Tim Wilkinson
Research Showcase, 23 rd April 2012

• National Parks introduction
• Historical perspective
• Exmoor tourism question
• Previous research
• Work to date
• First research phase
• Forthcoming research phases
• Outcomes

• Protected areas of:
• Natural beauty
• Countryside and wildlife
• Cultural heritage
• Provide opportunities for recreation
• £4.8 billion* visitor spend per year
• Approx. 166 million* ‘visitor days’ per year
• National Park Authorities funded c.£73 million* per year
* In 2009, http://www.nationalparks.gov.uk

• First designation 1951 after National Parks and Access to the
Countryside Act 1949
• Resulting from National Parks Movement, Romantic Movement and
Industrialisation
• Statutory purposes of National Park Authorities:
— Conserve and enhance natural beauty, wildlife, cultural heritage
— Promote opportunities for understanding and enjoyment
• Environment Act 1995 gives National Park Authorities the duty to seek to foster the economic and social well-being of local communities when carrying out statutory purposes

Survey results: awareness of National Parks
Relatively high awareness of
Exmoor
N = 1000 (National Opinion Poll, 2007)
© ENPA

© ENPA
Survey results: National Parks visited/
‘visitor levels’
Relatively low visitor levels to
Exmoor
N = 1000 (National Opinion Poll, 2007)

National
Park
Exmoor
New
Forest
North York
Moors
13
13
6
Awareness
(%)
Awareness ranking
‘Visitor levels’ (%)
5
5 th th
43
55
‘Visitor level’ ranking
7 th
2 nd
9 th 43 7 th
• 30% of local residents on Exmoor rely on tourism as their primary source of income (ENPA 2010)

Top ten reasons/attractors for visiting
Exmoor (ENPA 2010)
• What sorts of perceptions of
Exmoor are there?
• How do perceptions of Exmoor circulate?
Sources of information obtained by first time visitors (ENPA 2010)
N = 320

• Perceptions
• Textual representations (e.g. promotional material, mass media, film, television, social media)
• Modes of engagement with Exmoor
Academic literature suggests textual representations shape tourist perception, practice and expectations
(Alneng 2002; Davis 2005; Jenkins 2003; McGregor 2000)

• Literature review:
– National Parks Movement and countryside history
– History of Exmoor
– Approaches to tourism in Human Geography
• Analysed representations of Exmoor and draw out dominant narratives
– Online promotional materials
– Brochures and magazines
– Mass media: news, radio, television
• Linked dominant narratives to broader narratives of nature and countryside
– e.g. ‘unspoilt Exmoor’ – anti-Industrial narrative of countryside
– e.g. ‘hidden Exmoor’ – romantic narrative of nature

drawing out dominant narratives of Exmoor
• ... a hidden place
• ... unspoilt
• ... wilderness
• ... timeless
• ... relaxing ‘breathing space’
• ...escape
• ...explore
• ...exhilarating
Discover/ explore
Wilderness
Contemplation
- escape
Timeless villages
Exhilarating
Relaxing

• Exploring how different activity groups perceive and experience the National Park
– conservation
– arts and crafts
– outdoor activities
– heritage
– underrepresented groups
• Using discussion groups and participant observation

• Discussion groups (4-8 participants with moderator):
– drawing out group’s narratives of engagement with Exmoor
– how do group narratives and perceptions of Exmoor intersect with narratives in promotional materials and mass media?
– use of images as stimulus for discussion about Exmoor, countryside and landscape
• Participant observation (researcher participation and observation in tourist activities):
– to access groups that only exist during an activity e.g. walkers at a walking festival
– how do tourist narratives shape engagement with the National Park?

• A better understanding of how visitors and potential visitors perceive and narrate Exmoor National Park
• Produce guidance for Exmoor tourism industry about using images and narratives in marketing to broaden visitor audience
• Qualitative understanding of visitor experience will inform Exmoor
National Park Authority's marketing strategy and packaging of Exmoor
© Adam Burton © ETP 2011

• Research presented here was conducted during an ESRC Studentship under its Capacity Building Clusters Award (RES-187-24-0002) in partnership with Exmoor National Park Authority.
• For more information about this project and the work of the Centre for
Sport, Leisure and Tourism research, see www.ex.ac.uk/slt .
• Tim Wilkinson, tjw208@exeter.ac.uk.