Visitr Attractins in the UK Prfessr Terry Stevens Managing Directr, Stevens & Assciates Summary Definitin 1.01 Over the past 20 years there has been an unprecedented grwth in the number f traditinal, stand-alne, visitr attractins, such as museums and heritage prperties, visitr centres, farm parks, aquaria and theme parks. In many cuntries supply has mre than dubled in this perid. In recent years the attractins industry has faced intense cmpetitin frm a wide range f rapidly emerging innvative leisure prducts. Evidence suggests that in many mature turism destinatins demand fr traditinal attractins is actually nw in decline. There are real fears fr the viability and survival f many f these attractins. At the same time, hwever, sme majr new players in the industry are respnding strngly with the develpment f an exciting new genre f attractins. Sme f these are being built in unusual venues, thus creating very different turism destinatins fr the millennium. Over the next ten years there will emerge a new gegraphy and typlgy f visitr attractins. These develpments will require different frms f management and rganisatinal structures if they are t wrk. The cncept f multi-faceted and multi-ccupier sites is likely t prvide the key t achieving success in this industry. 1.02 In the 1970s and 1980s visitr attractins became widely regarded as an essential feature fr any successful turist destinatin develpment. Clare Gunn refers t attractins in his bk, Vacatinscape as the first pwer, ldestnes fr pleasure and the real energiser f turism in a regin withut attractins there wuld be n need fr ther turism services. 1.03 Thrughut the 1990s, hwever, the rle and status f the traditinal attractin has becme less relevant t cnsumer needs. With the survival f many attractins becming mre precarius. The market is respnding with a new generatin f visitr attractins with many specifically designed t be destinatins in their wn right. These destinatin attractins ffer cnsumers a cmprehensive range f services and facilities fr entertainment, shpping, eating and drinking, and ther aspects f leisure. 1.04 The definitin f a turist attractin fr the purpse f the survey is: An attractin where it is feasible t charge admissin fr the sle purpse f sightseeing. The attractin must be a permanently established excursin destinatin, a primary purpse f which is t allw public access fr entertainment, interest, r educatin; rather than being primarily a retail
utlet r a venue fr sprting, theatrical, r film perfrmances. It must be pen t the public, withut prir bking, fr published perids each year, and shuld be capable f attracting day visitrs r turists, as well as lcal residents. In additin the attractin must be a single business, under a single management, s that it is capable f answering the ecnmic questins n revenue, emplyment etc, and must be receiving revenue directly frm the visitrs. Intrductin 1.05 In early 2000 the English Turism Cuncil cnvened an Attractins Rund Table f experts t cnsider the future f the attractins industry in England. This was preceded by a review by the Wales Turist Bard n key issues facing the industry and fllwed by a debate in Sctland rchestrated by the Assciatin f Scttish Visitr Attractins. The unifying theme t these three assessments was the grwing cncern that the attractins industry in the UK is facing challenging times. 1.06 The cntext fr these discussins was set in three majr reprts in which there were a number f cmmn themes. The three reprts published in 1999/2000 were: Attracting Attentin by the Cnfederatin f British Industry New Visins fr Museums by the Assciatin f Independent Museums Creative Industry by the Museums and Galleries Cmmissin 1.07 The cmmn themes in terms f market trends reflected the significant increase in the supply f attractins ver the past 20 years. Almst half (47%) f all visitr attractins in the UK have pened since 1980. the BTA estimate that 18% pened in the 1970s, 8% in the 1960s and 6% in the 1950s. The peak years fr pening new attractins were 1989 (197), 1990 (174) and 1986 (143). 1.08 These new attractins have been primarily farm attractins (84% f the 247 in this categry pened since 1980) and visitr centres (80% f the 489 have pened since 1980). In cntrast the majrity f histric prperties (74%) and museums (56%) have been pen t the public fr lnger than 20 years. 1.09 Imprtantly, and this fact reflects the tenr f the three reprts, the 47% f attractins pened since 1980 accunt fr nly 29% f the ttal visitatin in 1999 f 404 millin. 1.10 Changing cnsumer needs and increasing cmpetitin frm ther parts f the leisure industry linked t significant structural changes in the ppulatin are the majr causes f cncern fr the attractins industry. There has been nly mdest grwth in the ttal demand fr attractins in recent years (1.2% 1999 ver 1998) despite the majr increase in supply. Table 1: Number f visits by categry f attractin Categry Number ( 000) % Average number f visits per site
Museums & galleries 77,116 19 43,900 Histric prperties 1 67,339 17 44,300 Visitr centres 19,822 5 40,500 Gardens 2 16,010 4 42,400 Wrkplaces 10,049 3 26,300 Wildlife sites 24,696 6 78,400 Cuntry parks 70,755 18 244,000 Farm attractins 9,792 2 39,600 Steam railways 5,275 1 49,800 Leisure parks 41,466 10 487,800 Other 62,047 15 96,000 Ttal 404,368 100 65,100 1 This excludes estimates fr parish churches (12 millin visits) 2 In additin there are 1 millin visits t ver 3,000 gardens in the Natinal Gardens Scheme Surce: BTA 1.11 These factrs, tgether with (i) a lack f investment in many existing attractins, (ii) the artificial plitical interventins affecting the cmpetitiveness f the market place (such as the intrductin f free admissin t natinal museums and galleries in 2001) and (iii) the small scale, fragmented, nature f much f the industry has resulted in many attractins struggling t survive. It is estimated that 57% f all attractins receive less than 6% f all visitrs whilst just 7% f attractins cpe with 58% f ttal visits. Clsures are becming increasingly cmmn place, especially in the private sectr. 1.12 The English Turism Cuncil s respnse t these challenges is represented in the Actin fr Attractins reprt (2000). This highlighted the need fr: imprving market understanding increasing visitr satisfactin imprving the management f attractins develping benchmarking raising quality imprved funding and investment mre effective and efficient planning 1.13 The ETC have als intrduced an Attractins Wrking Grup and are intrducing a Visitr Attractin Quality Management Scheme. These types f initiatives and actins are replicated in Wales, Sctland and Nrthern Ireland. Fr example, in 2000 the Wales Turist Bard prduced an interactive CD ROM training prgramme in assciatin with the Welsh Assciatin f Visitr Attractins entitled Training t Attract. 1.14 The attractins are a vibrant cmpnent in the UK turism industry. They emply ver 100,000 peple (56,000 full time equivalents) and are visited by 6.5 millin
