visitor management at stonehenge

Dr Carol David

Sustainable tourism

Stonehenge

133284

4/20/2015

133284 20.04.15 Sustainable tourism

Abstract

A visit was conducted to the English Heritage’s Stonehenge WHS to evaluate the sustainability of the site and how their management plan increases their preservation of the site. They have set a number of goals in 2009 when they released a management plan to improve facilities, services and sustainability at the site and they have achieved all their aims and objectives. They have undergone a transition from government owned to charitable site on April 1st 2015, which will cut their funds significantly and they are preparing to release a new management plan in May 2015 to cope with the changes. Ultimately, the feedback on their preservation management plan has been positive as they have been successful and are constantly improving the site in sustainable ways while still offering quality experiences to their visitors.

1


Table of contents

Introduction…………………………………………………………………….………..….3

Methodology…………………………….…………………………………………………..4

Findings and analysis………………………………………………………………………………………4

Conclusion/Recommendations………………………………………………………….….8

References and bibliography…………………………………………………………….……………….…..9

History of Stonehenge and World Heritage Site (WHS)

2


This report will provide an extensive analysis regarding the management of visitors at WHS, with particular focus on sustainable tourism. Information regarding WHS will be collected by going on a fieldtrip to Stonehenge and collecting primary data from visitors and tour guides. Observations will also be used in this study.

Stonehenge is one of the most renowned monuments in the world. More than 700 archaeological features (including burial mounds) have been discovered on site. Stonehenge is run by the English Heritage, gaining roughly a million paying visitors a year. According to the tour guide, Stonehenge will no longer be owned by the government as of 1st April 2015 and will instead be a charitable attraction. Similarly to Stonehenge, Avebury plays host to both winter and Summer Solstices. This brings in hundreds of non-paying visitors.

Figure 1. A summary of the Stonehenge site surrounding the famous stone formation is presented on this map

3


Methodology

Research methods involved in this report utilized include primary and secondary qualitative and quantitave data. Secondary data was collected from a range of sources such as public surveys, books, websites and journals. Primary research was based on questionnaires, interviews, focus groups and observations.

Qualitative data is useful in research as it provides a high amount of in-depth details from participants. Closed questions were also utilised. These allowed for quantitative data to be collected yet there was a considerable lack of detail. The main subjects of the primary data collection were the employees of the attraction and day visitors.

Secondary data included the usage of websites and journals. The utilization of websites for research purposes is questionable as many internet sites are based of false information and risk being frauds. However, many researchers prefer to publish their studies and collected data on HTML sites, meaning some websites may contain reliable information regarding the subject. The benefit to using web pages is that they are often updated and this is a continuously updating topic and the data is accessible e.g. The Stonehenge Management Plan

Limitations and issues were encountered while collecting primary data at Stonehenge; while still pleasing, the weather was still cold and windy which was a drawback because we could not stay outside for very long or take extensive notes. The tour guide did not answer all the questions, directing us mainly to their online management plan and the visitors were not very keen on answering questions. A limitation was that it was clear that the tour guide was not aware of much statistical data, which limited the quantitative research possibilities.

Findings

Primary research collected was based on non-probability sampling of the subjects. The sample size concluded of 13 people, 3 employees, including the tour guide and 10 visitors. However, the purpose of the study was not to gather thoughts and opinions but rather statistical data to help analyse the change in the management plan to make the site more sustainable. The sample size chosen was based on the limitation of possible participants due to the time the research was conducted and overall duration of this study; however individuals used were specifically chosen due to their professionalism, as well as ages and genders to maintain representativeness.

Primary research included mainly observations and questionnaires to gather quantitative and qualitative data from both visitors and employees. Inquiries for employees differed only slightly from those for customers due to the nature of the subject being researched.

