Case study · Tourism and visitors
Understanding visitors to Cheltenham’s Christmas events
257 face-to-face interviews across Cheltenham town centre explored visitors’ experiences of the Christmas Market and other festive events, providing evidence to inform future Christmas events.
AudienceVisitors to Cheltenham town centre at Christmas
Approach257 face-to-face interviews across five sampling points
Value to Cheltenham BIDVisitor evidence to inform planning for future Christmas events
The brief
- Cheltenham BID and Cheltenham Borough Council commissioned a survey of visitors to Cheltenham at Christmas
- The research evaluated visitors’ experience of the Christmas Market and other festive events and activities, to inform planning and development for future Christmas events in the town
The approach
- The questionnaire was designed in partnership with Cheltenham BID and Cheltenham Borough Council
- Topics included party size and demographics, where visitors had travelled from, awareness of Christmas events and advertising, satisfaction with the Christmas Market, ease of travelling around the town, and visitor spending
- Three experienced, IQCS-trained interviewers carried out the survey using handheld tablets, with data uploaded daily for regular quality checks
- Fieldwork took place between 24 November and 1 December 2018, on days chosen to coincide with events such as the lights switch-on and parade and the start of free late-night parking
- A total of 257 interviews were completed across five sampling points in the town centre
The outcome
- Results were presented in a full report with tables, charts, and commentary, including analysis by gender, party composition, and whether respondents lived locally
- The findings were provided to inform planning and development for future Christmas events in Cheltenham