Visitors to be surveyed

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 476, 9 March 1993, Page 9

Visitors to be surveyed

From February this lyear, an on-going visitor jsurvey has been underitaken at the Information Centres in Taumarunui ■and Ohakune. Ruapehu District tCouncil marketing manager Bruce Rollinson ihighlighted the need for the survey when preparjing the Council's marketing plan last year. He rsaid it was apparent there iwas a clear lack of quality jinformation on visitor

patterns to the District. The New Zealand Tourism Board's data focuses on international visitor arrivals and is not specific to the Ruapehu District. The survey questionnaire has been designed in a way that will generate specific information on visitors but should not create too much resistance from respondents completing the questionnaire, he said. Information Centre

staff were briefed on a sample plan which ensures a random testing of visitors to the Centre. To date, centre managers have reported no resistance from visitors filling out the questionnaire. While the survey will only question those people visiting information centres it will provide data with a greater statistical accuracy for this district than has been available in the past. The

survey will also serve as a guide to the quality of service being provided at the information centres. The survey will question respondents on: region or country or origin, activities undertaken, quality of information provided, mode of travel (private car, bus etc), point of entry and exit to the Ruapehu District, demographic data (age, occupation etc). : :

It is likely the survey will be extended into areas such as Raetihi and Waiouru in the near future to provide a greater district coverage, said Mr Rollinson. The purpose of the survey is to more accurately define target markets which will allow marketing resources within the district to be more effectively allocated.