Answers from participants varied between facts regarding the site and information of the employees. It was found that in total, there are 981 historical sites on the WHS list. According to Jack, 2010 in the Independent Newspaper, Stonehenge’s value is £51m, which

4


is worth less than the average WHS historical site. Stonehenge managers try to obtain feedback from visitors by sending letters and questionnaires via mail. They gained visitors' details through membership details as well as details given through online booking. The site also gets mystery shoppers which provide further evaluation on employees and the attraction itself. This is not a conventionally successful way of collecting feedback due to the low response rate. A more profitable way of collecting data and feedback would be online surveys and/or surveys provided by employees to visitors when leaving the site. This information was provided by the tour guide while visiting Stonehenge, sustained by The English Heritage website. The English Heritage has taken feedback on board and to increase the number of responses, they started employing MORI, a market research company, to carry out exit interviews at the events. According to the English Heritage, MORI gets many responses from a cross section of visitors, not just Pagan and Druid groups that visit during the solstices. They have concluded that most of their feedback is positive, mainly because visitors appreciate the low-key security and the constant efforts of the company to preserve the site. (The English Heritage, 2012)

Accessibility

Other answers regard the site's accessibility. Stonehenge is located right outside the highway. Management offers buses and park and ride shuttles to transport visitors to the stones. An argument could be ensued concerning transportation, for if they would introduce new means of transport alongside buses and rides the environment surrounding the site would be damaged. There has been an emphasis on prebooking, limiting the number of visitors in peak periods and increasing parking spaces in order to deal with the high number of visitors. Visitors came in groups, families or educational classes. The tour guide has put emphasis on the fact that they try to manage the numbers and create sufficient parking spaces for everyone and they have a system in place. As they can take a maximum of 500 cars, they are planning on extending the carpark for both cars and coaches. To manage numbers, they employ parking attendants in the summer and charge £5 per car unless it was pre-booked, but they only charge at peak times when it gets busy.

Promotion, sourcing and local impact & preservation

Stonehenge as an attraction is in a state of constant improvement. 20% of arable land has been changed to pasture in the past 10 years due to government funds. This was directly beneficial for the various archaeological monuments that have been removed from the plough.

The main threats to the site have always been the negative environmental impacts of the visitors. Traffic and the roads have remained a key issue to the sustainability of this site. The Environmental Improvements Project (part of the Stonehenge sustainability and visitor management plan) involved closing down the A344 route to preserve the site by 2012 which they have done along with improvements of the facilities already available on the site.

5


As they are now becoming a charitable site, their funding will decrease significantly and the site will have to rely on the tickets and the memberships to make ends meet. The tour guide put emphasis on the cost of keeping the site running and how they are planning on bringing income by building more shops, cafes and memberships.

They rely on memberships for income and also to promote other less renowned sites in the UK. They increase the awareness of these sites and the importance of keeping them sustainable with leaflets and promotion of memberships. They implemented free tours of the site for educational groups, showing good a good policy on education promotion. Other attractions such as Stonehenge are promoted on leaflets and brochures, and are included in membership packages.

According to the tour guide, where local businesses are not being promoted or advertised by Stonehenge attraction, they are aided in profit by selling products to management (i.e. food produce sourced locally, helping boost the local economy). This is ethical sourcing as no extra expenses are paid on cuisine provided by Stonehenge. However, erchandise and souvenirs are produced and brought from China. Local businesses also work on an individualistic basis, as Stonehenge is not designed to attract overnight guests, therefore no accommodation is ensued. This is sustained by the English Heritage once more, they have mentioned in their management report that their products are locally sourced to ‘improve the multiplier effect throughout the local economy’ and add distinctiveness to their product range. Their cafés are directly run by the English heritage to allow more control over the purchasing policies. (English Heritage, 2009)

Stonehenge is employs locals, and there are assigned interpretators on site to explain relics to guests. The English Heritage employs most of the staff, however there are separate companies who bring in volunteers e.g. the national trust has worked with volunteers for many years and they have recently implemented a volunteer programme for school parties, for educational purposes. For more information, there is an interpretation centre as well as a museum for visitors to learn about the attraction and its surrounding archaeological sites. As planned in their original Management Plan, the interpretation centre is 1.5 miles away from the monument at Airman’s Corner and has increasingly improved facilities and displays interactive screens and exhibitions and artefacts. (The English Heritage Business Management Plan, 2009)

Since their original management plan, facilities and services and sustainability management at Stonehenge WHS have improved massively, and not only. The facilities used to be cramped and there was never sufficient space for cars and coach parking along with insufficient opportunities for visitor interpretation. In the last few years, the facilities have improved massively. They have created a new visitor centre that does not disturb the aesthetic of the area, closed down one of the main threats to the site’s sustainability which is the A344 road, changing the pavement to pasture and hard sand, adding gates for security and preservation etc.