verseas turists. In 1999 it is estimated that 32% f the attractins invested ver 470 millin n capital imprvements. 1.15 The imprtance f visitr attractins t the turist industry has been reaffirmed in the perid pst September 11 th and the aftermath f the ft and muth crisis in the UK and ther parts f nrthern Eurpe. The reasn peple travel, be it fr a day trip r as turists n hliday, is t visit attractins. Attractins prvide the primary mtivatin fr mst leisure turism. Visitr attractins can be categrised in three ways: (i) (ii) natural features festivals and events (iii) man-made attractins that are (a) purpse built t attract visitrs (b) established fr ther reasns but which attract visitrs 1.16 This review fcuses upn man-made attractins (iii (a) and (b)) as recgnised by mst turism-related rganisatins in Eurpe. The British Turist Authrity s definitin f a visitr attractin eches that used by the Wrld Turism Organisatin, the Wrld Travel and Turism Cuncil and thers. It recgnises the relevance f the term visitr attractin rather than turist attractin highlighting the fact that attractins receive bth turists and residents n day trips. Surces f Infrmatin 1.17 The United Kingdm s fur hme turist bards have the mst cmprehensive, detailed, infrmatin f visitr attractins in Eurpe. Since 1978 the English Turism Cuncil, the Nrthern Ireland Turist Bard, the Scttish Turist Bard (nw VisitSctland) and the Wales Turist Bard have cllabrated t cllect data in this sectr using cmmn definitins. The principle reprting mechanisms are: Sightseeing in the UK (annual since 1978) Visits t Turist Attractins (annual since 1987) Visitr Attractins Directry (since 1984) 1.18 In additin there are a number f cnsumer-based surveys that prvide regular analysis f day trip taking behaviur f the UK public. These include: The UK Day Visits Survey 1996 (every tw years) Day Visits in Great Britain 1991 and 1992 Survey f Overseas Visitrs by the BTA (annual)
1.19 In additin bth cnsumer (demand) and supply infrmatin is available frm a number f studies regularly undertaken by cmmercial research rganisatins, in particular: Days Out by Leisure Intelligence, Mintel Survey f Visitr Attractins by Delitte and Tuche 1.20 The varius sectrs within the UK Visitr Attractin industry are als subject t regular review and analysis, ntably: The Heritage Mnitr by the ETC (annual since 1977) Survey f Visitrs t Churches by the ETC (annual since 1986) Visitr Figures and Annual Survey by the Histric Huses Assciatin (since 1998) 1.21 This infrmatin is cllected using a standard definitin f a visitr attractin and is cllated using standardised reprting systems. As a result the data is rbust and, in relative terms, reliable. Much f the data has been cllected ver at least the past 20 years and, therefre, prvides useful time series trend infrmatin. 1.22 The BTA, tgether with the fur turist bards, identified a ttal f 6,215 visitr attractins in the UK in 1999/2000. The majrity f these are in England where the stck f 4,581 attractins represents 74% f the UK ttal. Sctland has 1,064 (17%), Wales 354 (6%) and Nrthern Ireland 216 (3%). 1.23 Recent research by Stevens & Assciates fr the Wales Turist Bard suggests that the ttal fr Wales is actually ver 600 attractins. Thus, the published data by the BTA and the attractins mnitred in the annual Sightseeing in the UK research may well represent nly 50% f the actual number f attractins. This hypthesis has nt been tested and, as a result this review will use the fficially published data that relates t the 6,215 attractins mnitred by the BTA et al. 1.24 Althugh Lndn has just 4% f all attractins in the UK, they accunt fr 13% (52.9 millin) visits. Lndn has seven times as many attractins per square kilmetre as the UK average. Sctland, n the ther hand, has the lwest density f attractins. Irnically, hwever, seven f the ten district cuncils with the greatest number f attractins are in Sctland (see Table 2). Table 2: Density f turist attractins by regin/cuntry in 1999 Regin/cuntry Attractins Per 1,000 square kilmetres Number % Cumbria 142 2 20.8 Nrthumbria 250 4 29.1 Nrth West 319 5 43.4 Yrkshire 415 7 26.9 Heart f England 860 14 33.9 East f England 758 12 30.3 Lndn 276 4 174.9
West Cuntry 651 10 33.1 Suthern 407 7 35.6 Suth East 503 8 54.7 England 4,581 74 35.1 Nrthern Ireland 216 3 16.0 Sctland 1,064 17 13.8 Wales 354 6 17.0 UK 6,215 100 25.7 Surce: BTA Table 3: Tp ten cuncils by ttal number f attractins in 1999/2000 1. Highlands and Islands Sctland 160 2. Dumfries and Gallway Sctland 81 3. Argyll and Bute Sctland 78 4. Aberdeenshire Sctland 77 5. Scttish Brders Sctland 67 6. Edinburgh Sctland 65 7. Perth and Kinrss Sctland 60 8. Isle f Wight England 57 9. Suth Lakeland England 55 10. Gwynedd Wales 54 Surce: BTA 1.25 These cuncil areas, with the exceptin f Edinburgh, have a relatively small resident ppulatin base but have high cncentratins f staying turists and day visitrs. These factrs result in a high degree f seasnality and lw levels f attendance making many f these attractins marginal in terms f their peratinal viability. 1.26 The majrity f the 6,215 attractins in the UK are small scale peratins with 57% receiving 20,000 visits r less. Indeed the BTA estimate that nly 7% (435) f all attractins receive mre than 200,000 visits per annum. Table 4: Tp 20 charging attractins in the UK in 1999 Type Rank Name 1991 1998 1999 2000 Theme park 1 Altn Twers, 2,650,000 2,782,000 2,450,000 2,650,000 Staffrdshire Museum 2 Madame Tussaud s, 2,640,000 2,772,500 2,388,000 2,640,000 Lndn Heritage 3 Twer f Lndn 2,422,181 2,551,459 2,303,000 2,428,603 Museum 4 Natural Histry 1,739,591 1,904,539 1,577,044 1,696,725 Museum, Lndn Theme park 5 Legland, Windsr 1,620,000 1,510,363 1,490,000 1,620,000 Theme park 6 Chessingtn Wrld f 1,550,000 1,650,000 1,500,000 1,500,000 Adventures Museum 7 Science Museum, 1,480,000 1,599,817 1,337,432 1,483,234 Lndn Gallery 8 Ryal Academy, Lndn 1,390,000 912,714 N/C* N/C*
