Research Partners
We have worked with partners such as the Cumbria Economic Intelligence Partnership, the Lake District National Park Authority, the North West Development Agency, and tourism organisations in the North West and nationwide - to deliver partnership initiatives and strengthen our tourism intelligence.
Tourism Intelligence
Understanding our visitors, why they visit and what they do helps us develop and promote one of Britain's truly world-class destinations.
Understanding our tourism businesses, what they are offering and how business is going in this highly competitive environment helps us provide the appropriate support.
Research is key in achieving a continuously improving tourism destination that enhances visitor experience and keeps people coming back again and again. An evidence based approach is used to inform tourism management, development and marketing to help maximize resources. The research department delivers core research activity to provide tourism organisations, businesses, and other partners with vital market intelligence and up-to-date analysis of business performance and economic impact.
Research for the Sector
Regular research undertaken by our research team includes:
• Monthly occupancy surveys
• County wide visitor surveys
• Individual town benchmark surveys
• Data collection from TIC's and visitor attractions
• Annual tourism economic impact assessment
• Regular analysis of accommodation stock composition
During an average year we provide information and advice to more than 500 tourism businesses, consultants, local partners, and students.
Starting a tourism business
Many people dream of escaping the rat race and starting a tourism business in a beautiful location like Cumbria. Prevent your dream from becoming a nightmare by making sure you know exactly what's involved before you sign that resignation letter. Cumbria Tourism can offer you lots of support and information to help you plan for your new venture.
A business start-up pack is available to purchase from Cumbria Tourism - which includes tourism research in Cumbria that can be used for your business plan, legislation and other useful information which will help you on your way.
Contact Helen Tate at htate@cumbriatourism.org or call on 01539 822222 for more details on the pack.
Reports
Our research reports include:
• 2010 STEAM Summary Report - £50
- This report contains information on the volume and value of tourism to the county of Cumbria, its six districts and the Lake District National Park area in 2010 - how many visitors, visitor days, tourism revenue generated and employment supported. Headline information is provided by visitor type (day, staying), sector (food and drink, recreation, shopping etc) and also by seasonality.
• 2000-2010 STEAM Trends Report - £300
- For more in-depth analysis, this report contains data for each area (Allerdale, Barrow, Carlisle, Copeland, Eden and South Lakeland) as well as across the county, by sector and by visitor type. It has a full dataset for each year going back to the year 2000, revealing both short and long term trends.
• 2009 Cumbria Visitor Survey - £50
- Need to know more about the market? Find out about Cumbria's visitors in this comprehensive report produced after interviewing 1,500 visitors on the ground. Find out more about where our visitors come from, who they are with, visit history, party size and composition, why they come and what they do when they are here. Find out which factors influence their choice of accommodation and how they prefer to book.
• 2009 International Visitor Survey - £50
- The first face to face survey in the county specifically for international visitors, with surveys translated into five different languages. This report from 2009-2010 presents the findings from almost 500 visitor interviews, and provides visitor profiles including age, party composition, previous visits, information sources used, accommodation, expenditure, satisfaction and likelihood of return for key international markets.
• 2010 Serviced Accommodation Occupancy Report - £40
- Already running a b&b? Thinking of running a b&b? Find out how other businesses are performing with this annual analysis of occupancy rates - broken down by business location (local authority district, inside or outside the Lake District National Park), business type, size and quality rating, this report details average room occupancy rates for each month of the year.
• 2010 Self Catering Occupancy Report - £40
- Already running a self catering business? Or thinking of starting one? Find out how other businesses are performing with this annual analysis of occupancy rates - broken down by business location (local authority district, inside or outside the Lake District National Park), business type, size and quality rating, this report details average room occupancy rates for each month of the year.
• 1990-2010 Visitor Attractions Visitor Numbers - £20
- This spreadsheet has Information on the number of visitors annually to over 100 local visitor attractions, going back over 20 years. (Please note that there is not 100% coverage - our report only includes information where visitor attractions have supplied data, and also allowed their figures to be published).
• 2011 Annual Accommodation Stock Summary - £20
- With over 5,000 tourism businesses in this popular tourism destination, it can be good to know where the competition is located. This report has information on the number of accommodation businesses in each of the six local authority districts (Allerdale, Barrow, Carlisle, Copeland, Eden and South Lakeland) plus the Lake District National Park. Information is provided by type - serviced, self catering, caravan and camping and alternative accommodation, and shows total number of businesses, rooms/units and bedspaces in each area.
• Individual Town Benchmarking Visitor Surveys - £20
- A national scheme to benchmark destinations has been running for a number of years. The aim is to enable tourist destinations to evaluate their performance by measuring and comparing visitor opinions and levels of satisfaction with key services within a town or city. As well as providing a profile of visitors to the area, 500 face to face interviews with visitors are used to evaluate accommodation, shops, places to eat and drink, visitor attractions, tourist information, parking, signage, public conveniences and overall satisfaction. The findings highlight areas of good practice and where improvement is needed, allowing destination managers the evidence needed to prioritise necessary action. The scheme has so far covered:
- Kendal, Bowness and Maryport in 2010
- Keswick, Penrith and Ulverston in 2008
- Carlisle, Kendal, Whitehaven, Windermere in 2007
- Barrow-in-Furness, Cockermouth, Coniston, Kirkby Stephen in 2006
- Alston, Ambleside, Bowness-on-Windermere, Keswick, Penrith, Ulverston in 2005.
• 2010 Tourism Business Performance Survey - £20
- Need the latest information on how tourism businesses in Cumbria found the summer season? Over 200 tourism businesses around the county responded to our survey to let us know about profitability, costs, and visitor numbers for the six months from April to September 2011. The report includes forecasts for 2011 and beyond, insights on factors having the most positive impact on trade, as well as those working against, and key market trends affecting the industry.
You can access this valuable information by emailing info@cumbriatourism.org Prices shown are exclusive of VAT (at 20%). Cumbria Tourism members receive a 20% discount on all research reports.
