Tourism and Visitor Management
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Dorset Marine and Coastal Topic Paper Series 2012
Tourism and Visitor Management
This topic paper focuses on visitor management on the Dorset Coast and summarises tourism in Dorset and outlines some possible future trends and their implications ;
The Dorset coast and its maritime waters are arguably Dorset's most important single tourism asset and one of the principal attractions for visitors to Dorset
with the top visitor motivations for visiting the area were ‘seaside, beaches and coast’
(http://www.visitdorset.com/xsdbimgs/State%20of%20Tourism%20Report%202010.pdf. Tourism, however, is also a source of many of the pressures on the
coastal environment and communities. An increase in visitors at any location along the Dorset Coast (whether one already under pressure from high visitor numbers
or a perceived ‘tranquil’ zone) can potentially impact negatively on local landscape and infrastructure. How to build the tourism economy, whilst sustaining the
coastal environment, represents a huge and continuing challenge.
this influx of visitors to ensure that the
World Heritage Site designation was given to a management of visitors is done effectively.
large part of the Dorset coast in 2001. The
Jurassic Coast is now a well known brand and is The coastal landscapes and small towns and
a visitor attractor in its own right. Anecdotal villages represent a series of visitor attractions.
evidence suggests an increase in overseas Lyme Regis, in the west of the county, is famous
visitors since World Heritage Site designation in for its connection with Jane Austen, Mary
2001. Anning and the Cobb and, together with
Charmouth, is the main centre for fossil
Ports and harbours are important to visitors collecting along the Jurassic Coast. Chesil Beach
with Poole Harbour bringing visitors from attracts visitors for recreational purposes, in
abroad into the county as well as providing an particular angling and at 17 miles long, is one of
The Dorset coast is approximately 285 Km attractive centre for yachting, watersports and the world’s finest barrier beaches. The Isle of
(including Poole harbour) in length and has two boat trips. Local harbours such as Christchurch, Portland and Portland Bill are also popular
larger conurbation areas, numerous towns and Weymouth and West Bay harbour are places visitor attractions. Hengistbury Head in the far
some smaller more rural communities. There where a huge range of activities take place and east of the county attracts in the region of
are many publicly accessible beaches with attract a great deal of visitors. 780,000 people annually. A new visitor centre
multiple owners and a National Trail running its at Durlston Country Park, Durlston Castle is now
length. The 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Sailing a world class 'Gateway Centre' for the park and
events is attracting and will continue to attract a for the Jurassic Coast World Heritage.
The marine environment, with its diverse large number of visitors to the Dorset area,
underwater wildlife, clean waters and particularly to Weymouth and Portland. Over 1 million people walk some of the South
underwater archaeology attracts many to the Transport, safety and infrastructure measures West Coast Path National Trail between Poole
area for diving and other recreational pursuits have all been taken into account to deal with and Lyme Regis each year, with the most walked
such as diving, kite surfing and sailing. section of the entire 630 mile route being the
1Dorset Marine and Coastal Topic Paper Series 2012
Tourism and Visitor Management
one mile between Durdle Door and Lulworth Coastal Visitor Accommodation
Cove. The Countryside and Public Rights of Way There is a variety of accommodation available Serviced accommodation represents the
Act (2000) and the new Marine and Coastal within the county, ranging from holiday parks , mainstay of accommodation in the conurbations
Access Act (2009) provide a legislative basis for 1-5 star hotels, self catering cottages to farm (Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth). The lack
further improvements to coastal access stays. of growth in the residential market has
restricted investment, and a proportion of
Several private estates in the area contain Over the past 30 years there has been a marked serviced accommodation in some of the county's
nationally recognised geomorphological features change in the requirement for the different smaller resorts is in need of improvement. The
formed as a result of natural processes acting on accommodation types. In the early 1960s increased expectations of tourists means a large
the geology. These include the Encombe estate approximately 20% of visitors stayed in self majority consider en-suite accommodation as
at Kimmeridge and the Weld Estate at Lulworth, catering accommodation, whist the remaining standard and not as a luxury.
famous for Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove - it is 80% stayed in serviced accommodation (hotels,
estimated that over 500,000 people visit B & Bs and guest houses). There is a growing awareness of issues of
Lulworth Cove annually. In 2010 self catering accommodation represents sustainability and the concept of ‘green’ tourism
some 70% of tourist accommodation. The has become much more mainstream since 2000.