Heritage 9 Canterbury Cathedral 1,350,000 1,500,000 1,263,140 1,318,065 Heritage 10 Windsr Castle 1,280,000 1,495,465 1,127,000 1,280,000 Heritage 11 Westminster Abbey 1,268,215 N/C* N/C* N/C* Heritage 12 Edinburgh Castle 1,219,720 1,219,055 1,204,285 1,219,720 Theme park 13 Flaming Land Theme Park, Nrth Yrkshire Theme park 14 Draytn Manr Park, Staffrdshire Transprt 15 Windermere Lake Cruises, Cumbria Heritage 16 St Paul s Cathedral, Lndn 1,197,000 1,105,000 1,301,000 1,197,000 1,172,448 1,003,802 N/A N/A 1,140,207 1,060,600 1,172,219 1,140,207 1,076,222 1,095,299 937,025 1,068,336 Z 17 Lndn Z 1,067,917 1,052,000 930,000 1,000,057 Z 18 Chester Z 965,721 920,000 1,118,000 1,065,000 Museum 19 Victria and Albert Museum, Lndn 945,677 1,110,000 N/C* N/C* Theme park 20 = Thrpe Park, Surrey 926,000 852,000 925,000 926,000 Heritage 20 = Rman Baths, Bath - - 932,566 918,867 * Nte: N/C Nt cmparable These figures exclude the BA Lndn Eye and the Millennium Dme 1.27 The UK s tp 20 charging attractins accunted fr 29,100,899 visits in 1999 r 27,832,684 (excluding Westminster Abbey, whse 1998 figure is nt cmparable t that fr 1999). Remving Westminster Abbey frm the figures shws that the tp 19 attractins shwed a 0.9% (263,929) dwnturn in visits in 1999 cmpared t 1998. Table 5: Typlgy f the tp 20 charging attractins in 1999/2000 Type N Ttal Visits % Theme Parks 6 9,115,448 31 Heritage Prperties 6 8,616,338 29.5 Museums & Galleries 5 8,195,268 28 Zs 2 2,033,638 7 Other 1 1,140,207 4.5 Ttals 20 29,100,899 100 1.28 Table 5 shws that the traditinal cultural attractins, as represented by Heritage prperties, tgether with museums and galleries, cnstitute 11 f the 20 tp charging attractins (55%) and attract 57.5% f all visits in this grup. The six theme parks have a ttal visitatin f just ver 9 millin (average 1.5 millin). Only Legland (near Windsr) in this tp 20 f charging attractins has entered the market in the past six years (pening in 1996); the thers are mature attractins that have had a market presence fr at least 20 years. 1.29 An imprtant feature f the attractins market in the UK ver the past few years has been the difficulties experienced by new attractins t capture market share. There have been several high prfile attractins which have failed t achieve their prjected attendance figures and, as a result, have required public supprt t ensure their survival. These have included the Ryal Armuries Museum in
Leeds, the Natinal Centre fr Ppular Music in Sheffield, and the Natinal Glass Centre in Sunderland. In additin a number f cmmercial peratins have als struggled t secure viable numbers and have traded belw their targets. The reasns fr these miscalculatins in prjecting market impact was (i) the ver ptimistic view f the public interest in visitr attractins in the late 1990 s; (ii) the failure t acknwledge changing cnsumer behaviur; and (iii) the need t present high levels f visitatin t secure public funding r private brrwing. The tp ten new attractins pening between 1995 and 1999 shw a few that have made a majr impact n visitr numbers. Table 6: Tp ten charging attractins pened between 1995 and 1999 1999 visits Year f pening Legland, Windsr 1,620,000 1996 Lndn Aquarium 715,054 1997 Frmer Ryal Yacht Britannia, Leith, Edinburgh 415,297 1998 Natinal Marine Aquarium, Plymuth 351,000 1998 Burns Natinal Heritage Park, Allway 343,660 1995 Ryal Armuries Museum, Leeds 300,000 1996 Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh 295,959 1999 Oceanarium, Burnemuth 279,460 1998 The Aquarium f the Lakes, Newby Bridge 250,000 1997 Clambers Play Centre, Hastings 175,000 1995 1.30 Table 7 illustrates the sectral distributin f UK attractins. Cultural attractins, as represented by Museums and Galleries (1,756), histric prperties (1,521) and gardens (378), cnstitute 58% f the supply side. The relatively recent phenmenn f visitr centres, very much a pst-1970 s develpment, nw cnstitutes 8% (489) f prvisin. Table 7: Attractins in the UK in 1999/2000 by sectr Museums and galleries 1,756 28% Histric prperties 1,521 24% Visitr centres 489 8% Gardens 378 6% Wrkplaces 382 6% Other 646 10% Wildlife sites 315 5% Cuntry parks 290 5% Farms 247 4% Steam railways 106 2% Leisure parks 85 1% Ttal 6,215 100% Surce: BTA 1.31 Figures fr the tp five mst visited attractins by type in the UK in 199 illustrate the imprtance f Museums and Galleries and f leisure and theme parks in capturing market share. The 35 attractins represented in the eight different
types f attractins had almst 60 millin visitrs in 1999 (average 1.5 millin) between them, the museums and theme parks accunted fr 59% f this ttal. Significantly, nly seven f the 35 attractins are utside England and fur f these (Edinburgh 200, Edinburgh Castle, Ryal Btanic Garden and Dynamic Earth) are in Sctland s capital city. The ttal number f visitrs t these five attractins in Edinburgh in 1999 was in excess f 2.6 millin r 5% f the ttal visitatin t this sample f 35 in the UK. Table 8: Tp five attractins by type in 1999-2000 1999 2000 (1) Histric Mnuments & Huses 1 Twer f Lndn 2,422,181 2,303,167 2 Windsr Castle 1,280,000 1,127,000 3 Edinburgh Castle 1,219,720 1,204,285 4 Rman Baths, Bath 918,867 932,566 5 Stnehenge 838,880 799,742 6,679,448 6,366,760 (2) Cathedrals & Churches 1 Yrk Minster 1,800,000 1,750,000 2 Canterbury Cathedral 1,350,000 1,263,140 3 Westminster Abbey 1,268,215 1,230,000 4 St Paul s Cathedral, Lndn 1,076,222 937,025 5 Chester Cathedral 1,000,000 1,000,000 6,494,437 6,180,165 (3) Gardens 1 Hamptn Curt Gardens, Lndn 1,200,000 N/A 2 Kew Gardens 864,269 860,340 3 Btanic Gardens, Belfast 630,000 650,000 4 Wisley Gardens, Surrey 614,487 613,987 5 Ryal Btanic Garden, Edinburgh 609,488 609,838 3,918,244 2,734,165 (4) Museums & Galleries 1 British Museum, Lndn 5,460,537 5,466,246 2 Natinal Gallery, Lndn 4,964,879 4,897,690 3 Tate Gallery, Lndn 1,822,428 3,873,887 4 Natural Histry Museum, Lndn 1,739,591 1,577,044 5 Science Museum, Lndn 1,480,000 1,337,432 15,467,435 17,152,299 (5) Wildlife Attractins 1 Lndn Z 1,067,917 930,000 2 Chester Z 965,721 1,118,000 3 Lndn Aquarium 715,054 780,000 4 Edinburgh Z 526,000 522,279 5 West Midlands Safari Park, Bewdley 490,000 N/A 3,764,692 3,350,279 (6) Farms 1 Callestck Cider Farm, Trur, Crnwall 320,000 285,000 2 Cannn Hall Farm, Cawthrne, Barnsley 290,000 350,000 3 Brcksbushes Farm, Stcksfield, Nrthumberland 250,000 N/A 4 Gdstne Farm, Surrey 232,000 221,900 5 White Pst Mdern Farm Centre, Farnsfield, Ntts 226,000 N/A
