Visitors to Beaulieu
Visitor Numbers
The sophisticated admission system used at Beaulieu enables us to keep accurate visitor records. Normally circa 350,000 visitors are attracted each year. About 70% of the visitors came whilst on holiday in the area. Visitor figures over the year can be viewed under the 'Visitor History' sheet.
Visitor Surveys
As well as an accurate visitor count a market research programme is carried out each year. Visitors are interviewed as they leave the complex and the results of the questionnaires are analysed on a computer so that the answers to each question can be cross-related. The interviewees are carefully selected, using a random sampling technique, to ensure that the sample accurately reflects the true visiting population.
In addition, Awareness Surveys are carried out to find out what the perception of Beaulieu is among potential visitors. Members of the public are interviewed in shopping centers in several towns in southern England up to 100 miles away from Beaulieu.
The result of the two types of surveys are combined and used as a guide to improving both the facilities and services on offer at Beaulieu and the marketing methods used to promote Beaulieu.
Statistics about Visitors
Survey results show that about 70% of the visitors are on holiday at the time of their visit. The rest (30%) are called day visitors - those who come to Beaulieu from their own homes. Most of those on holiday are staying in the New Forest or Bournemouth (90%), most of them travelling less than 30 miles to reach Beaulieu. Some of the day visitors travel considerable distances to get to Beaulieu, 52% living more than 50 miles away, from places such as Yorkshire, South Wales and Kent. About a third of the holiday visitors stay in serviced accommodation (hotels, guest houses and B&B’s) while another third are camping or caravanning.
The visitors include people of all ages, socio-economic groups and working backgrounds. About half of the visitors come in groups that include children, mostly family units. Almost a third are in groups of just two adults. About 6% of the visitors are children in organised educational groups.
The most popular feature at Beaulieu is the National Motor Museum that almost everyone visits (98%). About 86% of the visitors ride on Wheels. The next most popular feature is Palace House followed by the Abbey, which about two thirds of visitors see. The average length of stay at Beaulieu is about 4 hours although in the summer many visitors will stay all day.
Most of the visitors say that they have enjoyed all aspects of their visit and consider their day to have been good value for money. The majority of visitors have seen some sort of publicity for Beaulieu before their visit, the most common types being television advertisements and publicity leaflets.