The National Trust own and manage over 17 accommodation range, however, is not divided Visitors, particularly the European market have
kilometres of the Dorset coastline, including evenly throughout the county and some areas high levels of environmental awareness and
Golden Cap Estate, Ringstead Beach, West are much more dependent on one form of expect the same of their destination. 25 holiday
Bexington, Studland Bay and Corfe Castle & accommodation than another. Holiday parks parks in Dorset have achieved the David Bellamy
village and deal with many thousands of visitors represent a large proportion of the conservation standards and 44 other
to these areas per year. accommodation in rural Dorset. For example, in accommodation providers hold the Green
West Dorset, 80% of the accommodation is Tourism Business Scheme award. In addition
The county has over 120 built visitor attractions within holiday parks. businesses can become a Jurassic Coast Quality
covering a range of interests including historical Partner who support the conservation of the
properties, wildlife attractions, museums and The trends in the market have led to many of Jurassic Coast World Heritage.
exhibitions, gardens and country parks. These these sites investing in ancillary leisure facilities,
attractions have a particular value in providing in order to meet increasing expectations of Visitor categories
wet weather alternatives to outdoor activities. quality within the family holiday market. As a Two main categories of visitors can be identified
They also include local amenities such as retail result standards have probably increased at a – these can then be divided into four types of
centres, leisure complexes such as Tower Park greater rate than hotels with on many sites hire trip:
(Poole) and local sports facilities. caravans are replaced every three to four years.
And more care is taken witrh the environment Day Visitors - those who visit Dorset and
There are many Visitor Centres as well as within the park such as an increase in tree return to their home, on the same day.
Tourism Information Centres along the coast planting or caravans chosen that merge better Many visit on the spur of the moment as a
into the countryside. result of good weather, or to undertake a
2Dorset Marine and Coastal Topic Paper Series 2012
Tourism and Visitor Management
recreational activity or visit a built or o Special Interest (Day or had the first decline in visitor numbers to the UK
natural attraction. Statistics show that overnight visitors) - Includes from abroad since 2001 and a decline of 2.7%
although many day visitors are local both recreational users who from 20071.
residents others are happy to travel from as travel to the coast to undertake
far away as London, the Midlands and other a specific sport as well as those Domestic trip taking in 2008 also declined by
parts of the South West. who visit the area for its almost 5% since 20071.
geological, historical, literary or In 2009 the UK still was in recession, causing a
Overnight Visitors - spend at least one night wildlife interest. rise in demand for domestic holiday trips during
in paid accommodation within the county. the year as people took holidays closer to home.
They include educational and business trips o Local Resident-Visitors (Day The UK took 42.3 million domestic holidays in
as well as holidays in the region. On average visitors) Dorset residents do not 2009; this was greater than the number of
20% of all visitors to the Dorset coast stay often consider themselves as holidays abroad for the first time in five years2.
overnight and their average level of 'tourists' whilst in Dorset,
spending is over twice that of day visitors. although many utilise the coast New tourism trends emerging since the
and its facilities in a similar way recession include:
o Business Trips (Day or overnight to those visiting from out of the Increased competition from foreign holidays
visitors) Business trips are county. and a decline in long UK family holidays;
mainly confined to the eastern An increase in second, or third, short UK
conurbation as Bournemouth Trends of Tourism in Dorset: trips;
has a wide range of conference Coastal tourism in Dorset has developed in the An increase in day trips, which does not use
facilities, including the same way as many other coastal regions; resorts local accommodation;
Bournemouth International developed in the wake of the Georgian and A growth in interest in niche markets for
Centre (BIC) which is the venue Victorian fashion for sea bathing. There was special interest holidays, including an
for some of the UK's major steady growth through the 50s, 60s and early industry focus on how to generate business
conferences. 70s partly as a result of the increasing use of rail outside the main season;
and road travel, resulting in more British families Increase in overseas visitors;
o Educational Visits (Day or taking an annual holiday by the sea. In the late Growth in business tourism.
