visitor survey toolkit - visitscotland.org survey toolkit.pdf · commissioning a visitor survey 6...

Visitor survey toolkit A guide to conducting a visitor survey in your area

http://www.visitscotland.org/

CONTENTS

Why we want to know more 2 about our visitors

Why undertake a local visitor survey 3

Deciding on how to conduct 4 your visitor survey

Scotland visitor survey – an overview 5

Commissioning a visitor survey 6

• Writingaresearchbrief 6-7

• Selectinganagency 8

• Workingwiththechosenagency 8

Designing and managing a visitor 9 survey in-house

• Writingasurveyplan 9

• Background 10

• Objectives 10

• Method 11

• Questionnaire 12-13

• Sample 14-15

• Conductingthesurvey: 16 datacollection

• Conductingthesurvey: 17 dataentryandanalysis

• Thefinalreport 17

• Managingresources 18

Sharing your results 19

Appendix: Visitor survey 20 questionnaire with standardised questions

Glossary 31

Visitor survey toolkit | VisitScotland | 2

WhileScotlandenjoysanenviablereputationas aworld-classvisitordestination,ever-increasinginternationalcompetitionandeconomicpressuresmeanthatourtouristbusinesseshavetobemoreefficientthanevertomeetourcustomers’demands.Weneedtomakethemostofourstrengthswhilecontinuallydevelopingnewproducts,servicesandexperiencestoofferourvisitors.Knowingwhoourvisitorsare,whytheycomeandwhattheyvalueabouttheexperienceiscrucialtoimprovingourbusinessesandScotland’stourismindustryasawhole.Marketresearchandinformationiskeyandvisitorsurveysplayabigrole:whetherlargescaleandnationalortargetedandlocal,thesurveyisanimportanttoolforgatheringinformationandbuildingapictureof thevisitorexperienceinScotlandovertime.

OverthelasttwodecadesanumberoflocalvisitorsurveyshavebeenconductedacrossScotland.Becausethesesurveysarecommissionedtofulfiltheneedsofdifferentclientsindifferentareastheydifferinmethod,definitionsandquestions.Thismakesitdifficult tocomparedatabetweendifferentareas,andindeed,betweendifferentsurveysinthesamearea.Theresultsoflocalvisitorsurveysthereforelackacommonfocusandarenotcomparableatlocalandnationallevels.

In2011,VisitScotlandcommissionedtheScotlandVisitorSurvey.Thesurveywasconductedin2011/12duringthesummermonthsandcoveredallthemainlandareasofScotland,includingtheNationalParks.VisitScotland’sintentionwhenplanningthesurveywasnotonlytogainanin-depthunderstandingofvisitorstoScotlandandtothedifferentregionsofScotland,butalsotocreateasetofstandardisedquestionstobeusedforfuturevisitorsurveysonalocallevel.Thesequestions,whenusedinlocalisedsurveys,willallowustobenchmarklocalresultswithregionalandnationaldata;andifkeptconsistentinfollowingyears,willallowustotracklocalresultsovertime.Thisisofenormousbenefittolocalorganisationsandbusinesseswhowillbeabletousethisfocusedvisitorinformationtohelptheirbusinessdevelopmentandplanning.

Wedesignedthistoolkittoprovideguidancetoanyorganisationthatwishestoundertakealocalvisitorsurvey.It’salsotohelporganisationsincludesomeofthestandardquestionsthatwillmakesurveyresultsmorerobustandcomparablethroughoutthecountry.

This toolkit provides: • AnoverviewoftheScotlandVisitorSurvey

2011/12,includingourmethodology,samplingconsiderations,andthequestionnaire weused.

• Guidelinesforcommissioningavisitorsurvey,includingwhattoincludeinyourbrief,researchdesign,methodologyandsample.

• Anoverviewofhowtoconductandmanage avisitorsurveyin-house.

• Asetofcorequestions,whichwerecommendareincludedinallvisitor surveys.ThesequestionsfollowthesetofstandardisedquestionsincludedintheScotlandVisitorSurvey.

Usingtheadviceandinformationinthistoolkitwillenableyourorganisationtodrawthemaximumbenefitfromyourlocalvisitorsurveybygatheringrobustandcomparablevisitordata.

Why we want to know more about our visitors WHY WE WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR VISITORS


Gatheringandusingmarketintelligenceisineveryone’sbestinterest.Visitorsurveyscanprovidelocaltourismorganisationsandcouncilswithasoundbasisformonitoringperformanceandareusefulforfuturemarketingplanningandbusinessdevelopment.Surveyfindingsarealso ofinteresttolocalbusinessesengagedintourismastheyprovidedatathatthesebusinessescanusetoaligntheirservicestotheexpectations andneedsofvisitors.Robustdatacanhelpbusinessesadjusttheirmarketingandplanningeffortsbasedonsolidresearchandinsightsabouttheirmarkets.

Mostsurveyscoversomecommonground. Whiletherearealwaysvariationsinthetypeofquestionsasked,peopleinterviewed,andthe wayasurveyiscarriedout,thefollowingthingsareusuallycovered:

• Profileandoriginofvisitors.

• Holidaybehaviouronceatdestination.

• Levelofsatisfactionwithlocaltourismservices(i.e.infrastructure,attractions,foodanddrink).

• Visitorloyaltyandlikelihoodtorecommenddestination.

• Effectivenessofmarketingactivities,ifany.

Carryingoutavisitorsurveyisneveraone-offexercise.Althoughitmaynotbenecessarytorepeatthesurveyonanannualbasis,inordertobuildanongoingpictureofyourarea,implementchangesandtrackthemovertime,aswellasmonitortrends,itisbestpracticetorepeatasurveyeverythreetofouryears.

Gathering and using market intelligence is in everyone’s best interest.

WHY UNDERTAKE A LOCAL VISITOR SURVEY

Why undertake a local visitor survey


Thefirstdecisionyouwillneedtomakeiswhethertocommissionaprofessionalmarketresearchagencytocarryoutthesurveyonbehalfofyourorganisation,orwhethertodesignandmanagethesurveyin-house.Thisdecisionshouldnotbemadelightly.Thereareanumberofreasonsfordecidingonewayortheother,not leastofwhichwillbeyouravailablebudget.Oppositeisatableofsomeoftheprosand consofcommissioningversusin-house.

Whilethetableoppositedoespointtowardsthecommissionedrouteaspreferable(andindeedthisistheroutethatVisitScotlandrecommendswhenworkingonvisitorsurveys),wealsounderstandthatformanyareasororganisations,commissioninganagencyisoutofthequestionforbudgetaryreasons.Thisiswhywelookatbothroutesinthistoolkitandtrytoprovideadviceforachievingqualityresultsforbothwhileavoidingcommonpitfalls.

DECIDING ON HOW TO CONDUCT YOUR VISITOR SURVEY

Deciding on how to conduct your visitor survey

CommiSSioneD mAnAGeD in-houSe

Pro Con Pro Con

Surveyworkwillbecarriedouttoaprofessionalqualitystandard

Expense–commissioninganagencycanbecostly

Maybelessexpensivethanacommissionedagency

Setupandmanagementofsurveyisaveryheavycommitmentofresources(bothtime andstaff)

Anagencywilladviseonquestionsorissuesthatariseduringtheproject,andensurethatalltheobjectivesareachieved

Timeneedstobededicatedinitiallytotheplanningandset-upstagestoensuretheagencyfullyunderstandsyourobjectives

Alackofprofessionalinterviewerscanimpactontheoverallqualityofthesurveyresults

Surveyfindingswillbeprofessionallyanalysedandpresented

Analysistools(i.e.surveysoftware)maynotbereadilyavailable,orstaffmaylackthetrainingtousethem

Surveyfindingswillbeobjective;anagencyisaneutralpartyandwillnotbeseentohaveanagenda

Lackofobjectivitymayresultindatathatisnotconsideredrobust.Anorganisationmaybeseentobringtheirownagendatotheprocess

Efficiency–anagencydealswitheverythingoncetheprojectissetup

Lackoffocus–anorganisationhasotherprioritiesandaims,thesurveymaynotbetop ofthelist


Inspring2011,VisitScotlandcommissionedtheScotlandVisitorSurvey2011/12.Considerablethoughtwasputintothesetupandmethodology ofthesurveyandinmanywaysitservesasanexampleofhowtoconductasurvey–whether youarecommissioningordoingitin-house. InthissectionweprovideabriefoverviewoftheparametersoftheScotlandVisitorSurvey2011/12.Individualaspectswillbediscussedinmore detailintheothersectionsofthetoolkit.Allofthe aspectsoutlinedoppositeareimportantbothforcommissioningorconductingasurveyin-house

SCOTLAND VISITOR SURVEY – AN OVERVIEW

Scotland visitor survey – an overview

methodology Two-stage quantitative survey: First stage: RecruitmentofintervieweeswhileonholidayattouristhotspotsinScotland;collectinginformationoncountryoforigin,typeoftripandemailaddress. Second stage: Afollow-uponlinesurveysentwithintwoweekstoallthoserecruitedinfirststage.