To preserve the site, the Stonehenge WHS management plan has introduced aims for future sustainability in 2009. These included increasing awareness and interested in world heritage

6


sites, develop a sustainable balance between conservation, visitor access and farming and maximise economic and cultural benefits without damaging the archaeological resources. Their aim was to build a visitor centre with sufficient sustainable facilities to minimise the harmful impacts of the tourists on the site. They are working closely with the national trust to restore the biodiversity and prehistoric character or the local flora.

They put particular emphasis on the location of the visitor centre and approach to the stones. The centre has been created to blend in with the surroundings and not disturb the aesthetic of the area, staying clear from the significant archaeological sites and in a zone. There is a defined pathway to get to the stones themselves, on which one can either walk or take the shuttle, the reasoning including visitors not being able to drive up to the stones and disturb them. In 2007, the main aims of the management plan were to create a new visitor centre and remove the main threat to the site which was the A344 road. Now in 2014, they have achieved their main aims, they have increased the sustainability of the site significantly and increased awareness of the significance of this site. The intention is for visitors to enjoy the site without intrusions and the distraction of traffic in the background.

In terms of the new visitors centre, tourists have laid heavy criticism because they are claiming it is “chaotic with long delays and severe overcrowding”. Some complaints include the long queues to get tickets (even though the site offers memberships and pre-booking) and to board the shuttle that brings people to and from the stones. They also offer the option to walk to the site which only takes 10 minutes. Visitors are calling for improvements in transport to lower queuing time. (English Heritage, 2014)

Energy, waste and recycling management

According to their original management plan, their facilities were built in 1968 and they were not equipped to support modern insulation requirements, however, according to the tour guide, while they do not have any energy preservation policies, they generate their heat from underground sources.

The English heritage has signed a contract between Stonehenge and Wiltshire Waste Recycling to improve their waste management. The waste will either be recycled or the residual 20 to 30% will go towards energy recovery so none of it goes to waste, according to the WWR spokesman, Paul Mortimer. They operate under a sustainable work ethos which is what landed them the contract with Stonehenge as they are trustworthy. They have put together plans to improve recycling and waste management at Stonehenge such as water recycling to power the toilets and teaching staff to separate dry mixed recyclables, general waste and glass bottles. Primary research supports this as during the trip; only recyclables have been used for the café, recycled wooden utensils and carton cups. There were several rubbish bins on the site, signage and a separated smoking area outside. (See pictures below).

7


Fig 2 and 3.

Fig 4

8


Fig 5.

According to their waste management plan, most the litter from visitors (picnics, wrappers, cups etc.) is recycled. The more they recycle, they less they spend on incineration and landfill which is a successful tick off their list. They spend roughly £14,000 yearly for waste collection at Stonehenge.

Conclusion: what changed and have they been successful?

The Stonehenge management has achieved every aim they have set themselves in 2009 and improved throughout the years. The new plan is now under review and will be published in May 2015 after the site goes through the transition to a charitable site.

Their first management plan was released in 2000 and it enclosed 24 objectives, a few of which included building a new visitor centre, improve sustainability, close the A344 road and design an interpretation centre and increase the grassland to protect the monuments and their natural setting. (Stonehenge World Heritage Team, 2009: 4). They have since managed to achieve their goals and continue to improve their sustainability. Their efforts so far have been successful however there is always space for improvement, for example regarding the lack of energy preservation policies.

9


Their main issues were the visitor facilities and conflict surrounding the location of said facilities, which is why they have designed and created a new visitor and interpretation centre, far enough from the stones so they would not be directly affected and introduced the park and ride shuttles to lower the air and noise pollution. They are looking to improve their parking facilities and are looking for ways to encourage sustainable ways of transport e.g. more coaches and buses rather than personal cars. They are currently investigating whether introducing better paths to reach from the car park to the centres and perhaps small trains to transport tourists with a longer route. In order to preserve the stones themselves, they have closed the A344 route and fenced the area so visitors cannot physically touch the stones. They allow people to come close to the stones 4 times a year during the solstices and pagan/druid festivals, under close management from the English heritage site. (Timothy & Boyd, 2003:126)

