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Peak District National Park Authority publications

Peak District Visitor Survey 2005

The Peak District is one of the most popular National Parks in the world. But who visits, why and what do they do while they are here?

During 2005 almost 30,000 people were asked about their visit.

Here are some of our main findings:

People of all ages visited although fewest were aged between 16 and 24
There were similar numbers of male and female visitors
People from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds visited, though the majority were white British
Just over half of visitors were employed, one fifth were retired and just under one fifth were students
Average group size was three people
Fewer than one in 30 people had a mobility problem. Almost one group in 10 included a person with a mobility problem
Families made up just over half of the groups but only one group in five included a child
One group in seven brought a dog

People visited throughout the year. There were generally fewer visitors during the winter
Half visited at least every three months
Fewer than one in 10 had never been to the Peak District before
Most visited on a Saturday or Sunday

Almost everyone came to see the scenery and about half to enjoy the peace and tranquillity
Around half visited because they had been before and over a quarter because they lived locally

Most people travelled by car or van with an average of three people
The most popular activity was walking. Other activities including climbing, cycling and sightseeing
On average people spent £9.65 during their visit, although one in three did not spend anything
One in three visited more than one location during the day

A quarter of visitors spent at least one night away from home and half stayed in the National Park
The most popular types of accommodation were caravan or camping, a hotel or staying with friends or relatives
For each day of their visit most people stayed less than three hours in the National Park