Visitors value national park status
Visitors value national park status
The latest visitor survey (2024-25), commissioned by the Park Authority and conducted by M.E.L Research, found that three-quarters of visitors considered national park status important when researching holiday destinations. They were asked a range of questions about their stay, including the length of the visit and the type of accommodation they chose. We’ve put together some of the highlights here, but you can click here to see the full report.
Visitor satisfaction high
Overall satisfaction levels are at their highest ever, with 96% rating their visit at least 8/10 and 43% rating it 10/10.
Rachel Keenan
National Park status
There was a considerable rise in the number of people who said that national park status was an important consideration in deciding where to visit, with around three-quarters (73%) agreeing with this statement compared with 56% in 2019-20 and 37% in 2014-15.
Hector Bryden
Loving nature
The top reason for visiting was “to experience the beauty of nature” (61%), highlighting the draw of the natural environment of the National Park.
Rachel Keenan
Repeat visitors
There is a strong connection with repeat guests, with a fifth (20%) reporting that they have visited the area more than 20 times in the past five years.
Lesley Bloomer
Shorter stays
There was a trend towards shorter stays, with 42% of visitors opting for short breaks (compared to 38% in 2019-20). 22% of visitors stayed for five or more nights (compared with 26% in 2019-20).
James Stevens
Hotels most popular
Hotels / motels were the most popular accommodation (30%), particularly with first-time and short-stay visitors, followed by self-catering options (25%), which were most popular with repeat guests.
Mark Craig
Increased informal parking
Informal overnight parking in motorhomes increased from 3% in 2019-20 to 7% in this survey, while there was also a modest rise in those paying for a designated site (from 8% in 2019-20 to 10%).
Liam Anderstrem