Tourism in Rural Hampshire

Roger BuddenReal Places

Why Tourism?

• Farm diversification• Adding vitality to rural communities• Range of jobs• Consumer interest in the countryside• The “Staycation” effect

What is Rural Tourism?Holidaymakers

Day VisitorsBusiness Visitors

AccommodationVisiting Attractions

Traditional Pursuits

New Uses

Walking, Cycling, Horse Riding,

Shooting, Fishing, County Shows

Hotels, B+B’s, Self-Catering, Camping,

Caravans

Museums, Farm Attractions,

Houses, Gardens

Glamping, Go Ape Festivals, Zorbing,

Weddings, Mountain Biking

Hampshire as a Destination•Test Valley

•New Forest

•Winchester and Central Hampshire

•East Hampshire and the South Downs

•North Hampshire

•The Solent

Hampshire Tourism Volume and Value

• 4.3 million overnight trips• 3.7 m domestic visitors– 0.5 m overseas visitors

• 37 million day visits• 60,000 jobs (c.9% of employment in County)• £2.4 billion spend– £1.6 billion day visitors– £800 million staying visitors

Consumer Trends

Staying at home

The real thing

Experiences not places

Learning and leisure

The value of downtime

Quality facilities and

service

The connected

society

Still Popular and GrowingWalking

Cycling

Caravan and Camping

Self Catering

Still Popular and GrowingFamily Activities

Fishing

Local Produce

Gardens

Weddings

New Areas of GrowthGlamping

Festivals

Cookery Boutique Hotels

New Areas of Growth

Geo-caching

Hands-on Visits

Adrenaline Activities

Wildlife

Areas of Opportunity

• Camping – rough and fancy• Touring Caravans• Festivals• Accommodation along long distance footpaths

and cycle routes – baggage transfer• Equestrian B+B• Local Produce – “Catch it, Cook it, Eat it”• Mountain Boarding• Farm/Landscape/Wildlife Walks

Help!• Visit England: www.visitengland.org

• Tourism South East: www.tourismsoutheast.com

• Hampshire County Council: www.hants.gov.uk

• Our Land: www.our-land.co.uk

• RDPE – Leader Programmes, Paths for Communities, RDPE 2013 onwards?