Sampling approach Quotasampling(40%internationalvisitors;60%UKvisitors);additionally,randomselectionofintervieweesatlocations.

Sample criteria overnight leisure visitors to Scotland Specific exclusions:Business,daytrip,dutyvisitstofriendsandrelatives.

Sample size Averageof610recruitedintervieweesperregion. Averageof220completedonlinesurveysperregion. Responseratetoonlinesurveywasapproximately40%overall.

Timing June-September of 2011 and 2012 Caveat: Figuresrepresentativeofsummervisitorsonly.

Regions surveyed 2011: Highlands,KingdomofFife,EdinburghCity,GlasgowCity,ScottishBorders,Argyll&theIsles,CairngormsNationalPark

2012:Stirling,FalkirkandthewiderForthValleyarea;LochLomondand theTrossachsNationalPark;AberdeenCityandShire;Perthshire,Angus&Dundee,Dumfries&Galloway,Ayrshire&Arran

interviewing locations Touristhotspotssuchaskeyvisitorattractions,towncentres, VisitScotlandInformationCentres.


Writing a research brief Beforeembarkingonavisitorsurvey,itisimportanttobeveryclearabouttheexpectedoutcomesofyourproject–especiallyhowyouexpectthesurveyfindingstobeused.Inordertobeasclearaspossible,itisinvaluabletowriteoutaresearchbriefforyourproject.Thisbriefwillthenbesharedwiththeresearchagencyyouchoosefortheproject,andwilleventuallyformpartofthecontract.

Yourresearchbriefshouldcoverthefollowingtopics,allofwhicharediscussedinmoredetailoverthefollowingpages.

• Background

• Researchobjectives

• Method

• Sample

• Deliverables

• Timescales

• Budget

• Contact

• Deadline

BackgroundYourbriefshouldcontainasmuchinformationaboutthebackgroundoftheprojectaspossible.Thisincludes:

• Abriefdescriptionofyourorganisation’sgoals.

• Whyyouareplanningtoconductavisitorsurvey.

• Anypreviousvisitorsurveysfromthesamearea.

• Specificdestinationmarketingeffortsthatyourorganisationisinvolvedin.

ResearchobjectivesTheresearchobjectivesareacrucialsectionofyourbrief.Theyclarifythesortofinformationthatyouwanttobecollectedbythesurvey.Itisimportanttobeaspreciseaspossiblewhenoutliningyourobjectivesandtolisteverything thatneedstobecovered,forexample:

• Detailedinformationonthecharacteristics ofvisitorstodestinationx.

• Acomprehensiveunderstandingofvisitorbehaviourthroughouttheirvisitorholiday.

• Thekeyaspectsofvisitors’satisfactionwiththeirexperience/trip.

methodVisitorsurveysareusuallyconductedwithface-to-faceinterviewsatanetworkofkeylocationsatagivendestination.Increasingly,andduetocostconsiderations,manyvisitorsurveysutiliseamethodwherevisitorsarerecruitedatkeylocationswhileonholiday,andthencontactedforafollow-upsurveybyemailoncetheyarehome.ThisisthemethodwechosefortheScotlandVisitorSurvey2011/12.Whilethismethodhasmanyadvantages,youneedtoconsiderhoweffectiveitwillbeforthetargetmarketofyourdestination.Forexample,ifyourprimaryvisitorsareolder,theymaynotbecomfortablerespondingtoanonlinesurvey.Whenbriefingaresearchagencyinvitethemtodiscusstheirthoughtsonthebestmethodforconductingthesurvey.

Intheappendixofthistoolkitweprovidestandardisedquestionsthatshouldbeincluded inyourquestionnaire.Youwillwanttodiscussadditionalquestions–specifictoyourareaormarketingconcerns–withtheresearchagency.

COMMISSIONING A VISITOR SURVEY:

– Writing a research brief

– Selecting an agency

– Working with the chosen agency

Commissioning a visitor surveyThis section addresses the different stages of preparing to commission a visitor survey, including the selection process and how best to work with a chosen research agency. References to the Scotland Visitor Survey 2011/12 are made wherever there is an appropriate example.


SamplePutsimply,sampleisarepresentativeportionofpeoplefromthegeneralpopulationthatyouwishtolearnsomethingabout.Notethatthisdoesnotmeaneveryoneinyourtargetpopulation(thatwouldbeacensus)butjustenoughtoberepresentative.Thissectionofthebriefshouldincludeyourthoughtsonthetypesofvisitorsyoursurveywillfocuson.Potentialgroupsmightbe:

• Visitorsstayingovernightawayfromhome(stayinginthesurveyareaornot)forleisurereasons(onholidayorvisitingfriendsorrelatives).

• Visitorsstayingovernightawayfromhome(stayinginthesurveyareaornot)forbusinessreasons.

• Leisureday-tripperswhoareawayfromhomeforaminimumofthreehoursduration.

Usuallythefirstgroup(overnightleisurevisitors,asthesehavethebiggestfinancialimpactonanarea)areofparamountimportance.TheScotlandVisitorSurvey2011/12focusedonthisgroupexclusively.Dependingonthevisitorprofileofyoursurveyarea,yourobjectivesforconductingtheresearch,and/orthebudgetfortheproject,yourorganisationmaywanttospecifyadditionalgroupstobeincludedinthesurvey.Askpotentialresearchagenciestoadviseontheimpactthiswillhaveoncostandtimings.

Otheraspectswhichshouldbeconsideredas partofthesampleset-upare:

• Whethermembersoforganisedtravelgroupsshouldbeincludedorexcluded,i.e.coachtours(theScotlandVisitorSurvey2011/12specificallyexcludedthem).

• Whetherthereshouldbeasetquotaondomesticversusinternationalvisitors,orwhetherthisshouldberandom(theScotlandVisitorSurveyspecifieda40%international and60%UKquotaforrecruitment).

Notethatthequotafordomesticandinternationalvisitorswilldifferdependingonthetypesofvisitorstoyourarea.It’sbesttolookatthevisitorfiguresavailabletoyouandtrytoreplicatethesplitinyoursurvey.Soifyourdestinationorareareceiveslotsofdomesticvisitorsandalowerpercentageofinternationalvisitorsyou’llwanttomakesureyoursurveyquotareflectsthat.

DeliverablesThisisthepartofyourbriefwhereyouneedtosummarisewhatyourequireasanoutputfromthesurvey.Forexample,adeliverablemayincludeaPowerPointpresentationofthefindingsorafullwrittenreportwithanexecutivesummary,ordatatabulationsofallthequestions.Again,asktheagencytoexplainhowtheywouldrecommendreportingtheirfindingsandmakesureyouare happywiththeformat.

TimescalesYouwillneedtospecifyboththeexpectedtimescalesofthesurveyitselfaswellasthetimescalesfortheoverallproject.Forthefirst, theEaster-Octoberperiodisgenerallyconsideredoptimalinordertoachieveagoodspreadoftypesofvisitors.However,morelimitedcoverageispossibleifitisunderstoodandacceptedthattheresearchmightonlyberepresentativeofacertainvisitortype(i.e.onlysummervisitors).TheScotlandVisitorSurvey2011/12focusedonthesummermonthsbyrecruitingandinterviewingholidaymakersbetweenJuneandSeptemberonly.Yourbudgetmayalsoaffectdecisionsaboutthetimescale.

Yourbriefshouldalsoincludetimescalesfortheoverallproject.Forexample,ashorttimetablewithkeydatesfordeliveryofinformation,orcompletionoffieldwork,andanexpectedcompletiondatefortheproject.

