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Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
Scotland Visitor Survey 2012 Aberdeenshire Results Presentation - 11th April 2013
1
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
Agenda
2
Survey findings and suggested actions 03
1 Setting the scene 04
2 Who is the visitor? 08
3 Planning and booking 15
4 Experiencing Scotland 19
5 Overall Visitor Experience 33
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
Survey findings and suggested actions
3
Aberdeenshire attracts a slightly older age profile compared to visitors to Scotland overall. Many were repeat visitors, with 68% feeling a connection to Scotland.
Bookings for accommodation and travel are most likely to be online, although a high proportion of UK visitors do not book travel in advance.
Stays in Aberdeenshire average around 5 nights.
Local people had a huge positive impact on the overall visitor experience with 91% agreeing that they were made to feel welcome by locals.
Provision of information and helpful and friendly people both perform particularly well in terms of satisfaction, while areas for concern include Wi-Fi and mobile phone reception.
The most popular activities for visitors in Aberdeenshire are visiting historical sites, short walks and visiting country parks. VICs perform well at offering useful information on attractions and places to visit.
Recommendations and connections play a big part in motivating first time visitors to the area. Focus on building connections to encourage repeat visits.
Overseas visitors rely heavily on online sources for booking both accommodation and travel so maintaining online information and providing access to internet booking options is key.
Highlighting the potential for Aberdeenshire to be the ‘main’ attraction for Overseas visitors could increase the average length of stay.
The people are a huge strength of the visitor experience within Aberdeenshire and for Scotland overall, and continuing to communicate this message both to visitors and to the local population is important.
Promotional messaging around areas of high satisfaction would be beneficial while opportunities to improve internet access would be welcomed by many visitors.
In order to encourage a wider range of activities, VICs offer a good opportunity to highlight lesser known attractions, which may be particularly beneficial to repeat visitors who are visiting friends and family.
Survey findings Suggested actions
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
1 Setting the Scene
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
Background to the survey
5
Objectives of the survey The main objective for the Scotland Visitor survey was to understand visitors to Scotland through profiling,
analysis of behaviour and an understanding of their satisfaction with the visit.
Interviews with visitors were undertaken in 14 regions of Scotland in the summers of 2011 and 2012. Interviews with visitors in Aberdeenshire were conducted in June-September 2012.
This report focuses on results relating to visitors to Aberdeenshire only during summer 2012. Further information on the overall Scotland Visitor Survey survey results can be found on www.visitscotland.org
Using and interpreting the Scotland Visitor Survey results
The Scotland Visitor Survey results should not be viewed in isolation. The survey collates views on a wide range of topics to supplement data on tourism in Scotland which is gathered by the annual statistical surveys undertaken at a national level by;
The Great Britain Tourism Survey, which provides volume and value estimates of domestic tourism from within Scotland and the rest of Great Britain and;
The Office of National Statistics' International Passenger Survey, which provides details of tourism from abroad. The Scotland Visitor Survey gathers information from holidaymakers in Scotland on their experiences of Scotland. The
survey captured the views of leisure overnight visitors only (this could include Scots spending an overnight trip away from their normal place of residence, as well as UK and overseas visitors).
People on a day trip from home, visitors whose main purpose was a business trip and cruise ship visitors were excluded. The Scotland Visitor Survey is a summer only survey, and due to the scale of the project, it is not carried out for the
full year. As such the results reflect the views of the main holiday season visitors who were in Scotland during June-
September.
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013 6
Survey Background – Visits to Aberdeenshire
*Further information available for weighting on the Scotland Visitor Survey overleaf
Email collected during visitors’
holidays
Online survey
164 completed surveys
Results analysed & weighted
392 Face to face short interviews with visitors in Aberdeenshire. Face to face
interviews took place between June & September 2012
Online survey sent to email addresses between July and October 2012
164 online surveys completed about trips taken in Aberdeenshire.