overnight visitors) Outdoor 70s and early 80s, competition from foreign
education on the Dorset coast package holidays led the decline of the British Dorset's tourism industry is a highly diverse
attracts in the region of 250,000 seaside holiday. The advent of the recession in range of small and medium sized businesses,
student visits each year. In the late 80s and early 90s affected UK tourism supported by many co-ordinating initiatives.
addition many foreign students further. Tourism has to adapt continually to changes in
attend language schools in the visitor market, and improve its product and
Bournemouth. The latest economic recession has had a marketing.
dramatic impact on UK tourism. In 2008, the UK
3Dorset Marine and Coastal Topic Paper Series 2012
Tourism and Visitor Management
Tourism Spend visitors still access the Dorset Coast by the the Jurassic Coast running every two hours.
The total visitor related spend for 2009 for private car. This can lead to congestion, Since the start it has been immensely successful
Dorset was £1,573,106,573 especially during the main holiday season. with a 150% increase in passenger usage and is
With the number of recorded trips were Traffic on coastal roads in August can be frequently cited in the national press as one of
19,356,816, number of nights 15,423,000 and between 6,500 – 8,100 vehicles per day. the best ways of accessing the coast.
amount spent £814,221,0002 Trains
In some areas (rural) road capacity and car The main line London Waterloo to Weymouth
Employment in the tourism industry parking spaces could deteriorate in the next 20 service was increased to half hourly in 2009.
Throughout the county there are vast years mainly due to loss of roads due to of There is some limited, capacity for bikes on the
differences in the type and volume of tourism. coastal erosion. The National Trust has recently trains. There is also a service from Bristol to
The coastal resorts and smaller coastal towns estimated a loss of 400 car parking spaces in 30 Weymouth. There is no trainline from
and villages are heavily dependent on tourism, – 35 years at Studland due to coastal erosion. Weymouth to Exeter.
in terms of both economic revenue and Cycle ways
employment opportunities. The tourism The tourism industry has a huge challenge to Sustrans National Cycle Route 2 has been
industry supports 38,700 jobs in Dorset better market alternative transport options, in developed (with sections still in development)
(including Bournemouth and Poole) and the an effort to encourage visitors to travel between Exeter and Christchurch, although
annual tourism spend brings £1.5 Billion into sustainably to and from and along the coast. most of the route is slightly inland from the
Dorset2. These figures include employees in: coast. Purbeck Cycle Way comprises of a
Tourist Information and Visitor Centres, Dorset’s Sustainable Transport Initiatives variety of paths along quiet country lanes
restaurants, snack bars, cafes, public houses, through out Purbeck, which can be mixed and
bars, night clubs, licensed clubs, hotel trade, matched to suit individual requirements.
holiday parks, other tourist/short stay Waterborne Transport
accommodation, museums, art galleries, Boat trips do operate along the coast, in
attractions, sport and recreation providers, particular from the larger resorts. An exciting
travel agencies and tour operators. initiative is underway to develop waterborne
transport into a more main stream form of
Expenditure varies markedly between staying transport. Recognising the constraints is critical
and day visitors, with an estimated breakdown to this work but there is undoubtedly a huge
of average spend per visitor as follows: potential to make this an economically and
Total staying spend: £814,221,000 CoastlinX53 environmentally sustainable form of transport.