BudgetItishelpfultoprovideanindicativebudgetfor yourprojectinthebrief.Thisensuresthatbiddingagenciespreparethebestapproachwithintheavailablebudget,anddonotputforwardaproposalthatiscompletelyunrealisticforyourbudget.Italsomakesiteasiertocomparedifferentproposalswheneveryoneispitchingwithinanindicativebudget.

ContactYourbriefshouldclarifywhowillbethemaincontactwithinyourorganisationfortheproject,alongwithrelevantcontactdetails.

DeadlineFinally,yourbriefshouldspecifywhen,towhom,andhow(includingformatandnumberofcopies)proposalsshouldbesubmittedbybiddingagencies.






Itiscommonplacetoarrangetendersfromaminimumofthreedifferentagencies.Whenselectingthebestagencyfortheproject,considerthefollowingaspects(inadditiontocost)oftheirproposalindetail.

• Discussion of method and sample Thesuccessfulagencyshouldclearlypresenttheresearchdesigntheyrecommendfortheprojectandoffersufficientdiscussiononwhytheythinkthisisthebestapproach.Alltheirrecommendationsshouldtiebacktoyourresearchobjectives.

• maximising the sample size Becausethefinalsamplesizeformsthebasisforfurtheranalysis,carefulconsiderationmustbepaidtothesubgroupsinthesample,andwhatlevelofsubgroupanalysiswillbepossible.Thelargertheoverallsamplesize,themorerobustlysubgroupscanbeanalysed.Thisusuallycomesatacost,soit’sworthcomparingacrossseveraltenders.

• Qualifications Askagenciestosubmitreferencesandexamplesoftheirworkwiththeirtender. ThesuccessfulagencyshouldhaveappropriateexperienceconductingsimilarstudiesandshouldbeaccreditedbytheMarketResearchSociety(MRS).Thisguaranteesthattheagencyemploysproperlytrainedfieldstaff,workstohigh-qualitystandardsandadherestotheMarketResearchCodeofConduct.

• Agency/client contact Themainprojectcontactfromthesuccessfulagencyshouldbesuitablyseniorandsupportedbyadequatestaffforthesizeoftheproject.

TheResearchBuyer’sGuideprovidesadirectoryofmarketresearchprovidersandisausefultool.Seewww.rbg.org.ukformoreinformation.

Itisimportanttorecognisethattherewill beconsiderabletimedemandsonyourownorganisation,particularlyatthebeginningandtheendoftheproject,toensurethesurvey issuccessful.

Usually,afteraresearchagencyhasbeenappointed,abriefingmeetingisheldinwhichallthepartiescometogethertodiscussthemainissuesandspecificationsoftheproject.Thisisalsoachancefortheagencytoclarifywithyouanyquestionstheymayhaveregardingthesurveyandbackground.Thebriefingmeetingshouldalsobeusedtodiscussandagreeindividualresponsibilitieswithinthesurveyprocess,forexample,whowillberesponsibleforarrangingpermissionsfortheinterviewinglocations.

Afterthebriefingmeeting,yourinputinto theactualquestionnairewillberequired. Anagencyshouldbehappytoworkwith thestandardisedquestionswesupplyhere inthetoolkit.Andtheywillbeabletodesignadditionalquestionstocomplementyourareaorspecificmarketingactivities.

Oncethesurveyisunderway,theresearchagencyshouldgiveyouregularupdatesonhowthefieldworkisprogressing,includingthenumberofcompletedinterviews.Regularupdatesandprogressreportscanhelpidentifyissuesastheyarisesothatproblemscanberesolvedquickly.

Oncethefieldworkiscomplete,adateshouldbeconfirmedfordeliveringtheresultsinwhateverformatwasagreed.Sincethereportwillbereadbyawideraudiencethanthosedirectlyinvolvedinthesurveyprocess,youshouldallowsufficienttimewithinyourorganisationtoreviewandfeedbackonthefirstdraftreport.

Our tourist businesses have to be more efficient than ever to meet our customers’ demands





Selecting an agencyWorking with the chosen agency

http://www.rbg.org.uk


DESIGNING AND MANAGING A VISITOR SURVEY IN-HOUSE

– Writing a survey plan

– Background

– Objectives

– Method

– Questionnaire

– Sample

– Conducting the survey: data collection

– Conducting the survey: data entry and analysis

– The final report

– Managing resources

Writing a survey plan Eventhoughyoursurveywillbemanagedin-house,itisstillimportanttowriteoutasurveyplanasastartingpoint,onethatconsidersallaspectsofthesurveyandhowtheywillbeaddressed.Thetableoppositeoutlinesasurveyplanandthekeyaspectstoconsider,eachofwhichisthendiscussedinmoredetail.

Designing and managing a visitor survey in-houseWhile we recommend commissioning a research agency when budget and scope allow we also recognise that this is not possible for every survey. So, this section of the toolkit offers a step-by-step approach to designing and managing a visitor survey in-house. By using the process we outline, your organisation will be able to successfully produce credible and robust results which are comparable to the Scotland Visitor Survey and contribute to national data.

Consistency in the way that surveys are set up and designed allows us to benchmark certain questions against national and regional averages, and will help organisations to track their results in future years. This means valuable market information can be shared and used over time to help local organisations and businesses plan and market their services.

Background Detailsofprevioussurveysthatwerecarriedoutinthesurveyareaorwiderarea,includingresultsandanylearnings.Detailsonparticularchallengesorissuesfortheplannedsurvey(locations,restrictions).Detailsofanystatisticsoranecdotalinformationontourismthatapplytothesurveyarea.

Objectives Informationonwhatyouwanttoachievewiththesurvey;specific(localorregional)questionsshouldbeaddressed.

method Informationonthemethodyouwilluseforconductingthesurvey.

Questionnaire Informationonthequestionnaireaspectofthesurvey,includingspecificquestionsitwillcontain.

Sample Specificsofwhoisgoingtobeinterviewedinthesurvey,includingsamplesizeandthesamplingmethod.

Data collection Informationonthelogisticsofcarryingoutthesurvey,includinginterviewinglocations,timetablesandsoforth.

Analysis Howyouplantoanalysethesurveyresults,includinganyspecificanalysistoolsthatyouplantouse.

Reporting Anoutlineofhowyouwillcommunicatetheresults–whichmethodsormaterialsyouwilluse–andwhoyouwanttocommunicatetheresultsto.

Resources (financial, human and time)

Considerhowyouplantomanageresourcesduringthesurveyprocess.




– Background

– Objectives

– Method

– Questionnaire

– Sample





Background

Whenplanninganddesigninganewvisitorsurveyforanarea,thefirststepshouldbetofindoutaboutanyprevioussurveys.Visitorsurveysfromthesameareaareofparticularinterestbutyoushouldtakenoteofanysurveyswhichhavebeenundertakeninthewiderareaorregion.

Whenreviewingprevioussurveysconsider thefollowing:

• Didearliersurveysaskanyregion-specificquestionswhichshouldbeincludedinthe newsurvey?Forexample,questionsthatcoveredvisitorsatisfactionwithaparticularserviceorattraction.

• Arethereusefullearningswhichyoucantakefromprevioussurveys?Thismightincludeissuesthataroseduringthefieldwork(forexample,somelocationsworkedreallywell forinterviewing,whereasothersdidn’t).

• Inthepast,whowasconsultedlocallyfor inputintovisitorsurveys?Shouldthesepeopleorgroupsbeconsultedagain?

• Whatsortofinformationdoyoualreadyknowaboutvisitorstothearea?Ifprevioussurveyswereconductedprofessionallyitmightbepossibletoreferbacktothevisitorprofile andgetanindicationofhowthearea’svisitortypehasevolved.

ObjectivesToensurethatyoursurveyissuccessfulanddeliverseverythingyouwantitto,itisimportanttoformallywritedownthekeyobjectives.Yourobjectivesshouldsummarisethekeyquestionsandissuesthatyouwanttocover.

Asanexample,herearetheobjectivesfortheScotlandVisitorSurvey2011/12,beginningwiththeoverallaimandfollowedwithourspecificobjectives.