1,318,000 856,900 (7) Leisure Parks & Piers 1 Blackpl Pleasure Beach 7,200,000 6,800,000 2 Palace Pier, Brightn 3,750,000 N/A 3 Segawrld, The Trcader, Lndn 3,454,690 N/A 4 Eastburne Pier 2,800,000 N/A 5 Altn Twers, Staffrdshire 2,650,000 2,450,000 19,854,690 9,250,000 (8) Visitr Centres 1 Cadbury Wrld, Birmingham 496,446 480,467 2 Lulwrth Cve Heritage Centre, Drset 452,766 406,911 3 Giant s Causeway Visitr Centre, Bushmills 433,745 395,247 4 Burns Natinal Heritage Park, Gallway 343,660 285,000 5 Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh 295,959 398,790 2,022,876 1,966,415 Table 9: Ttal visitr numbers by type fr tp five attractins in a selectin f categries in the UK 1999-2000 1999 2000 Ttal % Average Ttal % Average (a) Histric Mnuments and 6.7 m 11.0 1.3 m 6.0 m 11.5 1.2 m Huses (b) Cathedrals and Churches 6.5 m 11.0 1.3 m 6.2 m 11.9 1.2 m (c) Gardens 3.9 m 6.5 0.8 m 3.1 m 6.0 0.6 m (d) Museums and Galleries 15.5 m 26.0 3.0 m 17.2 m 33.0 3.5 m (e) Farms 1.3 m 2.5 0.26 m 1.3 m 2.5 0.3 m (f) Leisure and Theme Parks 19.9 m 33 3.97 m 15.8 m 30.3 3.2 m (g) Visitr Centres 2.0 m 3.5 0.4 m 2.4 m 4.8 0.5 m Ttal 59.6 m 100 1.49 m 52.0 m 100 1.48 m New Millennium 1.32 The Millennium was a year f significant expansin in the attractins sectr in the UK with 79 new facilities pening, many f which were large-scale schemes that had been supprted by Millennium Cmmissin funding frm the Natinal Lttery. New attractins supprted in this way included the Eden Prject (Crnwall), the Natinal Btanic Garden f Wales (Carmarthenshire), the Earth Centre (Dncaster) and the Big Idea (Sctland). The Millennium Dme received 6.5 millin visits in 2000 making it the UK s mst ppular charging attractin, hwever many bservers nte that the Dme des nt meet the definitin f a visitr attractin as agreed by the British Turist Authrity and the UK s turist bards. The British Airways Lndn Eye, initially designed as a temprary attractin, has had its perid f peratin extended and is nw seeking semipermanent planning status. In 2000 the Lndn Eye had 3.3 millin visitrs. As a result the previus leading attractin, Altn Twers, mved int third psitin f the UK s mst ppular attractins in 2000 with 2.45 millin visits. 1.33 The emergence f a new generatin f large scale attractins had three imprtant effects n the UK market:
(1) It stimulated investment in ther, existing, attractins leading t the upgrading f these prducts; this was particularly the case in museums and galleries where Heritage Lttery funds were used fr this purpse. In ttal an estimated 377 millin was spent upgrading 800 attractins in the UK in 2000; (2) It generated new market interest in visiting attractins but, at the same time, intrduced increased cmpetitin fr the existing market. The net result was displacement with n verall uplift in the ttal market fr attractins; (3) The verall expectatin f the quality f the attractin prduct was increased as visitrs were expsed t mdern, innvative, displays and a fresh fcus n custmer care. 1.34 The Millennium Dme attracted 6.5 millin visits in 2000. As a temprary attractin this facility des nt strictly cnfrm t the definitin f a visitr attractin used in this review. Its presence in the market place did, hwever, have an impact n the attractin industry. Fr example, the 3,400 attractins in the UK mnitred in bth 1999 and 2000 fr their annual visitr attendance shwed a 2% decrease in numbers in 2000. Ntably invlving a 3% decrease in visits t attractins in the Suth East f England and a 4% decrease amngst ther attractins in Lndn. The attractins in these tw regins clearly lsing market share t the Dme. 1.35 A further 78 new attractins pened in 2000. Hwever, data is nly available fr 27 f these wh reprted 9.2 millin visits in their first year f trading. This represents 3.9% f the ttal stck f attractins capturing 2.2% f the market. Overall these new attractins resulted in the ttal market grwing by 4% (the majrity accuntable by the Dme) with existing attractins suffering a decline in visits. Fear f displacement f demand frm existing t new attractins is brne ut. Table 10: A Sample f New Attractins Opening in 2000 England British Airways Lndn Eye Eden Prject, Crnwall Frt Paull, Hull Gaunless Valley Visitr Centre, Durham Gilbert Cllectin, Lndn Greenway, Devn Smerset Huse, Lndn Hugh Mill, Leicester Huses Parliament Tur, Lndn Interactive Wrld, Newcastle The Lwry, Manchester New Art Gallery, Walsall Restratin Huse, Rchester Rheged, Cumbria Steam Museum, Swindn Tate Mdern, Lndn Ventnr Btanic Garden, Isle f Wight Wetland Centre, Lndn
Whisby Nature Wrld, Lincln Wrld f Glass, Merseyside Sctland Bright Water Visitr Centre, Skye Gerannen Visitr Centre, Lewis Shaping a Natin, Edinburgh The Brewery, Kirkcudbrightshire The Big Idea, Irvine Wales Aberglasney Histric Gardens, Carmarthen Natinal Btanic Garden, Carmarthen Nrthern Ireland Nne recrded 1.36 The sectrs shwing the greatest impact in terms f their decline in numbers ver the 1999 figures are farm attractins (-8%), churches and cathedrals (-4%), histric huses and castles (-4%) and wrkplace attractins (-4%). Only steam railways (+3%) recrded grwth in demand. In Sightseeing in the UK 2000 published by the English Turism Cuncil s Research Department (December 2001) the authrs cnclude that: In a cmpetitive market smaller attractins have suffered greater lsses in 2000 than larger attractins. In cases where many attractins have marginal viability even small percentage declines in numbers will have a significant impact upn their business. These figures are als pre the impact f ft and muth in 2001. 1.37 Capital funding frm the Natinal Lttery was a majr stimulant fr new attractin develpment acrss the UK. A ttal f 1.3 billin was spent n 190 prjects acrss 3,743 sites, including 12 crss cuntry, crss regin r UK wide prjects (invlving 1,285 sites and 109 millin). In nine areas f the UK the prject receiving the biggest capital award was a visitr attractin (see Table 11). The scale f this investment int new flagship attractins, estimated at ver 335 millin represented an artificial envirnment creating large scale prjects in a market place that was already ver supplied at a time when existing private sectr peratrs are funding it ver mre difficult t secure capital funds t upgrade their prduct. Table 11: Funding f Majr New Attractins by the Millennium Cmmissin by Regin/Cuntry Regin Ttal N. Biggest Attractin Awards m Prjects Award m Sctland 193 19 35 Glasgw Science Centre N Ireland 78 17 45 Odyssey N East 65 9 31 Centre fr Life N West 93 19 16 The Lwry Yrks & Humberside 157 17 40 Earth Centre E Midlands 47 11 26 Science Centre S West 109 8 44 @Bristl S East 95 25 38 Prtsmuth Harbur Gtr Lndn 148 15 50 Tate Mdern