In conclusion, considering their previous studies and management reports, Stonehenge has put forward several problematic areas and introduced solutions to fix said problems, which they have done. They observed what has worked and what has not. They have closed the A344 to preserve the area surrounding the stones, fenced it up and are currently working on developing more sustainable ways of travelling. Facilities have been improved massively to ensure a quality experience for the visitors and also preservation of their resources. Recycling and preservation may be their main ways to ensure they also save money, considering the cut in funds they recently received. Small shuttles and trains may bring a more enjoyable experience of the site and tourists may not have to wait so long in queues. There will be no major changes in prices and reservations and advanced booking has always been an option, constantly under improvement. Ultimately, Stonehenge has achieved every goal they have set themselves in their management report 5 years ago and will continue to be both a very popular visitor attraction and highly sustainable.

References

Darvill, Timothy, ed. (2005). Stonehenge World Heritage Site: an Archaeological Research Framework. London and Bournemouth: English Heritage and Bournemouth University.

English Heritage, (2009). BUSINESS MANAGEMENT OF STONEHENGE. [online] Available at: http://(www.english-heritageorg.uk/education/resources/stonehenge/business-management/ [Accessed 19 Apr. 2015].

Hawthorne, j. (2015). DEVELOPING A VISITOR TRANSIT SYSTEM FOR THE STONEHENGE. [online] WORLD HERITAGE SITE. Available at: http://file:///C:/Users/Adriana/Desktop/developing-a-visitor-transit-system-for-the-stonehenge-world-heritage-site.pdf [Accessed 4 Apr. 2015].

Read, P. (2015). English Heritage appoints waste contractor for Stonehenge visitor centre. [online] Recyclingwasteworld.co.uk. Available at:

10


http://www.recyclingwasteworld.co.uk/news/english-heritage-appoints-waste-contractor-for-stonehenge-visitor-centre/71198/ [Accessed 07 Apr. 2015].

Ruggles, Clive (1997). “Astronomy and Stonehenge”, in Science and Stonehenge, edited by Barry Cunliffe and Colin Renfrew, pp. 203–229. Oxford: Oxford University Press (Proceedings of the British Academy, 92).

Ruggles, Clive (2007). “Interpreting solstitial alignments in Late Neolithic Wessex”, Archaeoastronomy 20, 1–27.

Savestonehenge, (2015). Save Stonehenge! A sustainable and green approach to Stonehenge visitation: the 'brownfield' option by Ian Baxter and Christopher Chippindale. [online] Available at: http://www.savestonehenge.org.uk/baxchip.html [Accessed 07 Apr. 2015].

Schultz, R. (2015). UNESCO Astronomy and World Heritage Webportal - Show entity. [online] Www2.astronomicalheritage.net. Available at: http://www2.astronomicalheritage.net/index.php/show-entity?idunescowhc=373 [Accessed 04 Apr. 2015].

Sooke, A. (2013). Stonehenge: 'We had no choice. We had to do something for visitors'. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/architecture/10520973/Stonehenge-We-had-no-choice.-We-had-to-do-something-for-visitors.html [Accessed 04 Apr. 2015].

Stonehenge & Avebury, (2015). Management of the WHS - Stonehenge & Avebury. [online] Available at: http://www.stonehengeandaveburywhs.org/management-of-whs/ [Accessed 07 Apr. 2015].

Stonehenge World Heritage Team (2009). Stonehenge World Heritage Site Management Plan Summary 2009. English Heritage: UK

The Independent, (2010). Is Stonehenge worth Â£51m? Doing the maths on the famous stone circle. [online] Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/history/is-stonehenge-worth-pound51m-doing-the-maths-on-the-famous-stone-circle-1983385.html [Accessed 07 Apr. 2015].

Travelpulse (2013). Stonehenge to open new visitor centre in October, 17 September 2013, Available at: <http://www.travelpulse.com/news/destinations/stonehenge-to-open-new-visitor-center-in-october.html> [Accessed on 25 March 2014]

Visitwiltshire.co.uk, (2015). UK World Heritage Sites in Wiltshire England. [online] Available at: http://www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/things-to-do/history-and-heritage/world-heritage-sites [Accessed 04 Apr. 2015].

11

visitor management at stonehenge

Documents