(This included visitors who were interviewed in Aberdeenshire only)
Results weighted to reflect the actual proportion of UK/Overseas visitors to Aberdeenshire*
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
Overview of Aberdeenshire survey locations
7
Locations F2F Interviews 2012 Online Completes 2012
Crathes Castle (including Woodend Barn, Banchory Museum/VIC)
142 52
Castle Fraser, Inverurie (NTS) 53 34
Grampian Transport Museum 37 15
Stonehaven 36 8
The Aquarium at MacDuff 29 7
Fraserburgh (Museum of Scottish Lighthouses and Fraserburgh Heritage Centre)
26 11
Banff/Macduff and Duff House 22 11
Banchory Town Centre 20 8
Mintlaw Aden Country Park/Farming Museum 14 9
Kildrummy Castle / Gardens 8 5
Pitmedden Gardens 5 4
TOTAL ABERDEENSHIRE 392 164
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
2 Who is the visitor? Who we spoke to during the summer
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
4% 9%
26%
25%
22%
14%
16-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
Slightly older age profile than Scotland overall (51% over 55 v 43% for all Scotland)
Visitors to Aberdeenshire Most visitors to Aberdeenshire were from the UK, rather than overseas. Those aged 35-54 years were the most likely to visit Aberdeenshire
9
Gender
%
Origin
%
52%
32%
Rest of UK
26%
Scotland
23%
Europe
19%
Rest of world
Source: Q1 Which country do you live, Q40 Gender, Q41 Age
58% UK 42% Overseas
48%
More overseas than Scotland overall (42% v 27%)
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
First time vs. Repeat visitor
11
30% of visitors to Aberdeenshire were on their first trip to Scotland, 70% were repeat visitors.
%
SOURCE: Q4 Was this your first holiday or short break in Scotland?
First time
visitor, 30%
Repeat visitor,
70%
UK visitors to Aberdeenshire were more likely to be on
their first visit to Scotland (52%).
Similar proportion of first time visitors to
Scotland overall (27%)
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
Who are visitors travelling with? Most visitors to Aberdeenshire are only travelling with one other person and this is most likely to a partner or spouse. Those from the UK are most likely to be travelling with children
12
Average party size: 2
UK visitors are the most likely to be travelling with children (40%).
76%
34%
13%
12%
10%
5%
1%
Partner/spouse
Your child/children
Friend(s)
Other members of your family
Your parents or your partner's parents
I was on my own
Someone else
Scottish and Repeat visitors are the most likely to bring other members of their family (23% and 15%)
Source: Q11 Which best describes who was with you on this trip. Q12 How many people were there in your immediate party.
Compared to Scotland overall – more likely to be travelling with partner or family – less likely to be with
friends or larger groups.
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013 13
Do you have a connection with Scotland?
68% of visitors to
Aberdeenshire say they have a
connection with Scotland
34%
Have family in Scotland
20%
Have friends in Scotland
Have no previous
connections with Scotland
65% of Europeans have no connections with Scotland
13%
Have lived in Scotland previously
Connections with Scotland In terms of broad connections to Scotland, 68% of visitors to Aberdeenshire feel they have a connection with Scotland. European visitors to Aberdeenshire are the least likely to have a previous connection with Scotland
32%
Q10 Before your trip, did you have any connections with Scotland?
14%
Ancestors lived in Scotland
University
8%
No specific connections but have visited many
times
5%
Business
8%
Similar proportion of visitors with
connections as Scotland overall (67%)
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
24%
21%
14%
14%
13%
10%
7%
7%
5%
4%
4%
Scenery/landscape of this area
Family connections in this area
It is an area I know well –been before
To visit a particular attraction
Particular interest in history of this area
It was recommended to me by friends/relatives
Found a good accommodation deal there
Specific activities like golf or walking available
To stay in a particular hotel or other accommodation
Special occasion/celebration took place there
Information in a Tourist Board Brochure
14
Key motivators to visit Aberdeenshire Scenery was the main reason to visit the area. Family connections were also strong however least for first time visitors. Their main motivation was recommendations from friends or family
Q18 Which of the following prompted you to visit Aberdeen City and Shire?