Surce: ETC 2001 1.38 The Millennium Cmmissin als invested ver 171 millin in a further 14 majr attractins all f which pened in 2000. At the same time the Heritage Lttery Fund has als been investing in majr attractins in the UK. A selectin f these schemes is shw in Table 12. Table 12: Heritage Lttery Funded Attractin-Based Prjects Prject Lcatin Award m Gillbert Cllectin, Smerset Huse Lndn 31 Science Museum Wellcme Wing Lndn 23 Tate Gallery Lndn 19 British Museum Lndn 15 Manchester Art Gallery Manchester 15 Victria & Albert Museum Lndn 15 Imperial War Museum Lndn 15 Natinal Maritime Museum Lndn 12 Natinal Prtrait Gallery Lndn 12 Manchester Museum Manchester 12 1.39 Clearly the figures in Table 12 reveal the dminance f Lndn-based prjects in securing majr Heritage Lttery Awards. Of the 616 millin Lttery funding secured by the museums and galleries sectr (by December 2000) 140 millin (23%) was awarded t the eight prjects listed. 1.40 Fr ther attractins relatively few had btained supprt via the Lttery distributin bdies. Fr example, the English Turism Cuncil has identified 48 attractins receiving capital funds frm the Millennium Cmmissin and 98 frm the Heritage Lttery Fund. A further 55 had successfully applied fr funding frm the Eurpean Reginal Develpment Fund and the Eurpean Scial Fund. 1.41 A number f the majr Millennium prjects sn experienced the harsh realities f running visitr attractins in a highly cmpetitive market place. Thse prjects facing prblems include the Natinal Centre fr Ppular Music in Sheffield which clsed within a year f pening whilst the Earth Centre in Dncaster admitted t having prblems achieving its prjected visitr numbers. This has becme a cmmn feature f these larger prjects. Accrding t recent reprts in the Museums Jurnal, sme ten prjects wrth 22 millin failed in 1999 and research by the Heritage Lttery Fund has shwn that 60 heritage attractin lttery applicatins were predicated n ver ptimistic visitr numbers. On average frecast numbers were 50% higher than thse achieved. 1.42 The reprt Sightseeing in the UK in 2000 examines revenue trends within the sectr. Fr Great Britain (n data was available fr Nrthern Ireland) the average revenue increase reprted in 2000 was 2%. This was less than inflatin (3%) and, therefre, represents a decrease in real revenue. Only theme parks, wildlife attractins and steam railways reprted an increase in revenues ver their 1999 perfrmance abve the rate f inflatin.
1.43 Over 1,200 attractins in England and Sctland respnded t the Sightseeing survey t prvide a detailed analysis f their average incme frm different surces f revenue. The incme frm admissins/dnatins is the largest generatr f revenue with a significant, and increasingly imprtant, cntributin frm secndary spending n-site (retail and catering). Table 13: Average Revenue per visit by Surce and by Cuntry 2000 Cuntry Admissin/Dnatin (%) Catering (%) Retail (%) Other (%) Ttal England 3.32 (54) 0.95 (15) 1.64 (27) 0.26 (4) 6.15 Sctland 1.78 (26) 1.14 (17) 3.26 (48) 0.57 (9) 6.74 Ttal 3.04 (49) 0.99 (16) 1.94 (31) 0.3 (5) 6.25 1.44 Table 13 reveals that attractins in Sctland have mre successfully diversified their businesses than their English cunterparts, achieving a much higher yield frm secndary spending - 4.40 in Sctland cmpared t 2.59 in England. Retailing is a particularly strng feature f attractin activity in Sctland. This research als identifies the wide range f revenue generatin between different types f attractins. The highest levels f cmmercial activity are fund in wrkplace attractins and theme parks whilst the lwest levels f incme per visit are generated in cuntry parks and religius prperties (see Table 14), bth f which rarely have an admissin charge. Table 14: Average Ttal Revenue by Attractin Categry 2000 Categry Ttal All Surces Cathedrals and churches 3.19 Cuntry parks 2.21 Farms 4.74 Gardens 7.36 Histric huses/castles 7.13 Other histric prperties 4.70 Leisure & theme parks 9.24 Museums and art galleries 3.97 Steam railways 7.76 Visitr centres 6.91 Wildlife attractins and zs 8.29 Wrkplaces 15.65 Others 9.40 Ttal 6.25 Ownership in 2000 1.45 The pattern f attractin wnership varies cnsiderably acrss the UK. Overall the private sectr perates the majrity f attractins (58%) hwever in Wales the ttal is 61%, cmpared t 38% in England. This reflects a number f plicy and market differences. Fr example, in Wales the bdy respnsible fr
safeguarding the built heritage (Cadw: Welsh Histric Mnuments) has a higher prprtin f mnuments in its care pen t the public than in Sctland r England. Similarly lcal authrities have had t be mre practive in prviding attractins in rder t stimulate turism grwth in difficult envirnments and t assist ecnmic regeneratin. Table 15: Visitr Attractin Ownership and Visits in the UK in 2000 (%) Cuntry Gvernment English Heritage Lcal Natinal Trust Private Histric Sctland Cadw Authrity Natinal Trust Sctland England Attractins 3 5 21 9 62 Visits 16 2 21 5 56 Nrthern Ireland Attractins 30-32 9 29 Visits 32-50 7 12 Sctland Attractins 6 10 20 9 55 Visits 14 8 38 5 35 Wales Attractins 4 13 36 7 39 Visits 8 10 37 6 38 UK Attractins 5 7 22 9 58 Visits 16 3 24 5 52 1.46 Overall the private sectr in the UK receives 56% f all visitrs whilst the Gvernment attractins (fr example the Histric Ryal Palaces) accunt fr 5% f the attractins stck but 16% f all visits. This is unsurprising given the fact that the Gvernment s hldings (and indeed thse f the heritage agencies) include icn, must see prperties. These figures als reflect the fact that the private sectr includes many small and medium sized enterprises. Indeed it is estimated that 72% f all attractins receive less than 50,000 visits each year accunting fr just 11% f ttal demand. Cnversely, the 9% f attractins recrding mre than 200,000 admissins in 2000 accunted fr 64% f ttal visits. 1.47 It has lng been recgnised that this mix f public : private sectr prvisin in the UK creates a distrted market place within which the private sectr is disadvantaged thrugh artificial supprt fr public sectr prjects. This is nt a level playing field. In 2001 this bias was further exacerbated by (1) the Gvernment s decisin t make access t all natinal museums and galleries free f charge, and (2) the pening f the raft f Millennium funded schemes (discussed earlier). Aggrieved private sectr peratrs have articulated their cncerns; thers have simply withdrawn frm the market. The remval f
Attractins in Lndn Granada, Pearsns and the Vardn Grup frm direct invlvement in the sectr has resulted in a number f management buy-uts, ntably invlving the Tussaud s Grup Ltd and Merlin Entertainment Ltd. 1.48 Over half f the tp 14 visitr attractins in Lndn are natinal institutins whse peratins are directly funded by the spnsring Department f Culture, Media and Sprt. As a result f recent Gvernment legislatin these attractins als ffer free admissin. The mst ppular attractins in Lndn are the British Museum (5.5 millin visitrs in 2000), the Natinal Gallery (4.9 millin visitrs) and the Tate Mdern (3.9 millin visitrs). The British Airways Lndn Eye (managed and perated by Tussauds) and Madame Tussauds are the mst ppular fee charging attractins fllwed by the Twer f Lndn which is perated under the aegis f the Histric Ryal Palaces.