Asyoucansee,ourobjectiveswerequitespecificbuttheycoveralotofgroundaswell.Whenwritingyourobjectivesbesuretoincludeasmuchdetailaspossible–thiswillhelptoclarifyyourprojectandensureitssuccess.

SCoTlAnD ViSiToR SuRVey 2011/12 AimS AnD oBJeCTiVeSThe aim of this research survey is to enhance our understanding of visitors to Scotland and gather up-to-date information on visitor behaviour – including satisfaction and experience – and the factors that influence them.

Thespecificobjectivesoftheresearchsurveyareto:

• Gaindetailedinformationonvisitorcharacteristics.

• Gainacomprehensiveunderstandingofvisitorbehaviourthroughoutthevisit/holiday (includingplanning,transportandtravel,activitiesandexpenditure).

• Identifyvisitorsatisfactionwithkeyaspectsoftheirtrip(inparticularfoodanddrink,service andtourisminfrastructure).

• Identifyspecificpeaksandtroughsofthevisitingexperience.

• Gaininformationonmotivatorsandinfluencesongeneralholidayandtrip-takingbehaviourinScotland(includingenvironmentalandeconomicfactors,aswellastheroleofdigitalmedia).

• Understandhowcurrentconsumertrendsaffectholidayandtrip-takingbehaviourinScotland.


We need to make the most of our strengths while continually developing new products, services and experiences to offer our visitors.



– Background

– Objectives

– Method

– Questionnaire

– Sample





Method

Visitorsurveysaregenerallyconductedusingaquantitativeresearchapproach.Quantitativeresearchinvolvesaskingalargenumberofpeoplethesamesetofpre-definedquestions,sothat youget“quantifiable”answersintermsofpercentagesandnumbers.Becausetheinterviewisstructured,andbecauseeveryonegetsthesamesetofquestions,thisresultsinmeasurabledatathatcanbecompared.

Thestandardmethodforconductingavisitorsurveyisface-to-faceinterviewsatkeylocationsinanareaoratadestination.Thebenefitsofinterviewingvisitorsattheplaceoftheirvisitarediverse,buthereareafewoftheadvantages:

• Aninterviewercanbuildarapportwithrespondents;thishelpsresponseratesandensuresthatthewholesurveyiscompleted.

• Aninterviewercanselectinterviewees usingarandomsamplingapproach(i.e.approachingeverynthvisitor);thisresults inmorerepresentativeandrobustresults.

• Aninterviewercanclarifyquestions therespondentmayhaveandpreventmisunderstandingswhichmightlead toincorrectdata.

• Aninterviewercancapturethevisitor’sexperiencewhileitisstillfreshintheirmind.

However,therearealsodisadvantagestoon-site,face-to-faceinterviewing.Forexample,inthisapproach,interviewersmustbeproperlytrainedandbriefedinordertoavoidbiasinthesample(called“interviewerbias”).Biascanoccurwheninterviewersdonotapproachrespondentsrandomly,butrathershowapreferenceforacertaintypeofrespondent.Anexampleofthiswouldbeifaninterviewershowedapreferenceforpeopleofasimilarageornationality–becausetheyfeltmorecomfortableapproachingthem.

Anothertypeofbiaswhichcanoccurinface-to-faceinterviewingiscalled“respondentbias”. Thishappenswhenarespondentdoesnotanswerwiththeirownopinion,butrathertries topleasetheinterviewerbyfittinginwithwhattheythinkisthedesiredresponse.Properlytrainedandbriefedinterviewersareabletocounteractrespondentbiasintwoways:

• Byknowingwhichquestionsinaquestionnairearepronetothisbias.

• Bybeingawareoftheirownattitudeandtheirfeedbacktorespondentsduringtheinterview.

Answersgivenbyarespondentcanalsobecolouredbyflukeeventsonthedayoftheinterview–thingslikeweatherorbadtraffic canaffectattitudeandresponse.

Increasingly,andduetocostconsiderations,visitorsurveysutiliseamethodinwhichvisitorsarerecruitedbyanintervieweratkeylocations butonlyaskedafewbriefquestionsincludingtheiremailaddress.Theyarethencontactedfor afollow-upsurveybyemailoncetheyarehome.ThisisthemethodwechoseforVisitScotland’smostrecentsurvey.

Themainadvantageofthismethodissavings oncost–theinitialcontactwithrespondents iskeptverybriefsomorerespondentscanbeapproachedwithinthetimescale.Inaddition,respondent’sanswerstoquestionsviaanemailsurveytendtobemoreconsideredandreflecttheiroveralltrip(thoughclearly,contacthasto bemadewithinacertainperiodaftertheirreturn,sotheexperienceisstillfreshintheirminds).

However,youwillwanttoconsiderifthismethodisappropriateforyoursurveyorfortheregioninquestion.Anumberoffactorsmightmeanthefollow-upsurveyisnoteffectiveforyourtargetmarket.Oldervisitorsforinstance,maynotbecomfortablerespondingtoanonlinesurvey,orindeedhaveanemailaddresshandy.Inthiscase,usingfollow-uponlinesurveyswillresultinaskewtowardsyoungervisitorswhichmaynotberepresentative.Soyoumightprefertoadoptthe“traditional”interviewing-at-locationapproach.


Local organisations and businesses are able to use focused visitor information to help with their business development and planning.



– Background

– Objectives

– Method

– Questionnaire

– Sample





Questionnaire

Thequestionnaireiswhereyoursurveyobjectivestranslateintoactualquestions.Thisisacrucialpartoftheprojectandonewheremistakescanhave aknock-oneffectontheanalysisandreportingstages.Forthisreasonallowplentyoftimefor thequestionnairedesigntoensureyougetit rightfromthestart.

Tohelp,VisitScotlandhascreatedasetofstandardisedquestionsfromtheScotlandVisitorSurvey2011/12.Includingthesestandardisedquestionsinyourownsurveywillhelpmakesurethatthedatayoucollectisrobustandcomparable.Hopefully,usingthemwillalsohelpsimplifythingswhenitcomestocompilingthequestionnaireelementofyoursurvey.Thequestionscovertypicalvisitorsurveyissuesandarerelevanttomostorganisationsanddestinations.Theyinclude:

• Visitorprofile(countryoforigin,age,gender, triptype).

• Visitorbehaviour(typeofaccommodation andtransportused,numberofdaysspent awayfromhome,activitiesengagedin).

• Motivationsforvisiting.

However,inadditiontothesestandardisedquestions,yourorganisationwillneedtothinkaboutthekindoflocalinformationwhichyou wanttogeneratewiththesurvey,anddesignappropriatequestionsthatsolicitthisinformation.Additional,specificquestiontypesthatyoumaywishtoincludeare:

• Whethervisitorshavevisitedparticularattractionsorscenicspotsinthearea.

• Howvisitorsratethesespotsandattractions;possiblyondifferentcriteriasuchasvalue formoneyorqualityofservice.

• Iftheareaordestinationwasparticularlypromoted,whichmarketingeffortswere mosteffective.

• Useofparticularservicesofferedatthedestination,andhowvisitorsratetheseservices.

• Anyotherquestionsoflocalimportance andinterest.

Writingquestionsforasurveyrequiressome skilland,asalways,it’simportanttobeasclear aspossibletoavoidpotentialmisunderstandings.Therearebespokesoftwaresystemsavailableaswellasmanysimple,onlinetoolsforsettingupasurvey.Youwillwanttosetupacodingsystemforyourquestionnaire(whetheranswersareentereddirectlyonacomputerornot)andthereareprogrammesthatcanhelpwiththis.Thinkabouthowyouplantohandlethequestionnaireelementoftheprojectbeforeyoustartanddecidewhattoolsandresourcesyouwillneed.

Oncethequestionnaireisfinalised,doa“pilotrun”totestthatitisunderstandable,clear,nottoolong,andcontainsalltheansweroptionsneededinthepre-codedquestions(thesearequestionswhich listanumberofansweroptions).Ideally,yourpilotshouldbecarriedoutwithsomerealvisitors,butiftimeorbudgetisshort,bettertotestitwithcolleaguesthannottestitatall.




– Background

– Objectives

– Method

– Questionnaire

– Sample





Hereareafewpointerstohelpgetyoustartedonthequestionnairesectionofyoursurvey.

• Startwithsimplebutinterestingquestionsandendwiththeeasydemographicones.