24% first time visitors
10% first time visitors
Scenery and family connections more
significant in this area than Scottish ‘average’
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
3 Planning & Booking Where can I find information about Scotland? How shall I book my trip?
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013 16
14%
12%
20%
29%
22%
12%
14%
11%
19%
32%
11%
Didn't book in advance
Less than 2 weeks
2 weeks up to 4 weeks
1 to 2 months
3 to 6 months
Over 6 months
Planning Booking
Planning to booking... Visitors to Aberdeenshire were most likely to start planning and booking their trip to Scotland between 3 and 6 months beforehand.
SOURCE: Q13 How far in advance did you start planning this trip?
Q14 And how far in advance did you book your trip in Scotland?
Average planning time before trip: 17 weeks
Average booking time
before trip: 12 weeks
First time visitors had a slightly longer average booking period than repeat visitors (14 weeks
compared to 12 weeks)
Similar planning and booking lead times to Scotland as a whole.
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
SOURCE: Q16a How did you book your accommodation.
17
Accommodation 60% Booked
accommodation online
17% booked offline
didn’t book in advance or stayed with friends, holiday home.
23%
34% Accommodation Website
12% Accommodation by email
10% Internet travel agent
2% Website of tour operator/
travel company
2% VisitScotland.com
Accommodation by phone
Booking: Accommodation Most visitors booked through online sources for their accommodation, however a high number (23%) did not book in advance at all or were staying with friends or family
11%
Tourist board 1%
Others 4%
Similar results as for Scotland overall (67%
booked online)
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013 18
Travel booked travel online
Booking: Travel Just over half of visitors to Aberdeenshire booked their travel online, mainly through a travel provider website. Over a third didn’t book their travel in advance
SOURCE: Q16b How did you book your travel.
44% Travel provider website
6% Internet travel agent
2% VisitScotland.com
1% Website of tour operator
Used own transport
7%
53%
8% booked offline
5% Travel agent (High St)
3% Others
32% didn’t book in advance
57% UK 2% Overseas
25% UK
67% Overseas
12% UK 0% Overseas
Larger proportion booking online than
Scottish average (43%) – related to greater proportions flying to destination.
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
4 Experiencing Aberdeenshire
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
Short break
60%
Visiting Friends &
Family
29%
What type of visit was it? Most visitors to Aberdeenshire were there on a holiday. Nearly 3 in 10 came to visit friends and family
20
Q 2 Which of the following best describes your trip?
7% on
an other type of
leisure visit
Similar to results for Scotland as a whole.
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
33
26
23
8
2 2 6
Touring Based in
countryside
location
Friends and
family
City plus City only Activity break Other (inc.
Golf, Events)
21
First time visitors are more likely to be touring (71%)
Source: Q3 And more specifically, how would you describe your trip?
1ST
63%
40%
UK
Overseas
Type of trip Those visiting Aberdeenshire were most likely to be touring around Scotland, staying in a countryside location or visiting friends and family. Overseas and first time visitors were most likely to be on a touring trip.
visit
A higher proportion of Aberdeenshire visitors were on visits to see friends and family compared to Scotland visitors overall
(23% v 10%).
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
Length of stay in Aberdeenshire 79% of visitors to the area stayed 7 nights or less. Scottish visitors were likely to only stay 1-3 nights.
22
Source: Q9 During your trip, how many nights did you stay overnight in Aberdeen City and Shire?