Table 16: Tp Lndn Attractins Attractin Visitr figures % Change Admissin charges Infrmatin 2000 (1999) British Museum 5,466,246 (5,460,537) 0.1 Free Funding frm DCMS Natinal Gallery 4,897,690 (4,964,879) - 1.4 Free Funding frm DCMS Tate Mdern 3,873,887 figures after seven N/A Free Funding frm DCMS mnths f pening (N/A) BA Lndn Eye 3,300,000 (N/A) N/A Adult 9.50, Child 5.00 Managed by Tussaud s Grup Madame Tussaud s 2,388,000 (2,640,000) - 9.5 Adult 12.00, Child 8.50 Owned by Tussaud s Grup (plus Planetarium: Adult 14.45, Child 10.00) Twer f Lndn 2,303,167 (2,428,603) - 5.2 Adult 11.30, Child 7.50 Part f Histric Ryal Palaces Natural Histry Museum 1,577,044 (1,696,725) - 7.1 Free Funding frm DCMS Victria & Albert Museum 1,344,113 (1,251,396) 7.4 Free Funding frm DCMS Science Museum 1,337,432 (1,483,234) - 9.8 Free Part f Natinal Museum f Science & Industry. Funding frm DCMS Westminster Abbey 1,230,000 (1,260,000) - 2.4 Adult 6.00, Child 3.00 Receives n funds frm the State r frm the Church f England. Mney t maintain the fabric and deal with day t day running is raised frm entry fees, dnatins and investments Tate Britain 1,204,147 (1,822,428) - 33.9 Free Funding frm DCMS Natinal Prtrait Gallery 1,178,400 (999,842) 17.9 Free Funding frm DCMS St Paul s Cathedral 937,025 (1,968,336) - 12.3 Adult 6.00, Child 3.00 Receives n direct assistance frm Gvernment. Turism and trading prvides the bulk f their annual incme, with the balance cming frm dnatins and legacies, charitable trusts and fundatins, investments and investment prperty Lndn Z 930,000 (1,000,057) - 7.0 Adult 11.00, Child 8.00 Part f Zlgical Sciety f Lndn Average 2,283,368 (2,248,003) - 5.27 Adult 10.03, Child 6.43 Surce: Stevens & Assciates 2002
1.49 Only three f the tp 14 attractins in Lndn have experienced an increase in visitatin in recent years. The British Museum has shwn a slight increase (+0.1%) in numbers ver their 1999 figure, whilst the Victria and Albert Museum (+7.4%) and the Natinal Prtrait Gallery (+17.9%) appear t have benefited mst frm the free admissins plicy. On the ther hand Tate Britain (-33.9%) and St Paul s Cathedral (-12.3%) have been the majr casualties in terms f a decrease in demand. Overall the 14 attractins have shwn a cumulative decline f sme 50,000 visitrs r 5.2% ver the 1999 figure. 1.50 The average adult full price admissin charge is just ver 10 with the discunted children s rate at 60% f this full price. The mst expensive charge made at a Lndn attractin is 14.45 (full adult) fr Madame Tussaud s. 1.51 There have been relatively few new and successful visitr attractins pening in Lndn in the past five years. Successive attempts t find a frmula t make the Trcader in Piccadilly have all failed and the prperty wners are still searching fr a leisure based tenant. The frmer ffices f the Greater Lndn Cuncil at Cunty Hall has, hwever, been the fcus f a number f develpments, ntably the Lndn Aquarium and, infamusly, fr the interactive sccer attractin, The Premier League Hall f Fame. 1.52 United Media s Premier League hall f Fame failed t attract sufficient visitrs t make it viable and clsed after just 18 mnths f trading. This experience reflected tw imprtant factrs fr new attractins entering the Lndn market: 1.53 The disappinting experience f several recent attractins in central Lndn reflect thse f earlier attempts t enter the market, mst prminently Ryal Britain, develped in the Barbican in the early 1990 s and lasting less than 12 mnths. These case studies sund warning bells fr ther prspective attractin develpers and investrs in Lndn and g a lng way t explain the slwness in develping Battersea pwer Statin as an attractin. 1.54 The attractins supply in Lndn is dminated by pubic sectr museums, galleries and histric prperties. Mst f these enjy icnic status as must see attractins fr verseas and, indeed, dmestic UK visitrs. As a result, it is extremely difficult fr new attractins t secure a place in the market. In rder t break this pattern it seems that any new attractins must have either an extremely strng husehld brand name backing it, r it must have an appeal that is glbal and has an internatinal, rather than a British, appeal. Wales 1.55 Turism spending in Wales cntributed 2 billin t the Welsh ecnmy in 2000, the equivalent t 7% f GDF, making Wales ne f the cuntries in Eurpe mst dependent n turism. The UK market represents 92% f all trips and 86% f spending. Overseas turists accunt fr 8% f arrivals but 14% f turism receipts. 1.56 Visitr attractins are recgnised as an essential ingredient fr attracting bth day and staying visitrs t Wales. Althugh the BTA statistics recrd attendances at 354 attractins in Wales (6% f the ttal) the Wales Turist Bard recgnise 610
attractins. A small (5%) percentage f this ttal is currently members f the Welsh Assciatin f Visitr Attractins. 1.57 The generic cncerns facing the attractins industry in the UK are als reflected in Wales, especially the issues f ver supply and the recent grwth f new attractins. In 1986 an estimated 20 millin visits were made t 305 attractins, 20 years later a similar demand existed fr duble the number f attractins. In 1986 this resulted in ne attractin fr every 36,000 turist trips in Wales and fr every 9,100 residents. Tday it is ne attractin fr every 18,000 turist trips and every 4,700 residents. 1.58 The supply side is dminated (53.5%) by heritage attractins. Relatively few are ftlse and lcated t maximise market pprtunities. Table 17: Attractins by Type in Wales 2000 Type Number % Histric 112 18.4 Garden 34 5.6 Craft 66 10.8 Museum 109 17.9 Transprt 29 4.7 Nature 30 4.9 Z/wildlife 28 4.6 Heritage Centre 39 6.4 Wrk places 34 5.6 Farms 40 6.6 Leisure theme parks 34 5.6 Cuntry parks 42 6.9 Leisure centres 13 2.1 610 100 1.59 The gegraphic distributin clsely reflects the imprtance f the traditinal hliday destinatin and hence the turist market fr attractins, hence the density f attractins in Suth West and Nrth West Wales. Table 18: Gegraphic Distributin in Wales 2000 Sub-Regin Number % Nrth West 110 18 Nrth East 110 18 Nrth 220 36 Mid West 96 16 Mid East 45 7 Mid 141 23 Suth West 132 22 Suth East 117 19 Suth 249 41