Total day trip spend: £701,469,573 In 2003, the X53 bus service (Poole to Exeter) In April 2012 a bid was put in to the Coastal
received a Rural Bus Challenge grant and Community Fund by Dorset County Council to
Visitor Movement along the Coast became re-branded as CoastlinX53 (know locally pilot this in Dorset.
Despite a marked improvement in sustainable as the Jurassic Coast bus). In 2012 there were Park & Ride Schemes
transport options in recent years, almost 80% of five double-decker buses displaying scenes from
4Dorset Marine and Coastal Topic Paper Series 2012
Tourism and Visitor Management
The Swanage Railway is utilised as part of a park Throughout the summer the Bournemouth, numbers. The impact has been to limit the
and ride scheme run by Purbeck District Council. Poole and Weymouth run a land-train runs previous growth of the accommodation sector,
The route runs from Norden, through Corfe along the promenade. and create a situation where competition has
Castle to Swanage. Weymouth and Dorchester led to pressures to both reduce holiday prices
have park and ride schemes that have been put Visitor management related issues and increase quality
in for the 2012 Olympic Sailing events. Both External factors Short breaks
Poole and Bournemouth run regular park and Tourism is a volatile industry, greatly affected by Shorter second or third holidays, and weekend
ride schemes to help ease congestion. external factors. Examples include: trips. This provides a market that is less stable
Joint Ticket Initiatives Climate change - warmer Easters and than the traditional longer holiday, with
Some local attractions, such as the Sea Life Park, October Half Terms have seen a marked decisions likely to be taken at shorter notice and
have formed local partnerships with bus increase in occupancy levels for Dorset a greater threat of cancellation.
operators to provide free or reduced admission accommodation providers in recent Seasonality
on production of a voucher obtained from years. Conversely, recent summers in The main school holidays, and a preference for
participating bus operators on bus journeys into the UK have been disappointing in terms summer holidays, ensure that the tourism
the town centre, in an attempt to reduce of weather, resulting in a continuation pattern in Dorset shows a marked seasonality.
unnecessary car use. In the Devon section of the of overseas foreign holidays. Increased The majority of visits take place within a
Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, Stuart Line storminess can also affect the industry. relatively small amount of time - between June
Cruises have developed a one ticket scheme Water quality for Dorset’s sea – poor and August. In the winter, a proportion of the
with First Group which covers the user for travel water quality in the sea could have a visitor infrastructure, including some small
by boat and bus detrimental effect to coastal regions shops and attractions close, due to less demand
Hopper Buses The economy as visitor numbers decline. Large car parks and
Throughout the main tourist season, Weymouth International instability such as accommodation are also under-utilised at these
has several dedicated buses which travel along terrorism times. In the summer months the sudden boom
the seafront from the Pavilion to Bowleaze Cove. Unprecedented events such the in visitor numbers often results in an
The busses which run on a continuous loop outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in overloading of the visitor infrastructure and
(approx. every 10 minutes) offer inexpensive 2001 and the Icelandic volcanic ash congestion on the county's roads. This is not a
short distance travel, in order to encourage affecting flights in 2010. new issue. There has been anecdotal evidence
visitors to leave their cars at their to suggest that visitor numbers have increased
accommodation. In addition, there is a Holidays abroad out of season, especially in the ‘shoulder’
Countryside/ Jurassic Coast branded shuttle bus The trends in the domestic tourism market in months of April – June and September –
which runs between Swanage and Durlston the last twenty years have been dominated by October.
