About

Summary

The City Information Centre is only one of two visitor information centres in London, operated by the City of London Corporation opposite St. Paul’s Cathedral, one of the UK’s biggest tourism attractions.  A visitor survey has been undertaken at the information centre each year since 2006, and Acorn has been operating it since 2014.

The survey is carried out during the peak summer months, with an approximate sample size of 240.  The questionnaire (around 26 questions) largely remains unchanged each year, allowing year-on-year comparisons.  It is an interviewer-administered questionnaire, although when respondents cannot communicate in English, self-completion questionnaires are made available – typically around 10% of all questionnaires are completed this way.

Our Approach

The visitor survey is undertaken over a six week period with approximately 20 completed interviews on each weekday and another 20 on each weekend day.  Weekdays are varied so that all five weekdays are covered over the survey period.  In addition, three Saturdays and three Sundays are also covered.  Consequently, over the survey period, around 240 interviews are be completed.

Strict interval sampling is used to ensure that there is no bias on the selection of visitors for interviewing.  This is done by selecting the nth person passing through one of the exit doors.  Visitors are intercepted and asked a set of questions that will determine whether they represent a valid interviewee (i.e. a visitor).  If the interviewee can converse in English, and is willing, the interview commences; however if they prefer to use a self-completed questionnaire in their own language, they are provided with a questionnaire, clipboard, and pen, and asked to self-complete the survey.

All English interviews are conducted by our trained interviewers using iPads.  This provides a fast, accurate and professional approach to the collection of data.  At the end of each day the data is downloaded onto our database and processed immediately.  Self-completed surveys are entered into the database by our office team.

Outcome

The findings were written up into a report principally using charts to interpret the findings.  Results from previous surveys were included to show year-on-year changes. Infographics were developed to provide a summary of all survey findings on a single page.

Acorn has been undertaking the survey on an annual basis for six years, enabling continuity of the methodology and analysis, and thereby providing the Client with findings that can be compared with previous years.

Some of the key strategic decisions the City of London have been able to make from the findings of the survey include the return investment from visitor expenditure in the City; effectiveness of information provision; impact the information centre has on visitor behaviour and expenditure on other areas of London; and staffing requirements and skills required to effectively serve visitors.