Destination Benchmarking
England's regional tourist boards developed a national benchmarking scheme to enable visitor destinations to measure and compare their performance against similar destinations in the country. The benchmarking research measures opinions and levels of satisfaction, gathered through face-to-face interviews. Findings are then compared to results for similar destinations elsewhere in the country, to 'benchmark' the visitor experience. The aim is to identify potential problems, as well as areas of good practice and service delivery, and by monitoring these over time, to ensure continuous improvement.
The survey covers more than 20 aspects of a visit, including accommodation, shops, eating and drinking venues, tourist information, parking, signage and public toilets.
Interviews are carried out in the destinations between the months of June and October, at varying times and in varying locations in order to eliminate bias. The results of the interviews are collated, and input into a central system allowing comparisons to be made with other destinations nationwide. The results can highlight areas of good practice and emphasise where improvement is needed. The participating destination can then focus upon those aspects on which it is under-performing, and those which are of greatest importance to visitors. By participating in the scheme on a regular basis (every three years for example) the destination can monitor its performance over time, as well as in comparison to other towns.
In 2005, six Cumbrian market towns (Alston, Ambleside, Bowness-on-Windermere, Keswick, Penrith and Ulverston) participated in the scheme and the evidence gathered has been used by local authorities, accommodation groups, Market Town Initiatives, and others, to feed into strategic plans and local area action plans. Jennifer Holliday, Market Town Initiative Project Officer for Penrith said "Data from the benchmarking survey proved very useful in informing the consultants undertaking the preparation of the Penrith MTI marketing strategy. The findings of the benchmarking survey complemented and added to data obtained from other surveys to provide a picture of Penrith as a Market Town successfully attracting a high visitor spend, particularly for shopping, and this in turn has provided a basis for proposing strategic options which seek to build on the town's established shopping appeal and the specialist shops it offers".
Feedback has identified that visitor surveys and destination benchmarking results have been used:
- as evidence for financial support both internally and externally
- to provide a focus for clear, intelligence-led decision-making
- to support Best Value reviews
- to generate positive PR coverage in areas of good performance
- to respond to customer complaints/areas of dissatisfaction
- as a basis for corporate action plans
- to inform tourism strategies
Cumbrian participants –
2005
Alston
Ambleside
Bowness-on-Windermere
Keswick
Penrith
Ulverston
| 2006 | Barrow-in-Furness |
| Cockermouth | |
| Coniston | |
| Kirkby Stephen |