Sctland 1.60 The Wales Turist Bard has adpted a three tier system f recgnising the significance f visitr attractins. This places less emphasis n their abslute visitr numbers and mre n their cntributin t influence visitr travel patterns. Thus, the WTB recgnises 22 primary attractins f natinal significance (4% f the ttal). These attract 23% f all visitatin. Attractins f reginal significance accunt fr 12.5% f the supply side and 33% f demand. Lcal attractins cnstitute 75% f supply and just 23% f demand. 1.61 Ownership and management f the natinally and reginally significant attractin is dminated (70%) by the public sectr, especially Cadw: Welsh Histric Mnuments, the Natinal Museums and Galleries f Wales, and lcal authrities. The private sectr is nt strngly represented with these peratins but is especially active at the lcal level. 1.62 Investment in new attractins in Wales has been slw in the past few years as a result f the precarius nature f demand and the relative paucity f successful applicatins fr Lttery funding. The 45 millin Natinal Btanic Garden f Wales in Carmarthenshire that pened in 2000 with 175,000 visitrs in its first year f peratin, represents the nly majr new investment. 1.63 The past year has heralded dramatic changes t the rganisatin and leadership f turism in Sctland. The Scttish Executive s New Turism Strategy f 2001 resulted in the rebranding f the Scttish Turist Bard as VisitSctland with a new Chair and CEO. This was fllwed by the appintment f a Minister fr Turism in Sctland and the annuncement f a review f the existing structure f area turist bards (presently 14 in number). A review in 1994 reduced the number f area turist bards frm 31 t 14 and further ratinalisatin is expected. 1.64 Against this backgrund f rganisatin restructuring, the events f September 11 th and the impact f the ft and muth epidemic had a significant impact n Scttish turism. Internatinal arrivals t Sctland started t decline in the late 1990 s after steady grwth at the start f the decade. Internatinal turism expenditure in 2000 was at its lwest level since 1993. In 2000, Sctland received 20.7 millin turists wh spent 4.5 billin. The UK market remains the mst imprtant surce fr turists t Sctland accunting fr 84.6% f all trips, 72% f all visitr bednights and 66.4% f all expenditure. Internatinal turism accunts fr 1.7 millin trips and 789 millin expenditure. 1.65 Internatinal turists are mre likely t visit cultural attractins than dmestic markets. The Scttish Turist Bard estimate that 83% f all verseas hliday trips t Sctland will include a visit t a castle r histric mnument cmpared t 36% f all UK hliday trips. Similarly, whilst 58% f all internatinal hliday trips will incrprate a visit t a museum/art gallery/heritage centre, nly 14% f dmestic trips engage in these activities (see Table 19). Table 19: Activities undertaken by internatinal and UK turists in Sctland, 1996 and 2000 (%) UK hliday trips 2000 Overseas hliday trips
Nrthern Ireland Visiting castles, mnuments, churches, etc 36 83 Hiking/walking/rambling/ther walking 36 39 Field/nature study 21 9 Watching perfrming arts 15 16 Visiting museums/art galleries/heritage centres, etc 14 58 Glf 7 2 Fishing 6 1 Surce: STB 1.66 The leisure day visit market is particularly imprtant fr Sctland s attractin industry. The resident ppulatin ttals 5.1 millin (1999 figure) and has a high prpensity t undertake leisure day trips. 1.67 The first cmprehensive review f attractins in Nrthern Ireland was undertaken in 1995. This shwed that 4.9 millin visits were made t fee charging attractins, an increase f 17% n the previus year. Tw years later an estimated 4.1 millin visits were made t 132 fee charging attractins. 1995 was a recrd year fr Nrthern Ireland turism in general as the area enjyed an influx f visitrs in a year f relative peace and psitive marketing. By 1997 the decline in numbers had a particularly strng impact n parks and gardens whilst wildlife attractins and histric prperties held up reasnably well. 1.68 The perid 1998-2000 saw numbers f visits t all attractins in Nrthern Ireland increase by 5%, nce again reflecting a perid f relative peace and stability. Indeed, ver the perid 1988-1999 visits t attractins in Nrthern Ireland have seen the greatest grwth (27%) than any ther part f the UK. 1.69 The number f attractins in Nrthern Ireland is 216 r 3% f the UK ttal. This stck f attractins was visited by 9.1 millin peple in 1999 r 2% f visits t all attractins in the UK (average f 42,200 per attractin, cmpared t, say, the average fr Wales f 50,400 and 46,600 fr Sctland). Unlike ther parts f the UK, Nrthern Ireland has nt witnessed a dramatic level f new attractin develpment in recent years. Indeed tw years ag ne f the majr attractins at the Wrld Heritage Site at the Giants Causeway Visitr Centre (Antrim) was burnt dwn. In 1999 this attractin was visited by ver 433,000 peple (free admissin). 1.70 Other attractins receiving mre than 200,000 visits per annum includes: The Btanic Gardens, Belfast Belvir Frest park, Belfast Crawfrdsburn Park Ulster Flk Museum 1.71 Perhaps mre than any ther part f the UK, Nrthern Ireland is heavily dependent upn the dmestic day trip market fr its attractins business. In 1997, fr example, it was estimated that 66% f all visits t attractins were by residents. The turism markets are fickle and susceptible t the vagaries f the
prevailing plitical situatin. As a result, the market fr attractins in Nrthern Ireland is extremely vlatile and unpredictable. 1.72 In the past few years there has been a significant investment in leisure and entertainment prvisin in Belfast and, t a lesser extent, in ther urban centres in Nrthern Ireland. This has created a new cmpetitive envirnment fr the traditinal attractins industry. As a result, the challenges faced by attractins elsewhere in the UK are significantly greater in Nrthern Ireland and will remain s fr the freseeable future. The Clsure f Attractins 1.73 Althugh the grwth in the supply f attractins has been the main cause f cncern ver the past five years there have been a significant number f clsures in the industry. It is estimated that between 1978 and 1999 there were almst 860 attractins that ceased trading. These attractins had a ttal visitr market f 16.3 millin (based upn the number f visits in the year they clsed). This ttal represents 4% f the ttal number f visits t the 6,215 attractins in 1999. The 859 attractins representing 14% f the ttal stck f attractins in 1999. Table 20: Attractins which have clsed t the public between 1978 and 1999 Categry Number f sites Number f visits % f ttal visits in 1999 Wildlife attractins 42 2,569,311 10.4 Wrkplaces 121 901,738 9.0 Farms 56 788,604 8.1 Visitr centres 35 1,329,418 6.7 Gardens 59 594,797 3.7 Museums and galleries 263 3,703,508 4.8 Leisure parks 12 1,121,600 2.7 Histric prperties 121 993,305 1.5 Steam railways 6 81,577 1.5 Other attractins 141 4,170,419 6.7 Cuntry parks 3 100,175 0.1 All attractins 859 16,354,452 4.0 Surce: BTA 1.74 The wrst affected sectr ver this 20 year perid has been wildlife attractins in terms f the impact n the market. Althugh nly 42 (5%) wildlife attractins clsed, they accunted fr ver 2.5 millin visits. The mst numerus clsures have ccurred in the museums and galleries sectr with 263 (31%) ceasing trading. There have been a number f large scale and sme high prfile attractins that have clsed since 1978. These are shwn in Table 21. Table 21: Ntable Clsures 1977-2000 Attractin Visits in last year Year f clsing Windsr Safari Park 899,076 1991 Belle Vue 200, Manchester 434,400 1977