1-3 Nights 4-7 Nights 8-10 Nights
Rest of UK visitors
52% 10% 27%
11-13 Nights 14 Nights 15+Nights
24% 1-3 nights 74% 1-3 nights
Scottish visitors
Overseas visitors
4%
51% 4-7 nights
61% 1-3 nights
16% 4-7 nights
5 nights Average length of
stay
3% 3%
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013 23
People
Guidebooks/
Brochures
Online
Asking locals 33%
Asking proprietors/ service staff
28%
Asking other travellers 7%
Source: Q22 And during your trip which of the following other methods, if any, did you use to obtain information about places to visit and things to do?
@
Finding information during the trip Visitors to Aberdeenshire predominantly use Visit Scotland brochures or guidebooks to access information. Asking locals and accessing information on a laptop is also popular.
A Laptop 32%
Smartphone 29%
An iPad/tablet PC 12%
Internet in the reception or another public area
8%
The VisitScotland Days Out App
4%
Visited an internet cafe 1%
Brochure provided by VisitScotland/Tourist Board
38%
Guide books (e.g. Fodors, Lonely Planet)
33%
Tour operator's brochure
5%
At the Scottish level Tablet usage increased from 6% to in 2011 to 15% in 2012 (average 10% over both years) Smartphone increased slightly from 30% to 32% (average 31% over both years)
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013 24
Source: Q28a Did you take part in any of the following during this trip in Aberdeenshire.
Top activities undertaken in Aberdeenshire The most popular activities in Aberdeenshire were visiting historic houses and taking short walks.
58%
50%
46%
45%
43%
42%
39%
32%
32%
27%
27%
27%
27%
26%
24%
20%
17%
14%
Visited a historic house, stately home, castle
Short walk/stroll - up to 2 miles/1 hour
Visited a country park/ garden
Shopping
Sightseeing by car/ coach/on foot
Trying local food
Visited a beach
Visited cities
Visited a cathedral, church, abbey or other religious building
Long walk, hike or ramble (minimum of 2 miles/ 1 hour)
Visited a museum/art gallery
Centre based walking (i.e. around town centre)
Visited a visitor/heritage centre
Visited a scenic/ historic railway/other architecture
Night out /visiting pubs
Had a picnic or BBQ
Watched wildlife, bird watching
Visited a whisky distillery
Visits to historic houses, stately homes and
castles, taking short walks and visits to country
parks are all slightly more popular amongst visitors to
Aberdeenshire than Scotland overall.
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
33%
27%
15%
16%
7%
Hotel (Net)
Friends / family
B&B / Guest House
Self catering
Caravanning
25
Source: Q27 What type of accommodation did you stay in during your trip – Aberdeen City and Shire?
Overseas
Type of Accommodation in Aberdeenshire Hotels were the most popular type of accommodation in Aberdeenshire, however over a third of UK visitors stayed with friends or family.
1%
15%
14%
5%
UK visitors more likely to be staying with friends and family (35%).
Overseas visitors are more likely to use hotels (37%) and B&Bs (29%)
Hotel star grading Stays with friends and relatives were much more popular amongst Aberdeenshire visitors than amongst visitors to Scotland overall.
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013 26
Source:Q30a&b Expectations and experience of food before and during trip?
Experiences of Food Amongst visitors to Aberdeenshire visitors the expectation is slightly lower than the reality of the food. A quarter of visitors rated their experience as excellent
3%
9%
22%
56%
9%
1%
2%
16%
57%
25%
Very poor
Poor
Neither
Good
Excellent
Experience of food during trip
Expectation of food before trip
Similar to results for Scotland as a whole.
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
Eating out Visitors to Aberdeenshire are most likely to eat in a cafe or tea shop. Pubs, bars and hotels are also popular.
27
56%
52%
49%
46%
35%
30%
24%
16%
15%
4%
Cafes/tea shops
Pubs/bars
Hotel/s
Good quality restaurants
Friends / Relatives home
Budget restaurants
Other types of accommodation e.g. B&B/
Guest house
Fast food outlets
Fine dining/premium quality restaurants
None of these
Q29 In which of the following types of places did you eat at whilst on your holiday/short break?
