Public access, recreation and tourism

 

Summary

Research in this area explores public access to forests and woodlands and their associated recreation and tourism.  These are seen as being important aspects of sustainable forestry due to increasing demands from people to take part in these activities and a developing recognition of the wide ranging benefits they can provide to society, for example, in relation to economic development, public health and well being, as well as education and learning.

Research objectives

Research in this area aims to develop and disseminate understanding of how access, recreation and tourism contribute to sustainable development as well as build and disseminate guidance and good practice on managing forests and woodlands to maximise the benefits of recreation and tourism to society.

Funders and partners

Forestry Commission conduct and fund a range of research that explores the social aspects of forestry, including a social research programme relating to access, recreation and tourism.

Forestry Commission England, Forestry Commission Scotland and Forestry Commission Wales are also working with Forest Research to provide guidance and fund research on access, recreation and tourism.

The European Union is funding research on nature-based recreation and tourism as well as work which develops our understanding of the links between urban consumer demand for recreation and tourism products and forest based economic development in rural areas.

Forestry Commission policy

The Forestry Commission regards public access to forests and woodlands and their associated recreation and tourism, as important areas of concern for the forestry sector.

As such it seeks to promote public access to the forests and woodlands it owns and manages. It also encourages and enables other forest and woodland owners to make provisions for public access. There are many forest recreation sites throughout Great Britain, which offer opportunities for a range of leisure activities such as walking, mountain biking and wildlife watching.

Products and services

Forest Research provides the following social research services:

• Advice on the design and conduct of research exploring public access, recreation and tourism activities
• Research project design and management capability

Status

We are building on previous research on forest recreation and, in conjunction with partners, expanding the focus to include access and tourism.

Current activities include:

• Leisure Landscapes:
  Research with recreation and tourism providers to understand current and potential links between forests and woodlands and the leisure sector. Funded by Forestry Commission and conducted by Forest Research.
  Understanding the role of forests and woodlands in the tourism sector ^(PDF-1006K)
• Understanding Quality of Experience in Forests and Woodlands in Great Britain:
  Research to develop understanding of and a methodology for monitoring the quality of experiences of recreation users of forests and woodlands. Funded by Forest Enterprise, part managed by Forest Research and conducted by NFO World Group.
  Details
• Wildlife Tourism and Forests and Woodlands in Scotland:
  Work to develop a scoping paper identifying a rationale and key issues in the development of forests and woodlands in Scotland for wildlife tourism. In partnership with Forestry Commission Scotland.
• Forests for Nature Tourism and Recreation:
  Forest Research is one of several organisations taking part in an EU funded COST Action (E33) - FORREC - which aims to improve the information available to policy makers and forest managers on the recreation and tourism benefits of forest. It also aims to improve the effectiveness of techniques for delivering these benefits.
  Details
• Economic Integration of Urban Consumer Demand and Rural Forestry Production:
  Forest Research is one of several organisations taking part in an EU funded COST Action (E30) which will provide a better understanding of the problems and possible solutions in forest based entrepreneurship in rural areas. Includes an analysis of these issues in relation to recreation and tourism.
  Details
• INNOFORCE - Fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in forest recreation and tourism
  This project is run by the EFI centre in Vienna.  It brings together 23 research organisations from 18 different countries to conduct research on innovation and entrepreneurship in relation to forestry policy and the forestry-wood chain.  The aim is to enhance the sustainability of the forest sector and contribute to rural development. Forest Research is a participant in Work Area 2 which explores innovation and entrepreneurship in forest recreational service provision.
  Details

Past activities include:

• Use and abuse of woodland in the Central Belt of Scotland:
  This research project explored the numbers and profiles of people visiting woodlands in the Central Belt of Scotland. It also uncovered the reasons why people use these environments and their associated quality of experience when doing so. The work was funded by Forestry Commission, managed by Forest Research and conducted by Landscape Design and Research Unit and OPENspace research centre at Edinburgh College of Art/Heriot-Watt University.
• The Effectiveness of Wayfinding Systems with Forest Users:
  This research worked with leisure users of forests to explore issues relating to way finding . That is, how people gain access to and use information which helps them find, and then use, forest recreation sites. Funded by Forestry Commission, managed by Forest Research and conducted by OPENspace Research Centre at Edinburgh College of Art/Heriot-Watt University.
• Ownership Patterns, and Owner’s Attitudes and Perceptions of Public Access Provision in the South East of England:
  Research to explore the attitudes and perceptions of private forest and woodland owners to the provision of public access. This research was funded by Forestry Commission England, managed by Forest Research and conducted by the University of Brighton.
• Recreation toolkit - Naturally Active
  A project to develop an interactive web based advisory package for woodland owners, rural communities and others wishing to develop woodland recreation.  The work involved Forest Research, Forestry Commission, East of England Development Agency, East of England Tourist Board and Sport England East.

Related research carried out by others:

• Visitor Monitoring Surveys:
  These are carried out by Forestry Commission Economics and Statistics Unit and assess numbers and socio-demographic profile of leisure visitors to publicly owned forests and woodlands in England, Scotland and Wales. The unit also work with others to carry out research to provide information about the numbers and profile of day visitors to forests and woodlands in Great Britain.
  Details
• Forests Role in Tourism:
  Research carried out by Forestry Commission Economics and Statistics Unit exploring the economic contribution of forestry to the tourism sector.

Contact

David Edwards
Forest Research
Alice Holt Lodge
Farnham
Surrey GU10 4LH

Tel: 01420 22255
Fax: 01420 23563
Email: david.edwards@forestry.gsi.gov.uk