Executive Summary

As part of delivery of the Peak District National Park Management Plan, we committed to working with our partners to consolidate the existing data about visitor behaviour and perceptions and establish baseline data on non-visitor profile by 2019.

This report summarises a wide range of data, reports and insight in to visitor & non-visitor information in the Peak District National Park. This is to inform and support delivery of National Park purposes through the work of the National Park Management Plan. This is not a repository of data; it is a review of knowledge in tourism.

The report also highlights knowledge gaps and areas for further research and study.

How many people visit the National Park?

Tourism in the UK and in the Peak District is on the rise. Both Staying and Day visitors have increased and this represents an increase of 11.6% of visitor days between 2009 and 2017.

We cannot say with certainty the number of visitors who come to the National Park. Using the available surveys and data we have, we know likely visitor volume to range somewhere between 13 million and 26 million per annum.

What is the value of Tourism to the economy?

Long-term trends in the Peak District show the overall economic impact of tourism has increased and the total economic impact stands at a record £644 million.

Tourism is a major employer in the Peak District estimated to support nearly 10,000 jobs.

Visitor Spend in the Peak District

Staying visitors spend and contribute more to the economy per person overall than tourist day visitors. Of the total economic impact of tourism, staying visitors contribute 51% compared with day visitors 49%.

There are is a significant proportion of visitors who make short trips to the park and are less likely to spend money but they are often frequent repeat visitors.

Who visits?

The Peak District attracts a large amount of retired people and students. A very small proportion are unemployed and most people come from better off areas of the country. Black Minority Ethnic groups are underrepresented in our visitor profile.

A large proportion of visitors to the Peak District National Park are from the more affluent, healthy sectors of society. These groups are over-represented compared to society as a whole.

Why do people visit?

Nearly all visitors come to enjoy the protected landscape and special qualities of the National Park. Around 2 in 5 visitors came because they had never been before.

What do people do?

Over half of all visitors state their main activity as walking 2-10 miles. Most visitors stay in campervans, caravans and tents. Half of bed supply in the Peak District is caravans, campervans and tents.

Almost all visitors rate their time in the National Park positively.

A large proportion of visitors arrive by car and this is simply down to convenience.

Where do they come from?

Most visitors come from within an hour’s drive of the National Park boundary and visit areas or gateways within the National Park closest to them.

Most staying visitors come from the wider areas xxxxx

Who doesn’t Visit?

Three quarters of non-visitors came from disadvantaged backgrounds. ACORN Segmentation shows that financially stretched young people or young families and at the other extreme of this category financially stretched pensioners are least likely to visit the Peak District.

Location affects awareness of the Peak District National Park. Non-visitors in Sheffield are much more likely to be aware of the Peak District National Park than those in Manchester.

Why don’t they visit?

Only 20% of Non-Visitors from Sheffield were not aware of the National Park. Transportation and distance travelling to the National Park are barriers to visiting for non-visitors from Sheffield and Greater Manchester.

Difficulty in getting to the National Park was also most significant in the 65+ years old group.

A lack of knowledge of what is available in the National Park means that many people don’t have any real reason to visit.

Just over a third of all non-visitors state, they are unlikely to visit the Peak District National Park in the future.

The Peak District destination

Peak District National Park landscapes are our core tourism asset; they are the primary appeal of an authentic Peak District destination and the basis for a welcoming and inspiring experience. The wide variety of recreation activities available in the Peak District results directly from the diversity of landscapes in close proximity to each other.

The Peak District National Park is the most accessible National Park in the UK and is served by a network of major and minor roads, which generally provide excellent access to/from and around the area.

The Peak District has a wide variety of attractions including heritage sites, country houses and parks, reservoirs and caverns. And is surrounded by a large number of significant towns which attract Tourists in their own right.