Country Park in the summer months, alleviating the growth in cheap holidays abroad, and Dorset
traffic pressure through Swanage. has suffered its effects. The greater availability The Impacts relating to Tourism
Land Train and price reductions in long haul travel Tourism has the potential to create impacts on
destinations could continue to affect UK visitor the environment and communities that it relies
5Dorset Marine and Coastal Topic Paper Series 2012
Tourism and Visitor Management
on to accommodate visitors. Communities have Visitors can cause physical damage to the coast, but it is necessary to tackle the sources of litter
adapted to tourism activity, and the much being unintentional, such as at Lulworth to really make progress in overcoming the
management measures therefore limiting some where the path between the Cove and Durdle problem. More work is needed on liasing with
areas of environmental damage. Nevertheless, Door is eroding due to the volume of visitors the shipping and commercial fishing industries,
some impacts do occur and can range from: using it through the summer months. A leisure vessels and marinas, water companies
Inappropriate Development challenge is the expense associated with the on- and the general public to vastly increase the
An increase in visitors can lead to pressure for going erosion of the coast path It is not always awareness of the effects of marine litter on the
new developments to serve and capitalise on clear who should shoulder the burden of repair environment, bird and wild life and the public’s
their needs: e.g. holiday parks, visitor centres, and maintenance costs. enjoyment of the coast.
cafes, signs, car parks and additional Transport and Traffic Congestion
accommodation. Problems can arise if these Traffic growth is undoubtedly part of a national Structure of tourism and transport in Dorset
facilities are out of keeping with the setting or trend. Visit Dorset: Since 2007, tourism in Dorset has
when local residents feel that they are an Management of the coast operated under a Destination Management
unnecessary addition to the area. The management of the coast is directed by the Organisation (DMO) with the aim of improving
Overcrowding Shoreline Management Plans which encourage a integration between all those with a stake in the
Overcrowding can occur when the number of policy of ‘no active intervention’ along the tourism industry in the county, including local
people at a particular site or location exceeds majority of the Jurassic Coast. Since erosion is a authorities, the private sector and key agencies.
the capacity of the place to handle them. key process that maintains the natural beauty The DMO has a joint website, visit Dorset
However, capacity is notoriously difficult to and integrity of the World Heritage Site, there is (www.visitdorset.co.uk) which provides a one
measure and what to one person may seem like a conflict with maintaining and safely promoting stop shop for information and bookings.
overcrowding, may not be an issue to another. the coastal footpaths.
Clearly there are ‘honey pot’ sites along the Car Parking Organisations such as the Dorset Coast Forum,
Dorset coast (Studland, Lulworth Cove, Many car parks in the county are geared Dorset AONB, Jurassic Coast World Heritage Team,
Charmouth) and problems can arise for local towards visitor parking in the peak months, Natural England, County Council Countryside
residents who feel visitor numbers are too high therefore a high proportion remain virtually services, Districts and Borough Councils, National
for the area. Interestingly, however, it is often unused outside of the main season. In certain Trust, the South West Coast Path team and other
the quieter, more tranquil areas which cause areas car parks can be visually intrusive and may partners all work to subtly manage visitors at
concern when visitor numbers increase – again reduce the enjoyment of the site. In 2009, West strategic level and on the ground to ensure that
hinting at the perception of capacity rather than roads are not congested, footpaths are not
Dorset District Council, together with the Dorset
eroded, communities and landscapes are
the reality. This issue was explored in a carrying AONB, developed car parking guidelines
respected and that everyone can enjoy the Dorset
capacity study undertaken in Purbeck in 2006 by encouraging consideration of the environment
coast in a safe and sustainable way. Visitor
Bournemouth University in any landscaping of car parks. management and tourism feature in:
http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/15167/1/Pur Marine litter The Dorset Coast Strategy (2011 - 2021)
beck_Carrying_Capacity_140607.pdf Litter is an ongoing problem on Dorset’s The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site
Wear & Tear beaches. Beach cleans play an important role Management Plan
6Dorset Marine and Coastal Topic Paper Series 2012
Tourism and Visitor Management
The Dorset AONB Management Plan
The Dorset and East Devon Coastal Corridor
Action Plan.
Local Plans
Local Beach Management Plans
References:
1 – http://www.visit-
dorset.com/xsdbimgs/State%20of%20Tourism%20Report%202010.pdf
2-
http://www.westdorset.com/xsdbimgs/Dorset%20&%20districts%2009.pdf
Contribution to this paper:
S.King,- Jurassic Coast team
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