Similar to results for Scotland as a whole.
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
Other UK
Europe Rest of World
Car own\friend's\firm's 58% 14% 13%
Car - hired 8% 38% 23%
Plane 15% 41% 55%
Train 15% - 3%
28 28
Airports used
Getting to Scotland Visitors from the UK are most likely to drive into Scotland, and for Europeans this was also a popular method of transport. The overseas visitors were most likely to fly into Aberdeen Airport
35%
25%
8%
8%
10%
8%
3%
3%
3%
Aberdeen airport
Edinburgh airport
Glasgow airport
Inverness airport
London Heathrow
Manchester Airport
London Stansted
London Luton
Other Airport in UK
Q24 What transport did you use on the longest part of your trip. Base: All Aberdeenshire respondents except Scottish residents Q25. Which airport did you arrive into. Base: All Aberdeenshire respondents except Scottish residents
Compared to the rest of Scotland, domestic visitors to Aberdeenshire are more likely to fly to Scotland
and they are far more likely to arrive in Aberdeen Airport.
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
Getting around Scotland Most visitors to Aberdeenshire travelled by car.
29
62%
34%
29%
16%
12%
9%
4%
3%
2%
1%
1%
3%
Car own\friend's\firm's
Car - hired
Walked\on foot
Train
Regular bus\coach
Boat\ship\ferry
Bicycle
Organised coach tour
Motorised
caravan\camper\dormo…
Plane
Motor cycle
Other
Q26 And which types of transport did you use during your visit, while in Scotland?
Compared to Scotland as a whole more use of hire cars but less use of public transport.
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013 30
I was made to feel very welcome on my holiday by locals
Interaction with local people really added to my holiday experience
I made friends with other travellers I met during my holiday
Interacting with others during the trip Visitors to Aberdeenshire were made to feel welcome and around half felt that interaction with locals really added to their experiences.
52% agree 91% agree 15% agree
Q23 Thinking about people you met during your holiday, which of the following applies to you?
More positive than all Scotland average (80%).
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
19%
15%
3%
2%
1%
1%
1%
36%
23% of all visitors in 2012 used any online platform to talk about their trip
Sharing experiences online during the trip Updating a Facebook status and uploading photos online were the most popular sharing methods for visitors to Aberdeenshire. A large percentage did not share online at all
Q22a. During your trip, did you do any of the following?
None of these
Updated facebook status
Uploaded trip photos to the internet, e.g. flickr, facebook
Left reviews on websites such as tripadvisor
Blogged about your trip
Tweeted about your trip
Instant messaging via MSN
Uploaded trip videos to the internet i.e. YouTube
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
30%
21%
12%
3%
2%
2%
1%
59%
Sharing the experience after the trip After the trip, 31% of Aberdeenshire visitors shared trip experiences online, particularly through uploading photos.
Q38. After your trip, did you do any of the following? Base: all Aberdeenshire respondents
None of these
Updated facebook status
Uploaded trip photos to the internet, e.g. flickr, facebook
Left reviews on websites such as tripadvisor
Blogged about your trip
Tweeted about your trip
Instant messaging via MSN
Uploaded trip videos to internet e.g. YouTube
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
5 Overall Visitor experience
33
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
Overall Experience 70% of visitors were satisfied with their visit to Aberdeenshire, with older visitors and those from the UK particularly satisfied.
70%
23%
4% 2%
2%
Very satisfied Fairly satisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Fairly dissatisfied Very dissatisfied
65+ age group
74%
Repeat Visitors
71%
UK visitors 76%
Who is most satisfied?
70% Very
satisfied
Q31 Now thinking about your trip overall, how would you rate your overall experience of Aberdeen City and Shire?
