| A profile of visitors to the Tarka Country area was put together in
1995-6 using data gathered from a variety of sources spanning the period from 1991 - 94. A visitor survey conducted over the full Tarka Trail during May-Sept 1994 provided useful indications of the type of visitor to the Tarka Trail, although this should not be taken as necessarily typical for the area as a whole. The following graphs are based on information derived from this survey.
Usage of the Trail The survey highlighted that certain sections of the Trail, most notably the Torridge Valley away from the Cycle/walkway and Taw Valley/Tarka Line sections, are considerably under-used compared with other parts of the Trail. The composition of the various user groups over the whole Trail is shown here. Over half of the respondents were in the 25-44 age group, while the next largest group are in the 45-64 range (37%). More than half the respondents (65%) were away from home on holiday and slightly over a quarter (27%) were on a day trip from home. However it must be borne in mind that the survey was carried out over the main tourist season (May - September).
The type of readership of newspapers seems to generally indicate an educated audience
overall. In addition 15% of respondents cited 'green tourism' as influencing their
decision to visit the area. Around 15% of Trail users in the 1994 survey said that the area's involvement in sustainable tourism was a deciding factor in their holiday choice. This figure was confirmed in a follow up survey in 1997.
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