011 % up 1 Under 0k visits 0k-0k visits 0k-00k visits Over 00k visits 19 7 1 % any volunteers in 011 Whilst unpaid volunteers are up across the board, they are most likely to have increased at the larger attractions. Volunteering is just as likely to have increased at paid attractions as at those which are free admission. Wildlife attractions / zoos, gardens, farms and country parks are among the attraction categories most likely to have reported increases in volunteers in 011. 79 81 80 80 Base: All answering employment questions
Employment trends unpaid volunteers summary (01 predictions) % down 01 predictions % up 1 % down 1 0 0 0 0 Country parks Farms Gardens Historic houses / castles Other historic properties Leisure / theme parks Museums / art galleries Steam / heritage railways Visitor / heritage centres Wildlife attractions / zoos Workplaces Places of worship Other Free Paid 0 % up 1 1 0 19 19 1 1 9 7 % any volunteers in 01 8 7 7 79 81 88 100 87 87 9 % any volunteers in 01 8 80 % down 01 predictions % up * 1 Under 0k visits 0k-0k visits 0k-00k visits Over 00k visits 17 1 % any volunteers in 01 The trend towards unpaid volunteers is predicted to continue in 01, with larger attractions still driving this increase. However, perhaps the rate of increase will slow slightly with only 0% of attractions predicting unpaid volunteers to rise compared with % in 011. Farms, country parks, wildlife attractions / zoos and steam / heritage railways are the attraction categories most likely to predict the number of volunteers to increase in 01. 79 8 80 8 Base: All answering employment questions
Employment trends full time permanent employees summary (010-011) % down 010 to 011 % up % any FT perm in 011 % down 010 to 011 % up % any FT perm in 011 1 10 0 17 10 1 10 1 10 8 % down 1 1 Country parks Farms Gardens Historic houses / castles Other historic properties Leisure / theme parks Museums / art galleries Steam / heritage railways Visitor / heritage centres Wildlife attractions / zoos Workplaces Places of worship Other Free Paid 17 1 10 10 1 1 % up 8 9 98 8 89 7 100 70 1 79 9 79 7 % any FT perm in 011 7 81 1 1 7 Under 0k visits 0k-0k visits 0k-00k visits Over 00k visits 1 1 Attractions with over 0,000 visitors per annum are the most likely to have shed full time permanent employees in 011. Cuts are also most likely to have been made at historic properties and country parks. Conversely, the attraction categories which have performed well in 011 have been more likely to increase than decrease their full time permanent employees farms, gardens and wildlife attractions / zoos. Both free and paid attractions are more likely to have shed than taken on additional fulltime permanent staff. 1 91 99 98 Base: All answering employment questions
1 1 1 Employment trends full time permanent employees summary (01 predictions) % down 01 predictions % up 9 9 7 % down 9 0 Country parks Farms Gardens Historic houses / castles Other historic properties Leisure / theme parks Museums / art galleries Steam / heritage railways Visitor / heritage centres Wildlife attractions / zoos Workplaces Places of worship Other Free Paid % up 7 11 10 10 10 17 1 1 % any FT perm in 01 9 100 87 8 1 100 7 7 9 79 8 7 % any FT perm In 01 7 81 % down 01 predictions % up 10 11 7 Under 0k visits 0k-0k visits 0k-00k visits Over 00k visits 7 10 11 Attractions with over 0,000 visitors per annum are also the most likely to predict further shedding of full time permanent employees in 01. % any FT perm in 01 Country parks also appear likely to predict further cuts in full time permanent employees in 01, although the decrease for historic properties is predicted to be arrested. Conversely, some of the attraction categories which have performed well in 011 are also more likely to predict an increase in their full time permanent employees for 01 gardens and wildlife attractions / zoos. 79 9 98 97 Base: All answering employment questions 7
Abbreviations Abbreviation Category Description CP Country Parks Country parks and forest parks F Farms Farms, rare breeds, shire horse centres and farm animals G Gardens Gardens, arboretums and botanical gardens HH Historic houses/castles Historic houses, historic houses and gardens, palaces, castles, forts OHP Other historic properties Historic monuments, archaeological sites, historic ships, windmills, watermills and other historic properties LTP Leisure/Theme Parks Leisure parks and theme parks MAG Museums/Art Galleries Museums and/or art galleries and science centres R Steam/Heritage Railways Steam railways and heritage railways VC Visitor/Heritage Centres Visitor centres and heritage centres WI Wildlife Attractions Nature reserves, wetlands, wildlife trips, safari parks, zoos, aquariums and aviaries WP Workplaces Distilleries, vineyards, breweries and industrial or craft premises WO Places of Worship Cathedrals, churches and other places of worship O Other Attractions that do not fit into any of the categories outlined above 8
Abbreviations Abbreviation Government Office Region Counties/unitary authorities within region EAST East Counties: Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk UAs: Luton, Peterborough, Southend-on-Sea, Thurrock EM East Midlands Counties: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire UAs: Derby, Leicester, Nottingham, Rutland LON London All Greater London boroughs NE North East Counties: County Durham, Northumberland UAs: Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesborough, Redcar & Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees Former Met.: Tyne and Wear (Gateshead, Newcastle, N Tyneside, S Tyneside, Sunderland) NW North West Counties: Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire UAs: Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Halton, Warrington Former Met.: Greater Manchester (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan), Merseyside (Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral) SE South East Counties: Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey, West Sussex UAs: Bracknell Forest, Brighton & Hove, Isle of Wight, Medway, Milton Keynes, Portsmouth, Reading, Slough, Southampton W. Berkshire, Windsor & Maidenhead, Wokingham SW South West Counties: Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Isles of Scilly UAs: Bath & NE Somerset, Bournemouth, Bristol, N Somerset, Plymouth, Poole, Swindon, Torbay, S Gloucestershire WM West Midlands Counties: Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire UAs: Herefordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford & Wrekin Former Met.: West Midlands (Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, Wolverhampton) Y&H Yorkshire/ The Humber Counties: North Yorkshire UAs: East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston-upon-Hull, NE Lincolnshire, N Lincolnshire, York Former Met.: South Yorkshire (Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield) West Yorkshire (Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield) 9
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