• Keepquestionsshort–avoidjargonandoverlytechnicallanguage.

• Makesurethateachquestioncoversjust onepoint.Forexample“Didyoufindtheaccommodationyoustayedincomfortableandofgoodvalue?”isdifficulttoanswer ifarespondenthasdifferentopinionson thecomfortversusthevalueoftheirstay (inresearchterms,thissortofquestion iscalled“doublebarrelled”andshould beavoidedatallcosts).

• Bespecificwhenaskingabouttimeframes.Aquestionlike“didyouvisittheLochNessvisitorcentrerecently”canbeinterpreteddifferentlydependingonwhatrespondentsconsiderrecent.Youcanavoidthisbyincludingaspecifictimeframe,suchaswithinthelast12months.

• Open-endedquestions(wherethereare nospecificansweroptions,butrather leaverespondentstowritedowntheirownresponse)canbeusefulforaddingcolourtosurveyresults,andtheymayproduceinsightwheretheanswerisnotknown.However,thesequestionstakelongertoanswerand toanalysesolimitthenumberofopen-endedquestionsinyoursurvey.

• Whenputtingthequestionnairetogether,groupsimilarquestionstogethertomakethingseasytofollow.

• Lessismore!It’stemptingtoaddmore andmorequestionstoaquestionnaire, buttrytokeepitasshortaspossible. Alongquestionnairehasanegativeimpactonthenumberandqualityofresponses.

• Stayfocusedonthesurveyobjectives,andthinkabouthowtheresultsforeachquestionwillactuallyhelptoachieveyourobjectives.Asaguide,aface-to-facequestionnaireshouldnottakeanylongerthan10minutes. Ifafollow-uponlinesurveyisused,itisusuallypossibletogetawaywithaslightlylongerquestionnairebuttheaimshouldstillbetokeepcompletiontimewithin15minutes.

Creating the questionnaire – some tips


Your organisation will be able to draw maximum benefit from a local visitor survey by gathering robust and comparable visitor data.



– Background

– Objectives

– Method

– Questionnaire

– Sample





Sample

Theaccuracyofthedataandtheconclusionswhicharedrawnfromitwilldependonhowthesamplehasbeenselected.Thegoalistogetasamplewhichisrepresentativeofthepopulation(inthiscase,allthepeoplewhovisittheareaordestination).Thereareanumberofthingsyouneedtoconsiderwhendesigningthesample–discussedindetailbelow.

Who to interviewVisitorstoasurveyareaarealwaysmixedbut theycanbecategorisedintodifferentgroupsdependingontheirtypeofvisit.Themostcommontypesare:

• Peoplewhostayinthesurveyareaovernight forleisurepurposes(includingvisitingfamilyandfriends).

• Peoplewhostayovernightinanotherareabutvisitthesurveyareaforthedayorpassthroughthesurveyareaforleisurepurposes(includingvisitingfamilyandfriends).

• Peopleonadaytripforleisurepurposes(includingvisitingfamilyandfriends).

• Peopleonadaytripfornon-leisurepurposes,suchasbusinessorfamilydutytrips.

• Peoplewhostayinthesurveyareaovernight fornon-leisurepurposes,suchasbusinessorfamilydutytrips.

Yourorganisationwillneedtodecidewhich ofthesegroupstoincludeinthesurvey.Thisdependslargelyonyoursurveyobjectivesandyourbudget.Itisimportantthatasuitablylargesamplesizeisachievedforeachsubgroupyoudecidetoincludeinordertomakesenseoftheresults(we’lldiscussthisfurtherinthenextsection).WiththeScotlandVisitorSurvey2011/2012wefocusedonthefollowinggroupinthesample:PeoplewhostayinScotlandovernightforleisurepurposes(includingvisitingfamilyandfriendsforleisure).

Anotheraspecttoconsider,whenitcomestowhotointerview,isvisitororigin.Ideally,yoursurveyshouldtrytogetagoodspreadofinternationalandUKvisitorswithinthesample.Onewayofdoingthisistoapplyaquotatothesample,whichmeansspecifyingthatyouaretryingtogetacertainpercentageofvisitorswithindifferentcategories.TheScotlandVisitorSurvey2011/12usedaquotaof60%UKand40%internationalvisitors.

However,anydecisiononquotasshouldbemadeinthecontextofyourdestinationandarea.Ideallyitshouldbebasedonexistinginformationonvisitortypes.Forinformationonvisitortypetry theVisitScotlandwebsite(visitscotland.org)[email protected].

When to interviewInordertoensurethatthesampleisrepresentativeofweekdayandweekendvisitors,thefieldworkshouldbespreadacrossthewholeweekandincludetheweekend,andshouldbeconductedthroughouttheday.Bemindfuloftheinterviewlocation,andthetypeofvisitoritislikelytoattract.Ifinterviewingtakesplaceatamountainrailway,forexample,itshouldbeexpectedthatatthestartoftheday,therewillbealotofwalkerswhoaresettingoff,whereasduringthedaytherewillbemoresightseeingvisitors.

Where to interviewInterviewinglocationsshouldbekeytouristlocationsinthesurveyareawithahighvisitorfootfall.Thisisbeneficialfortworeasons:

• Itincreasesthelikelihoodofgatheringarepresentativesampleofvisitors–keytouristlocationsareusuallyvisitedbythetypicaloraveragevisitoratsomepointduringtheirtrip.

• Itisagooduseofresources–positioninginterviewersatapopular,busylocationmeanslessdowntimebetweeninterviews.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.visitscotland.org/


However,dependingontheobjectivesofyoursurveyandthetypeofvisitorsthataredominantatthedestination,yourorganisationwillneedtoensurethatarangeofdifferenttypesoflocationsisutilised.Potentiallocationsmightbe:

• Visitorattractionsandvisitorcentres

• Towncentres,shoppingareas,harbourareas

• Trainstationsandferryports

• Carparks(especiallyatthestartofpopularwalks)

• Scenicspotsandviewpoints

how to determine sample sizeGenerally,thelargerthesamplesize,themorerobusttheresultswillbe.Practicallyhowever,samplesizesarerestrictedbytimeandbudget.Additionally,afteracertainsamplesizehasbeenreached,theincreaseinaccuracy(andthesizeofsampleerror)achievedbyincreasingitfurtherbecomesdisproportionallysmaller,andeventuallybecomessosmallthatitdoesn’tjustifytheresourcesneededtoachieveit.Sofocusingonachievingaverylargesampleisnotnecessarilythebestuseofyourresources.Ineffect,youwanttofindthesmallestsamplesizethatwillgeneratetherequiredlevelofaccuracyforyoursurveyobjectives.

Theoverallsamplesizeneedstoreflectthesubgroupsyouwishtoanalysewithinthesample.Quitesimply,subgroupsarethegroupsofpeoplewithinthelargerpopulationthatyouareinterestedinfindingoutmoreabout,forexample,dayvisitors,orlocals,orvisitorsfromoverseas.Itisusuallybesttostartwiththesmallestsubgroup:ensurethatanabsoluteminimumof100peopleinthisgroupwillbeinterviewedandthenbuildthesampleupfromthere.Forexample,ifyouenvisageanalysinginformationbylocationwheretheinterviewtookplace,theaimshouldbetocomplete100interviewsperlocation.

Ifyourorganisationissimplylookingforanoverallpictureofthedestination,andisnotinterestedindiggingdeeperintospecificsubgroups,thentheminimumsamplesizeneededtokeepareasonablelevelofaccuracy is500.Atthislevel,theaccuracyofthesmapleis+/-4.4%ata95%confidencelevel.

ThisisatechnicalareaofanyresearchprojectandtheVisitScotlandInsightteamishappytoadviseifneeded.Emailresearch@visitscotland.com

An example to illustrate what this means:Imaginethesurveyresultssaythat50%ofvisitorsstayedinhotelaccommodation.If500visitorswereinterviewed,andthelevelofaccuracyis+/-4.4%ata95%confidencelevel, itcanbesaidwith95%certaintythatthetruepercentageforvisitorsstayinginhotelaccommodation(i.e.ifabsolutelyeveryonewereinterviewed,asopposedtoonly500people)wouldbebetween45.6%and54.4%.

