COMMUNITY

Research Survey Findings

 

During summer 2007, the Burren Connect Project commissioned and carried out an extensive survey which canvassed the views of visitors, accommodation providers and the managers of visitor centres in the Burren region.

 

538 visitors participated in the survey, all were availing of accommodation in the area (day trippers were excluded). This sample size is large enough to yield significant and meaningful results. In addition 63 accommodation providers and 10 visitor centre mangers were surveyed.

 

The objective of the visitor survey was to assess the visitor experience of the Burren, to allow information be targeted more effectively, and to develop sustainable services and activities based on real visitor demand.

 

The survey questions teased out information on how visitors hear about the Burren, how they get here, what they do here, what they would like to do, and most importantly, if their visit met their expectations and if they would return. 

 

Visitor’s knowledge of the fragile nature of the Burren environment was examined, as well as awareness of the impact of certain practices such as picking flowers or removing stones.

96% of respondents said their hoiday in the Burren met their expectations

53% would return for the scenery and the landscape

35% said they would like to see more of the Burren

12% would come back for activities or relaxation

88% said they would like to return

32% were on a return visit

 

On a less positive note 16% said the Burren is too far from their home country to visit again, while 14% said it is too expensive.

 

  

 

97% of accommodation providers and 80% of Visitor Centre Managers believe the Burren should be developed and promoted as an eco-tourism destination and should be branded accordingly. Almost all believe this would have a potentially positive economic impact on the area.

 

60% of accommodation providers affirmed they would be interested in achieving internationally recognised accreditation as an eco-tourism provider.

 

64% of visitors surveyed knew that the Burren is protected under legislation.

When asked to rate the impact (high / medium / low / none) of removing stones, picking flowers or building mini- dolmens, on the environment, 36% of respondents rated all three activities as having high impact.

 

Therefore just over one third of visitors surveyed have the necessary knowledge to act in a way that is environmentally sustainable in a basic sense. This, despite the fact that 64% are aware of legislative protection, suggesting that further visitor education is a priority.

 

 

The Top 5 rated activities amongst visitors were:

 

Visits to visitor / interpretative centres

Visits to archaeological monuments

Participation in local cultural events

Guided Tours

Walking routes

 

Accommodation providers surveyed said they believe that the demand is highest for walking routes, visiting archaeological monuments, cycling routes, cultural events, and interpretive centres.

 

Visitor Centre managers reported that demand is highest for visiting Visitor Centres and attending cultural events.

Overall, the findings of this survey were quite positive. When examined holistically, the findings point towards a number of opportunities. The length of visitor stay and the demand for activities suggest there is considerable scope to increase the overall time spent by visitors in the area. Many visitors expressed a desire to engage in more activities than they actually undertook on their holiday. As less than 1 in 3 stay entirely in the Burren, and only 14% stay more than 4 nights, it would be fair to conclude that there is significant unsatisfied demand for the identified activities. This suggests that there is strong potential to retain visitors longer through increased accessibility and availability of such activities.

 

The Burren Connect Project will be responding to the high level of interest in developing the Burren as an ecotourism destination by organising workshops to help develop a collective strategy on ecotourism and information days.