CERM PI's Visitor Experience Surveys have been helping botanic gardens in Australia and New Zealand for over 10 years as part of our ongoing research into outdoor spaces.
Although gardens play critical roles in the conservation of plants, increasingly they are being used as places for recreation and tourism as well as playing important roles in wellbeing and it is important to know what creates memorable experiences and what keeps people coming back.
The survey provides management with a comprehensive view of their garden in terms of customer satisfaction and is an excellent source of feedback for gardens wanting to understand how well they are meeting their visitor’s expectations and achieving social benefits.
How it works
Bespoke surveys in consultation with CERM PI
Prior to the survey launch we work with you to customise the standardised survey, where necessary, to ensure we're asking the right questions to achieve the best outcomes. When it's ready to go, visitors complete either an online or face to face survey answering pre-programmed questions relating to the service quality of your garden. View sample survey
Face to face or online data collection
Some gardens use their own volunteers or staff for the face to face data collection but we can also provide our own data collectors (at an additional cost) if preferred. Regarding timing most gardens try to survey over their busier periods to get the best amount of responses. This can be done intensively, or stretched out longer if preferred.
Custom reports and industry benchmarking
At survey completion we analyse the data and compile a detailed report outlining your visitors’ perceptions of service quality at your garden which includes an indication of how your garden is performing against other gardens through the industry benchmarks that we produce. View sample report
Value and benefits of participating
- Identify areas to Improve visitor experience
- Understand tourist profiles and behaviours
- Understand how your garden performs against others (through anonymous benchmarks)
- Using community feedback in the planning and delivery of new or redeveloping facilities
- Leveraging funding requests for budgets/master plans
- Evidence based data aids business planning to help set up targets for operations, programs, staff and training development and budget for the year ahead
UniSA Confidentiality Statement
In accordance with University requirements, data will be managed in a confidential manner, stored according to UniSA's confidentiality and ethics protocols, accessible only to members of the research team for a minimum of 5 years. All data remains strictly confidential throughout the processes. No facility’s performance data is identified during the benchmarking process.
