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Lakes attract more online bookers
More visitors to the Lake District are booking online than ever before, new statistics show.
Results from the 2006 Cumbria Visitor Survey by Cumbria Tourism shows that use of the internet to book visits to the county has tripled in four years.
A total of 31% are booking online while 49% continue to book by phone and 12% on arrival.
The figures also reveal that two-thirds of visitors are staying for more than four nights – with the average being a stay of 6.1 nights. A total of 34% are staying for between one and three nights.
Cumbria Tourism’s www.golakes.co.uk website hosts more than 200 accommodation providers that offer an online booking facility.
Location, facilities and availability were the most important factors governing accommodation choice. The estimated cost of accommodation per person, per visit was £117.23 with the average party spending £325.39 on accommodation.
While in Cumbria, three quarters of people visit the countryside, 66% go on walks, 65%, 51% to pubs, 47% shopping and 45% visit attractions.
The results also found that 17% of those interviewed were new visitors to the county, while 83% had been before, demonstrating continued loyalty to the region.
The number of families visiting the county has risen 23% in the last four years. Party sizes are also up from 2.9 people in 2002 to 3.2 in 2006.
A total of 87% said the Lake District was good value for money and four of out of five visitors said they were “very satisfied” with their visit.
Cumbria Tourism chief executive Ian Stephens said: “One of the most important factors for any business is good quality information about its customers. The tourism survey is a very important piece of work, which helps both ourselves and the industry understand more about our market.”
“There is a lot of good news in here for the industry – people are staying longer, they are enjoying their stay and our work to enable visitors to book online or by phone is supported by the results.”
Report by Phil Davies
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