The BMC Outdoor Survey has now been running for 5 months. Over 2000 members have completed the 5-minute survey to tell us about their weekend of climbing and walking and we are already pulling together some interesting results about where you are going, what you are doing and how much you are spending. Below is a brief summary of the results so far……
Where are we going and what are we doing - The majority of people completing the outdoor survey so far have spent their weekend hill walking with slightly fewer participating in trad & sport climbing. The Peak District, closely followed by the Lake District and Snowdonia are the most popular places to visit.
Most of you completing the survey visit these areas several times a year and a previous visit has influenced your decision as to where you go. Scenery and the nature of the walking terrain / grade of climbing were also influencing factors.
The majority of climbers / walkers made day visits but for those who did stay overnight (from August to end of September) camping was most popular.
What are we spending? - Climbing, hill walking and recreational activities make a substantial contribution to rural economies. The BMC membership alone spends on average £72 million a year on outdoor gear, accommodation, food and travel costs in the UK.
Research commissioned by Sport England, Getting Active Outdoors, suggests that the climbing, mountaineering and walking sector alone is worth £3.2 billion.
The latest Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) survey results also show a record 3 billion visits were made to England’s great outdoors between March 2014 and February 2015, showing interest in our natural environment is on the rise and the potential contribution to the rural economy is much greater.
When is the next survey? – The December survey launches on Monday 7th December so please do let us know what you did over the weekend and help us continue to understand the visitor patterns and experiences of climbers and hill walkers, and their contribution to local services.
The survey will be repeated throughout next year (2016) on the first or last weekend of each month. You're not limited to filling the survey in once - you can fill it out each month and be in with a chance to win a set of BMC guidebooks, maps and a t-shirt.
Join online today by Direct Debit and save 25% on your first year's membership.
WATCH: What does the BMC do for hill walkers?
GET THE KNOWLEDGE: BMC resources for hill walkers
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