Ahandytooltocalculatethesampleerrorfordifferentsamplesizescanbefoundhere:

www.dssresearch.com/KnowledgeCenter/toolkitcalculators/sampleerrorcalculators.aspx

(PleasenotethatVisitScotlandcannotacceptresponsibilityforcontentonthirdpartylinks/ websites).



– Background

– Objectives

– Method

– Questionnaire

– Sample






http://www.dssresearch.com/KnowledgeCenter/toolkitcalculators/sampleerrorcalculators.aspx


Visitor surveys provide local tourism organisations and councils with a sound basis for monitoring performance, and are useful for future marketing planning and business development.



– Background

– Objectives

– Method

– Questionnaire

– Sample





Conducting the survey: data collection

Datacollectionistheactualprocessof conductingtheinterviewsattheselectedlocations.Dependingonthemethodyouhavechosen,youwillneedtouseashorterorlongerquestionnairefordatacollection.Thetableoppositehighlightssomeofthethingsyou needtoconsideratthisstage.

Training the interviewers explaining the sampling approach

it’s important that whoever is conducting the interviews for the survey is well briefed.

This involves:• Explainingwhyyourorganisationisconducting

thesurveyandwhatyouhopetogainfromit.

• Discussingthequestionnaireindetailtoallowinterviewerstobecomefamiliarwithallthequestions.

• Makingsureinterviewersarepreparedtoansweranyquestionsthatrespondentsmayhave.

• Ensuringyourinterviewersfeelwellpreparedandengagedwiththesurvey.

• Ensuringthatinterviewersareawareofbiasandhowtoavoidit–includingbothinterviewerandrespondentbias.

it is important that your interviewers understand how you expect them to approach potential respondents, i.e. every nth visitor. you will want to stress the importance of randomness and their role in ensuring it.

other things to consider:• Anofficialbadgeorletterthatinterviewers

wearorcarry,toprovethattheyareconductinganofficialsurveyonbehalfofyourorganisation.

• Astandardthankyounotethatcanbeprintedoutandhandedouttorespondents–bothathankyouandanassurancethattheyhavetakenpartinanofficialsurvey.

• Somebodyfromtheprojectteam,whohasbeeninvolvedinthesurveydesignandsetup,shouldbeondutyduringfieldworktodealwithanyproblemsorquestionsthatarisefromtheinterviewers.




– Background

– Objectives

– Method

– Questionnaire

– Sample





Oncethefieldworkiscomplete,therearealotofquestionnairestobeprocessed.Howyouhandlethedatadependsontheinterviewingmethodyouemployed.

if full interviews were completed at location (i.e.nofollow-upplanned)Youwillneedtotranslatethedatagatheredfromthequestionnairesintoaformatthatcanbeanalysed.Youcandothisin-house,oryoucansub-contractthisstagetoanagencythatspecialisesindataentry.Ifyoudecidetodoitin-house,youneedtobeawareofthecommonpitfallofinaccuratedataentry,whichleadstofalseresults.Itisimportanttoconductaqualitycheckofthedata.Bydoublecheckingtheaccuracyof10%ofyourquestionnaires,comparingtheoriginalagainsttheentereddata,youcanensurealevelofoverallaccuracy.Anagencywilldothisasamatterofcourse.

if recruitment interviews only were conducted at location (i.e.follow-uponlinesurveyplanned)Alltheemailaddressesthatwerecollectedneedtobeenteredintoadatabase,andthentheonlinesurveyneedstobeemailed.Ideallythisshouldhappenwithintwoweeksoftheinitialrecruitment,inordertocapitaliseontherespondents’interestinthesurveyandensurethatthedetailsoftheirtriparestillfresh.

Thereareseveralstandardcomputersoftwarepackagesthatcanhelpwithdataanalysis,forexampleMicrosoftExcelorSPSS.Ifyouaremanagingthedatacollectionandanalysisin-houseyouwillwanttoensurethatastaffmemberknowshowtousethissoftwareorcanbetrainedtouseit.

Onceallthedatafromthequestionnaireshasbeenprocessed(whetherfromface-to-facesurveyoremailsurveyresults)andisreadytobeanalysedmakesureyoucross-referenceitwiththeinitialresearchobjectivestoensurethatall thekeyquestionsareanswered.

Thisisanareawhere,dependingonyourbudgetandtheskillsavailablewithinyourorganisation, itmaybeworthsub-contractingtoanagencyspecialisinginanalysisservices.Information onexternalagencieswhichofferservicessuch asdatainputandanalysiscanbefoundthrough theResearchBuyer’sGuideat: www.rbg.org.uk

IfyouwanttocompareyourownresultswithresultsfromtheScotlandVisitorSurvey,pleasegetintouchwithustodiscussthespecificquestionsofinteresttoyouandyourregion. EmailourInsightteamon: [email protected]

Conducting the survey: data entry and analysis

Therearedifferentoptionsavailableforpreparingafinalreportofthesurvey results.Theyrangefromafullwrittenreport, tochartingtheresultsinaPowerPointpresentation.Howeveryoudecideto reporttheresults,considerthebestwayofcommunicatingwithyouraudienceandthemessagesyouwanttoconvey.Itisimportanttoestablishthesefactorsbeforeputtingpentopaper.Itmighthelptoprepareadraftoutlineoftheproposeddocumentandinvitepartnerstocomment.

Dependingonyourtimescale,audienceandbudgetyoumaywanttoconsiderhavingthereportwrittenand/orproducedprofessionally.

The final report

http://www.rbg.org.uk





– Background

– Objectives

– Method

– Questionnaire

– Sample





Beforeembarkingonabigprojectlikeavisitorsurvey,itisimportanttothinkabouttheresourcesthatareavailablewithinyourorganisation,includingtime,budgetandhumanresources.Establishingfromtheoutsetwhatresourcesyouhaveandwhatyouneedfortheprojectwillhelpensureitssuccess.

Time• Conductingavisitorsurveyistimeintensiveand

requiresalotoftimeresourcesateverystage.Establishanydeadlinesfromthebeginning– forinstance,whetheryouneedtheresults byacertaindate–andplanaccordingly.

• Themaintimedrainislikelytobeonyour ownstafftime.Thiscanbebrokendownintopreparingandplanningthesurvey,traininginterviewers,conductingtheinterviews,managingandcompletingdataentry/analysis,andthefinalreportwriting.

• Considerhowmuchtimeyouhaveforeachstageandhowyouwillallocateresourceswithinthem.

Skill sets and human resources• Asurveyrequiresspecificskills,fromdesigning

aresearchprojecttomanagingandtraininginterviewstoanalysingresearchdata.

• Considercarefullywhetheralltheskills youneedfortheprojectexistwithinyourorganisationorifsomeoftherequiredskills arespecialisedenoughtowarrantoutsourcingforexternalexpertise–inparticular,thedataentryandanalysisstages.Youmayalsowish toconsiderhiringsomeonetoproducethe finalreportforyou.

Budget• Whilenotcomparabletocommissioning

anagencytherearestillcostsinvolvedinconductingasurveyin-house–forinstance willyouneedtopurchasedataanalysissoftware?Willyouneedtomakeaninvestmentinsoftwarefordesigningonlinesurveys? Willyouneedtopayadditionalstafftoconductinterviews?

• Ifyouhaveasmallbudgetavailable,externalexpertisecanbebroughtinorcertainstages ofthesurveyprocesscanbesub-contracted.

• Youmaywishtoofferanincentivetoaidparticipationandresponserates(especially ifconductinganonline,follow-upsurvey).

• Attheverybeginningoftheproject,considerhowyouwillanalysetheresults.Whether youneedaspecificsoftwarepackagetodothisin-houseandifyouneedtoinvestintrainingsothatsomeoneknowshowtouseit.

Managing resources

Conductingavisitorsurveyiscertainlyalot ofwork–whetheryouuseanagencyordoitin-house.Buttheeffortisworthwhile–havingreliable,robustinformationaboutourvisitorsisenormouslyimportantandcanhelpyourarea andlocalbusinessestremendously.Sharingtheresultsofyoursurveyisalsovitalasitwillhelpotherorganisationsunderstandandplanfor ourvisitors.