Guinness Wrld f Recrds, Lndn 312,000 1994 Birmingham Museum f Science 287,339 1996 Ryalty and Empire, Windsr 175,000 1993 Natinal Shire Hrse Centre, Plymuth 150,000 1996 Spitting Image, Lndn 120,000 1992 Premier League Hall f Fame, Lndn 100,000 2000 Surce: BTA 1.75 In 1999 46 attractins clsed. This represented 0.7% f the ttal number f attractins and accunted fr 1.3 millin visits (0.3% f the ttal visitatin). These clsures included the Explratry in Bristl, Penscynr Wildlife Park in Swansea and the Dungens f Windsr. Cnsumer Behaviur 1.76 In the UK as a whle it has lng been recgnised that visits t attractins represents a relatively small share f the ttal day trip market fr leisure activities. Visits t all types f managed sites and events accunt fr abut 11% f the ttal day trip market with the 404 millin visits t attractins representing between 5-6% f this ttal demand. In thery, therefre, there is cnsiderable scpe fr attractins t gain greater market share. 1.77 In rder t examine cnsumer behaviur within the attractins sectr in mre detail, MINTEL cmmissined NOP Wrld t undertake a survey f ver 2,000 cnsumers in Winter 2001 specifically fr this study. The results f this survey reveal a mre psitive market respnse than that identified in previus surveys with just 43% f respndents stating that they had nt visited an attractin in the past 12 mnths. This apparent uplift in verall demand amngst UK residents may well be explained by the fact that ft and muth had prevented peple frm participating in ther frms f leisure day trip activities. 1.78 As a result, the predminantly urban-based attractins were the net beneficiaries f this situatin. At present data frm ther surces is nt available t crrbrate the findings f this Winter 2001 survey. If these findings are crrect then the clear challenge t the attractins industry is t ensure they retain this increased market share. 1.79 In terms f the findings f this survey, althugh the leading them parks dminate individual perfrmance (11% f respndents stating they had been t Blackpl Pleasure Beach in the past 12 mnths, 8% t Altn Twers and 4% t Chessingtn Wrld f Adventures) the market is dminated by heritage attractins with 86% f respndents stating they had visited, cmpared t 41% visiting leisure attractins. The market is, hwever, evenly split male:female and gegraphically fcused. Cre catchments relate clsely t reginal TV cmpanies. 1.80 Different types f attractins appeal t different markets accrding t life stage and life style. Once again there is, hwever, cnsiderable variatin within markets fr each type f attractin. Bradly speaking theme and leisure parks have greater appeal t pre-family and families with lder children, whilst heritage attractins are mre likely t be visited by adults and families with yunger children. Families with children represent just 30% f the visits t attractins made by respndents t this survey. The BTA estimates that 31% f all visits t
Science Centres attractins are by children and the attractins with the highest percentage f children are farms (46%) and leisure parks (43%). 1.81 In terms f general market perceptins the NOP Wrld survey shwed that UK attractins tend t be regarded as gd value fr mney and their facilities (cafes and shps) and well used. It is apparent that the UK market des nt like queuing and shws a preference t visit utside f peak perids. 1.82 The imprtance f having a range f surces f revenue is increasingly understd by attractin managers. Over the past ten years revenues at UK attractins have increased 100% t an estimated 1,400 millin in 1999. On average 49% f revenues cme frm admissin charges, 41% frm retailing and 10% frm catering. It shuld be remembered, hwever, that 2,531 (41%) f UK attractins prvide free admissin. Fr thse charging admissin the average adult charge in 1999 was 3.13, with the highest charge fr leisure parks ( 7.69). 1.83 One f the mst imprtant trends in prduct develpment in the UK ver the past 15 years has been the emergence f science centres. Tday there are an estimated 80 science centres whse primary purpse is t cmmunicate scientific principles in user friendly envirnments. The early pineers f this new genre f visitr attractin were the interactive centres in Bristl (The Explratry) and in Cardiff (Techniquest) bth pening in the mid 1980 s. 1.84 The availability f funds frm the Natinal Lttery, especially fr special prjects fr the Millennium, stimulated and accelerated grwth. The Guardian newspaper (February 21, 2002) estimates that the Millennium Cmmissin alne invested ver 250 millin int new science centres. Match funding has been secured frm spnsrs, trusts and fundatins as well as reginal grants. As a result, ver half a billin punds has help establish 40 independent science centres acrss the UK. These cmplement the ppularisatin f science fcus that characterises the new investment in new facilities at museums, zs and btanic gardens. 1.85 ECSITE-UK is the netwrk nw representing these centres and c-rdinating their activities in the UK with the wider Eurpean netwrk f centres. ECSITE- UK estimates that ver 90% f the UK ppulatin nw lives within a tw hur drive f a science centre. Despite this demgraphic cnnectin the majrity f the new centres are struggling t meet their riginal prjected targets; revenues are nn-sustainable; and, n-ging subsidies are necessary. The rt prblem is that there is nw an ver supply f this type f attractin. The primary aim f the ratinale fr these centres was the interpretatin f science t a brad market base. By creating leisure attractins as the main vehicle fr the delivery f this scheme, the centres are in direct cmpetitin with the ther 6,000 r s attractins in the UK. Table 22: A sample f UK science centres pened since 2000 Centre Lcatin