93% Very/fairly satisfied
(% very satisfied)
Similar to result for Scotland as a whole (73%)
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013 35
Definitely 75%
Probably 19%
Fairly likely 5%
Probably not 1%
Definitely not 0%
Recommend Scotland 94% would definitely recommend Aberdeenshire to others, with those aged 65+ and UK visitors particularly likely to recommend the area
65+ years (87%)
UK (85%) Repeat visitors (83%)
Who is the most likely to recommend?
(% definitely recommend)
Q32 Based on your experiences during this trip, to what extent would you recommend Aberdeen City and Shire to friends and
family?
94% would definitely/probably
recommend
Lower than result for Scotland as a whole (88% definitely)
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013 36
Definitely 51%
Probably 15%
Fairly likely 13%
Probably not 20%
Definitely not 1%
Likelihood to Return in next 5 years Half of Aberdeenshire visitors will definitely return in the next 5 years, however 20% say they will probably not
Who is the most likely to return?
(% definitely likely to return)
Scottish visitors (67%)
65+ (65%) Repeat visitors (63%)
UK visitors (63%)
Return to Scotland in the next 5 years
Q33 How likely are you to take another trip in/to Aberdeen City and Shire again in the next 5 years?
66% would definitely/probably intend to return to Scotland
Similar to average across all Scottish areas (48% definitely)
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013 37
Aspects of the visit with high satisfaction in Aberdeenshire The best performing aspects of the visit for Aberdeenshire visitors were all related to the VIC’s friendly and efficient service, and the availability of useful information. Friendly and efficient accommodation service also ranked highly
54%
52%
53%
48%
44%
39%
44%
35%
37%
38%
36%
42%
47%
50%
46%
52%
Friendly and efficient service in VICs
Welcoming feel of VisitScotland Information Centres
Availability of useful information in VICs
Overall satisfaction with VisitScotland Information
Centres
Friendly and efficient service in accommodation
Ease of finding VisitScotland Information Centres
The availability of information locally about places
you can visit during your trip
Opportunities to interact with local people
Very satisfied (5) Fairly satisfied (4)
Q35 And thinking about your time in Aberdeen City and Shire, how satisfied were you with each of these aspects?
4.4
4.4
4.4
4.4
4.3
4.3
4.3
4.2
Mean Score (out of 5)
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
Satisfaction with other aspects in Aberdeenshire The greatest areas for concern were Wi-Fi access, value for money when eating out and mobile phone reception. These were similar to concerns in other regions of Scotland.
38
Mean Score (out of 5)
32%
30%
31%
24%
21%
22%
31%
18%
22%
50%
49%
45%
48%
51%
43%
41%
54%
41%
Value for money of attractions (historic sites,
museums, visitor centres, etc.)
Opportunities to attend local events/ festivals
Availability of good quality accommodation
Value for money in accommodation
Availability of local produce when eating out
Availability of low cost/budget accommodation
Availability of mobile phone reception
Value for money of eating out
Availability of WiFi and broadband access
Very satisfied (5) Fairly satisfied (4)
4.2
4.1
4.0
3.9
3.9
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.6
Q35 And thinking about your time in Aberdeen City and Shire, how satisfied were you with each of these aspects?
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013 39
Comments from respondents on their trip experience –
best aspects of Aberdeenshire
The friendliness of the people and how clean and fresh the air is there. It feels very healthy there
Absolutely surprising quality of food in pubs and restaurants, perfect train system (where still available), very friendly locals, lovely volunteers in historic houses and gorgeous nature.
A fantastic landscape combined with lovely people. I was surprised to be able to understand Scottish English. It was easier than expected.
Seeing family and spending time with them. Other than that, seeing beautiful places (Pitmeddon for example) and visiting stunning beaches - although the weather can be hit and miss.
We stayed in Ballater and it was very friendly. The hotel was nice as was the food. The scenery was lovely. We holiday in Scotland a lot. It's amazing to have all this in our own country
Loved driving through the countryside and stopping in small towns. Loved walking through some trails and visiting the distilleries and castles.
Scotland Visitor Survey
© TNS January 2013
Questions?
40