Visit Devon Members Survey 2022

Visit Devon Members Survey 2022

Produced for and on behalf of Visit Devon by The South West Research Company Ltd. April 2022

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Contents Page Key Findings & Conclusions Background & Methodology Results

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Appendix – Literal responses

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Key Findings & Conclusions • This report presents the findings of a survey undertaken amongst Visit Devon members undertaken during March and April 2022. It was commissioned by the Visit Devon Board and undertaken by The South West Research Company Ltd. during March and April 2022.

• The survey was conducted online and Visit Devon were responsible for sharing the link and promoting participation amongst members which was done initially via an E-newsletter sent out on Monday 7 th March 2022 and followed up by several reminders over the period when the survey was live.

Key Findings: • 63% of members were accommodation providers.

• 38% of the members operating an accommodation businesses were serviced accommodation providers whilst 37% were self catering providers.

• 65% of members have belonged to the organisation for more than 3 years.

• 23% of members had heard about Visit Devon through its website, 17% through a recommendation and 15% had been contacted by them.

• Three quarters of members were aware that Visit Devon is a not-for-profit community interest company.

• 83% of members were also members of other local destination marketing organisations.

• 73% of members currently follow Visit Devon on their social media platforms.

• The vast majority of members (95%) said email was their preferred method of communicating with Visit Devon.

• 92% of members’ business comes from the UK/Domestic market.

• 43% of members’ business comes from over a 2.5 hours drive time.

• Around a quarter of members (23%) have contacted Visit Devon for advice, guidance or support since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

• 64% of business (who contacted Visit Devon for advice, guidance or support since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic) said the level of service they received was ‘very good’ and a further 29% said it was ‘good’.

• The factors which members considered of most importance to the overall success of their business were; the Visit Devon website, Visit Devon running domestic marketing campaigns and Visit Devon social media campaigns.

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Key Findings & Conclusions • 47% of members rated the current Visit Devon website as a ‘good’ promotional tool for their business and a further 20% as a ‘very good’ one.

• 47% of members also rated the current Visit Devon website as a ‘good’ promotional tool for the county and a further 37% as a ‘very good’ one.

• The top five factors which members feel are the most importance things that Visit Devon should be focussing on are: 1) Promoting Devon as a destination via social media campaigns; 2) Promoting Devon as a destination via the Visit Devon website; 3) To be a leading and lobbying voice for the visitor economy across Devon with government, Visit England and Devon County Council; 4) Promoting / featuring the members' businesses and 5) To promote the visitor economy on national and local media.

• 78% of members would recommend Visit Devon to other businesses in their community.

Conclusions: Whilst we know that the organisation worked hard in trying to promote the survey through newsletters, correspondence and direct contact with members this still only produced a low sample (less than 10%), however, it is worth noting; • Overall, the results clearly demonstrate that those members who took part in the survey think very highly of the organisation and the services it provides with over three quarters saying that they would recommend it to other businesses in their community which is good news for Visit Devon!

• The differential between the proportion of members who feel the Visit Devon website is ‘good’ or ‘very good’ for their own business (67%) compared with the proportion who feel the same about it as a promotional tool for the county (84%) shows there is room for improvement here in terms of the website meeting the individual needs of businesses with 20% considering it neither ‘good nor poor’ and 3% considering it to be ‘poor’.

• Whilst the proportion of members contacting the organisation for advice, guidance or support since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic was relatively low (23%), almost all of those who did so (93%) considered the service they received to have been ‘good’ or ‘very good’.

• Members think that marketing to domestic markets is most important to them and should be the organisations key focus moving forward, along with 4 being a representative and lobbying voice for the Devon visitor economy. 4 © 2022

Results

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First of all is your business...?

An accommodation establishment

63%

A visitor or leisure attraction

20%

Sports or activities-based business

3%

A food and drinks related business - pub, restaurant, cafe, take-away etc

2%

A retail business

3%

An accommodation agency

3%

Other

(N = 60)

5% 0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

63% of members were accommodation providers.

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Is your main business..........?

A hotel (10 rooms or less)

3% (N = 38)

A hotel (more than 10 rooms)

11%

A bed & breakfast/guest house

24%

Self catering

37%

Holiday Park Caravan/camping site

11% 5%

Other type of accommodation 0%

11% 10%

20%

30%

40%

38% of the members operating an accommodation businesses were serviced accommodation providers whilst 37% were self catering providers.

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Approximately how long have you been a member of Visit Devon?

1 year

13%

2 years

(N = 60)

8%

3 years

10%

More than 3 years

Don't know/unsure 0%

65%

3% 20%

40%

60%

80%

65% of members have belonged to the organisation for more than 3 years.

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How did you hear or find out about Visit Devon?

17%

Recommended to me by another business

(N = 60)

23%

Through the Visit Devon website

8%

Through another internet source

5%

Saw Visit Devon in the press or a media article

3%

Visit Devon social media activity (Facebook, Twitter etc)

2%

Saw Visit Devon at a trade show/exhibition

15%

Visit Devon contacted us

27%

Don't know/can't recall

17%

Other (Please specify)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

23% of members had heard about Visit Devon through its website, 17% through a recommendation and 15% had been contacted by them.

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Are you aware that Visit Devon is a not-for-profit community interest company?

