Chester Zoo:a Visitor Attraction

History of Chester Zoo

1930 - Buys Oakfield House + 9 acres of land (£3500!)

1931 – Opens to the public

1950 – Becomes a charity

110 acres open to the public, 400 acres owned by NEZS

“Zoo without bars”

Mission Statement

To be a Major Force in Conserving Biodiversity

Worldwide

Conserving Biodiversity Worldwide

• When do visitors come to the Zoo?

• Do our visitors return?

• How long do visitors stay?

What is a typical visit?

• The summer, holidays (Easter and Summer)

• Open all year, except Christmas Day & Boxing Day

• Average of 4-6 hours• Full day activity

• 86% are repeat visitors, • 14% are first time visitors

• How old they are ?

• Where do Chester Zoo visitors come from?

• How many visit Chester Zoo a year?

Who is a typical visitor?

• Primary school age children• Parents/grandparents 25-54 years old

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1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990

Visitor numbers 1940s - 1990s

Zoo visitors 1995 - 2006

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400000

600000

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1996

1997

1998

1999

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30 min = 17%

30-60min = 41%

60-90min = 19%

90-120min = 9%

120mins+ = 15%

Where do our visitors come from?

120min

90min

60min

30min

Who works at Chester Zoo?

Who works at Chester Zoo?

Who works at Chester Zoo?

Director General

Commercial Services

Directorate

Corporate Services

Directorate

Members

Council

Conservation & Education

Directorate

Who looks after you?

‘Superzoo’ Project

Director General

Conservation & Education

Directorate

Discovery & Learning

Field Programmes & Research

Zoo Programmes

Library

Education Programmes

Records

Research

Conservation

Botany & Horticulture

Lower Vertebrates & Invertebrates

Higher Vertebrates

Admin

Members

Council

Commercial Services

Directorate

Corporate Services

Directorate

Who looks after you?

Presenter team

Conservation Medicine

Animal supplies

Nutrition

Vet services

‘Superzoo’ Project

Conservation & Education

Directorate

Director General

Members

Council

Commercial Services

Directorate

Corporate Services

Directorate

Admin Finance & IT

Personnel

Personnel

Wages

Safety, Health & Environment

IT

Accounts

Who looks after you?

Estates

Projects

Maintenance

Foremen

‘Superzoo’ Project

Conservation & Education

Directorate

Director General

Members

Council

Commercial Services

Directorate

Corporate Services

Directorate

Visitor ServicesMarketing & Development

Food, Retail, Events

Catering

Events

Retail

Membership & Adoptions

Development

Marketing

PR

Amenity & Gardens

Security

Guest services

Who looks after you?

‘Superzoo’ Project

Animals

What do we offer? Facilities

Plants

Fun ark

Monorail

Waterbus

Animals

Plants

Monorail

Waterbus

Fun ark

What do we offer? Facilities

Car parkViewing

RestaurantShop

Toilets

Signs

Car park

Animals

Plants

Monorail

Waterbus

Fun ark

Toilets

Shop

Restaurant

Signs

Viewing

Presenter talks

Interpretation

Trails

Teaching

What do we offer? Education

Displays

Library

Presenter talks

Displays

Interpretation

Trails

Library

Teaching

What do we offer? Getting involved

Car park

Animals

Plants

Monorail

Waterbus

Fun ark

Toilets

Shop

Restaurant

Signs

Viewing

Membership/ adoption

Events

Functions

When do people visit us?

2006 figures

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250000

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Where is Chester Zoo?

Motorway or major route

M6

M6

M62

M5

A74(M)

How to get to Chester Zoo

Zoo Income 2006

45%

6%14%

30%

2%

2%1%

Admissions (£8,635,000)

Memberships (£1,192,000)

Monorail (£468,000)

Education and Research(£103,000)

Donations (adoptions,donations and Gift Aid) -(£2,680,000)Shops and restaurants(£5,758,000)

Other (£463,000)

Total income £19,299,000

Zoo Expenditure 2006

Plus capital expenditure = £5,200,000

48%

6%

5%

0%

4%

33%

4%Animals and Plants(£9,037,000

Marketing (£1,045,000

Education (£957,000)

Research (£52,000)

Outreach (£685,000)

Costs of generating funds(£6,067,000)

Other (£793,000)

Forward thinking: Enclosure Design

“A zoo without bars”

Technology: Interpretation

BiotechnologyZoos have used biotechnology to assist breeding programmes, e.g.:

Artificial insemination (cranes; gorillas)IVF (various mammals)Embryo transplants (bongo-bongo; zebra-horse)Cryopreservation (various fish)

Future developments, e.g. cloning, will have to be assessed practically and ethically.

Technology: Breeding

Marketing

Technology: Breeding

Chester Zoo Marketing Objectives

Marketing

1. Maintain existing business.

2. Core communication.

3. Delivering excellent service.

4. New product development.

Animal attraction competitors•Knowsley (447k) and Blackpool Zoo (300k) nearest competitors

•West Mids Safari Park and Dudley Zoo in West Midlands

•Flamingo land theme park + mini zoo in Yorkshire (1.4m)

•Bristol Zoo (574k) serving West and S Wales

•London (869k), Edinburgh (548k) and Whipsnade (439) other major zoos in South and North

Family day-out competitors

•Very competitive in West Midlands with Alton Towers (est 3m) and Drayton Manor Park (1.1m)

•Yorkshire has the Royal Armouries, The Deep (750k) and Xscape in Castleford (projecting 2.8m)

•In the North West, Pleasureland (2.1m), Blackpool Pleasure Beach (6m) and Tower (600k) and Camelot (330k)

TV Advertising…

Printed adverts and posters

Leaflets

Newspaper publicity

How much publicity does the zoo attract?

Press

100 press releases – many more newspaper stories

Television and Radio

Equivalent advertising value of £6 million!

Visitor Management

Outside the Zoo Inside the Zoo

Traffic

- Road signs

- Entrance of main road

- Traffic control

- Traffic light control

Entrance

- Fast track

- Facilities

- Signs

- Enclosure design

- Maps/guide book

- Presenter talks

- Closing times

- Radio network

- Security

Legislation

Consultation with Employees Regs 1999

Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regs (PUWER) 1995

Control of Asbestos at Work Regs (CAW) 2002

First Aid at Work Regs 1999

Environment Act 1995

Food Safety Act 1990

Fire Precautions (workplace) Regs 1999

Electricity at Work Regs 1989

Display Screen Regs (DSE) 1992

Dangerous Wild Animals Act (1976)

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regs (COSHH) 1999

Gas Safety (installation & use) Regs 1998

Ionising Radiation Regs 1999

Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regs (LOLER) 1998

Manual Handling Regs 1992

Management of Health & Safety at Work Regs

Pesticide Regs 2001Pressure Vessels Regs 1989

Construction Design Management Regs (CDM) 1994

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regs (RIDDOR) 1995

Road Traffic Act 1948

Safety Signs Regs 1996

Water Supply (Private) Regs 1991

Welfare Regs 1992 Young Persons at Work Regs 1999

Zoo Licensing Act 1981

Any questions?