OnceyouhavecompletedyoursurveythenextstepistosharetheinformationyouhavegatheredwithVisitScotland–thiswillbenefiteveryoneas weareabletocomparelocalresultswiththenationaldata.Sopleasedogetintouchwithus [email protected](oratanypointduring theprocessforsupportandadvice!).

Good luck with your project! The VisitScotland insight Team

Knowing who our visitors are, why they come and what they value about the experience is crucial to improving our businesses and Scotland’s tourism industry as a whole.

SHARING YOUR RESULTS

Visitor survey guide | VisitScotland | 19

Sharing your results



Thefollowingquestionshavebeenstandardisedandinordertobeeffective theymustbeusedword-for-word,withnochanges.Anychangeswillimpact onthecomparabilityoftheresultswiththeScotlandVisitorSurveyandotherregionalorlocalsurveys.

Ifyouareworkingwitharesearchagency,eitherfortheentireprojectorjust tomanagethequestionnaire,theyshouldbehappytousethesequestionsassupplied.Youcan,ofcourse,discussanyadditionalquestionsthatarespecific toyourareaorresearchobjectiveswiththeagencyandtheywillbeabletodesignadditionalquestionstobeincludedinyoursurvey.

Ifyouareconductingthesurveyyourselfpleasebeawareoftheimportance ofusingthefollowingstandardisedquestionswithnoalterations.Youmaywanttocreateadditionaldestinationormarketingspecificquestionsasyouseefit.Pleasefeelfreetocontactusatresearch@visitscotland.comforadviceon thequestionnaireportionofyourproject.

APPENDIX: VISITOR SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE WITH STANDARDISED QUESTIONS

Appendix: Visitor survey questionnaire with standardised questions



1. in which of the following countries do you live?

[ALLOW RESPONDENT TO TICK ONE ANSWER ONLY]

Scotland

England(includingChannelIslandsandIsleofMan)

Wales

NorthernIreland

RepublicofIreland

Germany

France

Italy

Spain

Netherlands

OtherEuropean(pleasespecify)

USA

Canada

Australia

NewZealand

Other(pleasespecify)

GeneRAl AnD TRiP PlAnninG

2. Which of the following best describes your trip to ?


Aholidayorshortbreak

Avisittoseefriendsorrelativesforleisure

Anothertypeoftriptakenforleisurepurposes


3. And more specifically, how would you describe your trip?


Touringaroundthecountry

Avisitbasedinacountrysidelocation

Stayinginacityandvisitingthecityattractions

Stayinginacityandcombiningvisitingcityattractionswith visitingthesurroundingcountryside

Stayingwithfriendsorfamily

Agolfbreak

Anactivitytypebreak(e.g.hiking,sailingetc)

Attendinganevent(e.g.sportsevent,concert,festivaletc)




4. Was this your first holiday or short break to

?


Yes

No

5. Which other areas of Scotland…

[ALLOW RESPONDENT TO TICK ALL THAT APPLY]

...did you visit ...did you stay on this trip? overnight in?

TheHighlandsofScotlandandtheIsleofSkye (includingInverness/FortWilliam/Moray)

TheCairngormsNationalPark (includingAviemore)

Shetland Orkney OuterHebrides(Lewis/Harris/Uist/Barra) GlasgowCity

ThewiderGlasgowarea(including Lanarkshire/Dunbartonshire/Inverclyde)

Stirling,FalkirkandthewiderForthValleyarea

LochLomondandtheTrossachsNationalPark AberdeenCityandShire(includingBallater/ Banff/Stonehaven)

Perth&Perthshire(includingPitlochry)

Angus&Dundee Dumfries&Galloway ScottishBorders AyrshireandtheIsleofArran ArgyllandtheIsles(includingOban/Isle ofMull/Jura/Bute)

Fife(includingStAndrews)

EdinburghCity Lothians(includingNorthBerwick/Gullane) Don’tknow

6. During your trip, how many nights did you stay overnight in

?

[ALLOW RESPONDENT TO TYPE IN A NUMBER. ALLOW ZERO]

7. Which of the following best describes who was with you on your trip?


Yourpartner/spouse

Yourchild/children

Yourparentsoryourpartner’sparents

Othermembersofyourfamily

Friend(s)

Anorganisedgroup

Iwasonmyown

Someoneelse(pleasespecify)

8. how many people were there in your immediate party – that is any family and friends who travelled with you – including yourself?

Numberofpeopleaged16andover [DO NOT ALLOW RESPONDENT TO TYPE ZERO]

Numberofpeopleunder16 [ALLOW RESPONDENT TO TYPE ZERO]

Notsure



9. how far in advance did you start planning this trip? i.e. how much time was there between you starting to plan and visiting ?


Lessthan2weeks

2weeksupto4weeks

1to2months

3to6months

Over6monthsto1year

Over1to2years

Over2years

Notsure

10. And how far in advance did you book your trip to ? i.e. how much time was there between booking the trip and going?


Didn’tbookinadvance

Lessthan2weeks

2weeksupto4weeks

1to2months

3to6months

Over6months

Notsure

ViSiT moTiVATionS

11. Which of the following, if any, prompted you to visit ?

[ALLOW RESPONDENT TO TICK ALL THAT APPLY, RANDOMISE]

Foundagoodaccommodationdeal

Itwasrecommendedtomebyfriends/relatives

Specialoccasion/celebrationtookplacethere

ItisanareaIknowwell–beentobefore

Readanarticleinanewspaper/magazine

Advertisinginnewspapers/magazines

InformationinaTouristBoardbrochure

Atelevisionprogrammeabout

Advertisingonawebsite

Amovie/filmfeaturingthisarea

Abookfeaturingthisarea

Familyconnectionsinthisarea

Particularinterestinhistoryofthisarea

Specificactivitiessuchasgolforwalkingareavailable

Particularinterestinscenery/landscapeofthisarea

Tovisitaparticularattraction(pleasespecify)

Toundertakeaparticularactivity(pleasespecify)

Tostayinaparticularhotelorotheraccommodation(pleasespecify)


Don’tknow/can’tremember

Noneofthese



DuRinG youR TRiP

12. And during your trip to which of the following other methods, if any, did you use to obtain information about places to visit and things to do?


Asmartphone/internetonamobilephone

TheVisitScotlandDaysOutapp

Alaptop

AnIpad/tabletPC

Visitedaninternetcafe

Accessedtheinternetviaaterminalinthereception ofyouraccommodationoranotherpublicarea.

BrochureprovidedbyVisitScotlandorTouristBoard

Touroperator’sbrochure

Guidebooks(e.g.Fodors,LonelyPlanet)

Askingothertravellers

Askinglocals

Askingproprietors/servicestaff

Noneoftheabove

[DO NOT SHOW TO SCOTLAND RESIDENTS]

13. What form of transport did you use on the longest part ofyourjourneyfromhometo ?


Train

Regularbus/coach

Organisedcoachtour

Car–own/friend’s/firm’s

Car–hired

Motorisedcaravan/camper/dormobile

Motorcycle

Bicycle

Plane

Boat/ship/ferry

Hitch-hiking(inanyvehicle)




14. And which airport did you arrive at?

[ASK If TRAvELLED BY AIR AT PREvIOUS QUESTION 13 ALLOW RESPONDENT TO TICK ONE ANSWER ONLY]Scotland

Edinburghairport

Glasgowairport

Glasgow-Prestwickairport

Invernessairport

Aberdeenairport

OtherairportinScotland(pleasespecify)

england

LondonHeathrow

LondonGatwick

LondonStansted

LondonLuton

BirminghamAirport

ManchesterAirport

OtherAirportinUK(pleasespecify)

Don’tknow/can’tremember

15. And which types of transport did you use during your visit to

?

Pleasethinkabouttravelwithin

onlyandselectallofthoseyouused.


Train

Regularbus/coach

Organisedcoachtour

Car–own/friend’s/firm’s

Car–hired

Motorisedcaravan/camper/dormobile

Motorcycle

Bicycle

Plane

Boat/ship/ferry

Hitch-hiking(inanyvehicle)

Walked/onfoot


16. What type of accommodation did you stay in during your trip to

?