(N = 60)

Yes

75%

No

25%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Three quarters of members were aware that Visit Devon is a not-for-profit community interest company.

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Are you also a member of any other local destination marketing organisations?

(N = 60)

Yes

No

0%

83%

17%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

83% of members were also members of other local destination marketing organisations - the full list of which can be found in the appendix which accompanies this report.

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Do you currently follow Visit Devon on their social media platforms?

(N = 60)

Yes

73%

No

0%

27%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

73% of members currently follow Visit Devon on their social media platforms.

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What is your preferred method of communicating with Visit Devon?

(N = 59)

Email

Phone

0%

95%

5%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

The vast majority of members (95%) said email was their preferred method of communicating with Visit Devon.

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Approximately what proportions of your business comes from the UK domestic and Overseas markets?

UK/Domestic

92%

Overseas

9%

92% of members’ business comes from the UK/Domestic market.

Approximately what proportions of your UK business comes from the following geographical areas?

Up to 1.5 hours drive time

30%

Between 1.5 and 2.5 hours drive time

31%

Over 2.5 hours drive time

43%

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43% of members’ business comes from over a 2.5 hours drive time. © 2022

Have you contacted Visit Devon for advice, guidance or support since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic?

(N = 60)

Yes

23%

No

77%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Around a quarter of members (23%) have contacted Visit Devon for advice, guidance or support since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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How would you rate the level of service you received when you contacted Visit Devon?

Poor

(N = 14)

7%

Good

29%

Very good

0%

64%

20%

40%

60%

80%

64% of business (who contacted Visit Devon for advice, guidance or support since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic) said the level of service they received was ‘very good’ and a further 29% said it was ‘good’.

Comments relating to the level of service they received are provided overleaf.

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How important are the following factors to your overall business success?

Importance score (out of a max. of 3.00)

52%

The Visit Devon website

43%

38%

Visit Devon social media campaigns

53%

47%

Visit Devon running domestic marketing campaigns Visit Devon attending domestic trade show events

25%

Visit Devon running international marketing campaigns

27%

48% 43%

43%

Access to the Visit Devon image library and digital resources

33%

38%

Support and advice during the Covid pandemic

32%

43%

Very important

20%

Of some importance

40%

1.87

25%

2.07

28% 60%

2.05

25% 80%

2.42

1.87

28%

32%

2.30

1.97

33%

57%

2.47

2.02

30%

Industry website

0%

5% 23%

47%

15%

Visit Devon holding members' meetings

8%

52%

20%

Visit Devon attending international trade show events

5%

2.07

100%

Not important

The factors which members considered of most importance to the overall success of their business were; the Visit Devon website (importance score of 2.47), Visit Devon running domestic marketing campaigns (importance score of 2.42) and Visit Devon social media 17 campaigns (importance score of 2.30). © 2022

How would you rate the current Visit Devon website as a promotional tool for your business?

Poor

3%

(N = 60)

Neither good nor poor

20%

Good

47%

Very good

Don't know 0%

20%

10% 20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

47% of members rated the current Visit Devon website as a ‘good’ promotional tool for their business and a further 20% as a ‘very good’ one.

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How would you rate the current Visit Devon website as a promotional tool for the county?

Neither good nor poor

10%

(N = 60)

Good

47%

Very good

Don't know 0%

37%

7% 20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

47% of members also rated the current Visit Devon website as a ‘good’ promotional tool for the county and a further 37% as a ‘very good’ one.

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Please select the top five most important things from the list below that you feel Visit Devon should be focussing on (N = 60)

83%

Promoting Devon as a destination via social media campaigns

67%

Promoting Devon as a destination via the Visit Devon website To be a leading and lobbying voice for the visitor economy across Devon with government, Visit England and Devon County Council

65% 48%

Promoting / featuring the members' businesses

42%

To promote the visitor economy on national and local media To attend and promote the visitor economy at a range of national trade events for the domestic market

35%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

The top five factors which members feel are the most importance things that Visit Devon should be focussing on are: 1) Promoting Devon as a destination via social media campaigns; 2) Promoting Devon as a destination via the Visit Devon website; 3) To be a leading and lobbying voice for the visitor economy across Devon with government, Visit England and Devon County Council; 4) Promoting / featuring the members' businesses and 5) To promote the visitor economy on national and local media.

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Please select the top five most important things from the list below that you feel Visit Devon should be focussing on (continued) (N = 60)

27%

Help Devon to meet its Zero Carbon and other climate change objectives

25%

Help Devon to become a market leader for Accessible Tourism Working closely with Local Authorities to enable delivery of business grants and funding support Working with our partners in the Great South West Tourism Partnership and the Heart of the South-West LEP to undertake collaborative business impact surveys to provide robust data to government, MPs and stakeholders

23% 20%

To attend and promote the visitor economy at a range of national trade events for the international markets

18%

Promote and support the local supply chain

18%

Providing essential communications, business support and information

Linking with providers to offer important skill and training resources

0% 21

15% 12% 20%

40%

60%

80%

100% © 2022

Would you recommend Visit Devon to other businesses in our community?

(N = 60)

Yes

No

Unsure

0%

78%

2%

20%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

78% of members would recommend Visit Devon to other businesses in their community.

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Visit Devon Members Survey 2022 The South West Research Company Ltd www.tswrc.co.uk

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