Read the full report : South East Devon Visitor Survey
Dog walking the most commonly stated main activity
57%
A further 8% had a dog with them whilst undertaking a different main activity.
Most people visited equally all year round
68%
For those that did indicate a preferred season there was little difference between seasons (e.g. 12% stated they tended to visit more in the summer, 11% in the spring, 10% in the winter and 8% in the autumn).
Mapped routes on the Exe showed routes passed through intertidal areas on the Exe Estuary
36% of interviewee routes
notably at Dawlish Warren (57%), Exmouth Duck Pond (59%) and Lympstone (71%).
Key factor influencing choice of where to go
28% close to home
At Dawlish Countryside Park the most common reason was the ability to let their dog off the lead (37%). On the Exe Estuary, the scenery was also a particularly important factor, given by 32% of interviewees.
If Dawlish Countryside Park wasn't available
31% of visitors
would have visited the Exe Estuary instead. The most commonly cited single alternative was Dawlish Warren (19% of interviewees there).
Devon Loves Dogs
30%
of dog walkers interviewed had heard of, or were members
Comparisons with previous surveys (on the Exe Estuary in 2010 and Pebblebed Heaths in 2015)
show marked increases
in visitor numbers and these appear to be across all locations. While the numbers of dogs has increased the increases seem disproportionately to involve those without dogs.
Distances between survey point and home location,
no significant differences
suggesting there has been no change in how far people are travelling.
Rangers and mitigation officers
a third
of interviewees (33%) at the Pebblebeds and a quarter of interviewees (25%) on the Exe Estuary had met one of the rangers or mitigation officers