Hotel(5star/luxury)

Hotel(4star)

Hotel(3star)

Hotel(1-2star)

B&B/guesthouse

Self-catering

Hostel

Camping

Caravanning

Secondhome

Friends/family

Other(specify)



17. Did you take part in any of the following during this trip?

[Tickallthatapply]

[ROTATE THE ORDER Of THE GROUPS IN THIS QUESTION I.E. ATTRACTIONS, ACTIvITIES AND EvENTS AND ALSO THE ANSWER CODES WITHIN EACH Of THESE GROUPS. THIS WILL HELP WITH RESPONDENT fATIGUE AND GIvE MORE RELIABLE ANSWERS OvERALL.]

Attractions:

Sightseeingbycar/coach/onfoot

Visitedacathedral,church,abbeyorotherreligiousbuilding

Visitedahistorichouse,statelyhome,castle

Visitedamuseum/artgallery

Visitedacountrypark/garden

Visitedavisitor/heritagecentre

Visitedascenic/historicrailway/otherarchitecture

Visitedatheme/amusementpark

Visitedanaquarium/zoo/safaripark/naturereserve

VisitedaTV/filmlocation

Visitedawhiskydistillery

Visitedcities

Activities:

Wentonaguidedtour–onfoot,busorothertransport

Golf

Shortwalk/stroll–upto2miles/1hour

Longwalk,hikeorramble(minimumof2miles/1hour)

Centrebasedwalking(i.e.aroundatowncentre)

Organisedadventuresports(whitewaterrafting/sphereing/ canyoning/gorgewalking)

Sailing/boating/watersports

Fishing

Horseriding,ponytrekking

Countrysports–hunting,shootingetc.

Wildlife/birdwatching

Cycling–onaroad/surfacedpath

Mountainbiking

PicnicorBBQ

Visitingabeach

Genealogy/tracingancestors

Spa

Shopping

Tryinglocalfood

Nightout/visitingpubs

events:

Music/artsfestival

Watchedlivesport(notonTV)

Wenttothetheatre

Attendedanexhibition/fair

Attendedalivemusicconcert

AttendedHighlandGames

Attendedceilidh/traditionalmusicevent

Attendedaspecialeventofapersonalnaturesuchas awedding,graduation,christening

Noneofthese




SATiSFACTion WiTh youR holiDAy

18. Thinking about your trip to , how would you rate your overall experience of this destination?


Verysatisfied

Fairlysatisfied

Neithersatisfiednordissatisfied

Fairlydissatisfied

Verydissatisfied

19. Based on your experiences during this trip, to what extent would you recommend

as a destination to friends and family?


Definitely

Probably

Fairlylikely

Probablynot

Definitelynot

20. how likely are you to take another trip in/to

again in the next 5 years?


Definitely

Probably

Fairlylikely

Probablynot

Definitelynot



21. And thinking about your trip to overall, how satisfied were you with each of the following aspects?

Very Fairly Neither Fairly Very Not satisfied satisfied satisfied dissatisfied dissatisfied applicable nordissatisfiedTrip planning:Theavailabilityofusefulinformationonlinetohelpyouplanyourtrip Theavailabilityofotherusefulinformationoff-linetohelpyou planyourtrip(e.g.brochures,guidebooks)

Gettingto Availabilityofconvenientairroutesto

Availabilityofconvenientsearoutesto

Thecostoftravelto/in

Publictransportavailability,serviceandvalueformoney

Accommodation:Availabilityoflowcost/budgetaccommodation Availabilityofgoodqualityaccommodation Valueformoney Friendlyandefficientservice

Activities:Theavailabilityofinformationlocallyaboutplacesyou canvisitduringyourtrip

Valueformoneyofattractions (historicsites,museums,visitorcentresetc)

Opportunitiestoattendlocalevents/festivals

Dining out:Valueformoney

Availabilityoflocalproducewhendiningout Opportunitiestointeractwithlocalpeople



22. Thinking about your trip to overall,whatdidyouenjoythemost?

[OPEN ENDED QUESTION]

23. how could your trip have been improved?

[OPEN ENDED QUESTION]

24. During or after your trip to , did you do any of the following?


Uploadtripphotostotheinternet,i.e.FlickrorFacebook

UpdateyourFacebookstatusaboutyourtrip

Tweetaboutyourtrip

Blogaboutyourtrip

LeavereviewsonwebsitessuchasTripadvisor

InstantmessagingviaMSN

Uploadtripvideostotheinternet,i.e.YouTube

Noneofthese



GeneRAl DemoGRAPhiCS

About youTohelpusanalyseyourresponses,pleaseanswerthefollowing questionsaboutyourself…

25. Are you…

Male

Female

26. your age:

16-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

65+

[SCOTLAND AND ENGLAND RESIDENTS ONLY – IFSCOTLANDORENGLANDCHOSENATQ1:(INWHICHOFTHEFOLLOWINGCOUNTRIES DOYOULIVE?)ASKTHEFOLLOWING(SHOWSCOTLANDOPTIONSTOTHOSELIVINGINSCOTLANDANDENGLISHOPTIONSTOTHOSELIVING INENGLAND.]

27. in which area of (Scotland/england) do you live?Scotland

AberdeenCity

Aberdeenshire

Angus

Argyll&Bute

Clackmannanshire

Dumfries&Galloway

DundeeCity

EastAyrshire

EastDunbartonshire

EastLothian

EastRenfrewshire

Edinburgh,Cityof

EileanSiar

Falkirk

Fife

GlasgowCity

Highland

Inverclyde

Midlothian

Moray

NorthAyrshire

NorthLanarkshire

OrkneyIslands

Perth&Kinross

Renfrewshire

ScottishBorders

ShetlandIslands

SouthAyrshire

SouthLanarkshire

Stirling

WestDunbartonshire

WestLothian

england

GreaterLondon

SouthEast

SouthWest

EastMidlands

WestMidlands

EastAnglia/EastofEngland

Yorkshire/Humberside

NorthEast

NorthWest



Thefollowingtermsareusedfrequentlywhendesigningandconductingasurveyandarereferredtothroughoutthisguide.

AnalysisHowyouplantoanalysethesurveyresults,includinganyspecificanalysistoolsandsoftwarethatyouplantouse.

BackgroundRelevantinformationontheproject,thearea,pastsurveysandexistingdemographicinformation.

Data collectionInformationonthelogisticsofcarryingoutthesurvey,includinginterviewinglocations,timetablesandsoforth.

ObjectivesAsummaryofthekeyquestionsandoverallissuesthattheprojectwilladdress.Researchobjectivesshouldclarifythesortofinformationthatyouwanttobecollectedbythesurvey.

methodHowasurveyisconducted,generallyusing aquantitativeresearchapproachandeitherface-to-faceinterviewingoranonlineoremailquestionnaire.

Quantitative research Askingalargenumberofpeoplethesame setofpre-definedquestions,sothatyouget“quantifiable”answersintermsofpercentagesandnumbersresultinginmeasurabledatathatcanbecompared.

Questionnaire Aseriesofstandardisedandspecificquestionsusedtoelicittheinformationyouwantfrom yourvisitors.

QuotaAproportionalpartorshareofthetotalsample.

Random samplingThesampleshouldbedesignedsothateverymemberofthevisitingpopulationhasanequalchanceofbeingselected.

ReportingAnoutlineofhowyouwillcommunicatetheresults–whichmethodsormaterialsyouwilluse–andtowhomyouwanttocommunicatetheresultsto.

Resources (financial, human and time)Theresourcesrequiredthroughoutthesurveyprocess.Thismaybefinancialbutwillalsoincludehumanandtimeresources.

SampleArepresentativeportionofpeoplefromthegeneralpopulationthatyouwishtolearnsomethingabout.Generallyasampleshouldbe arandomlyselectedgroupfromallofthevisitorstoasiteorarea.

Sample errorAllsurveyshaveamarginoferror.Generallythis isreducedbyincreasingsamplesize,thoughthisisonlyeffectiveuptoapoint.Othersourcesoferrorinsurveyresearchincludemeasurementerror,forexamplewhentheanswersonasurveyareincomplete,impreciseorinaccurate.Measurementerrormaybecausedbyapoorlywordedquestionnaire,poorlytrainedinterviewersorbyerrororbiasonthepartofrespondents. Nonresponsecanalsobeasourceoferror.

SubgroupAspecificgroupofpeopleyouareinterestedinfindingoutmoreabout,forexample,dayvisitors,orlocals,orvisitorsfromoverseas.

GLOSSARY Glossary

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