Visitor numbers down

Published: Monday, 21 March 2011

NOTWITHSTANDING the constant propaganda and money spent on promotion that visitor numbers to the waterways will double, the actual numbers have fallen during 2010.

Although no announcement has been made regarding the actual figure, British Waterways' Marketing Director, Simon Salem, has informed the Board that visitor numbers are down on 2009, writes Allan Richards.

7.2m target by 2012

It was less than a year ago that narrowboatworld reminded the public (Look back in anger): 'The number of visitors, which BW intended to double by 2012, are now less than when our chief executive took office according to BW's last annual report (3.4m visits per two week period against 3.6m (in 2003/4) with a target of 7.2m by 2012)'.

Indeed, a year ago BW were estimating that by 2012, the number of visitors would still be below its 2003/4figure of 3.6m at 3.5m!

Misleading and incomprehensible

Narrowboatworld's revelation caused a flurry of misleading and incomprehensible visitor statistics from BW culminating in its 2009/10 annual report stating 'Doubling the number of people using the waterways was an ambitious target but since 2004 we have increased visitor numbers by 48%'.

Sorry to correct you BW, but you are claiming a rise from 3.6m (2003/4) to 4.3m (2009/10) is 48%? Even if the public believe your 4.3m figure, it is less than 20%.

Elsewhere the 2009/10 annual report says 'In 2009 an estimated 13 million people, or 28% of the GB adult population, visited one of our waterways, up from 11 million in 2008'.

Again much less than 20%!

For confirmation, readers are invited to compare the annual targets set for chief executive, Robin Evans (the picture is a screen shot of a document on the wikileaks web site), with what BW states in its last annual report. (The picture above is a screen shot of part of page eight).

Target lowered

The original target set for BW's chief executive for 2009/10 was £6.5m but BW now say it was just 3.5m. Put another way, BW revised its target for 2009/10 down from 6.5m to 3.5m which is below the actual number of visitors achieved in 2003/4 conveniently forgetting targets previously set for its chief executive.

Despite all the marketing, rhetoric and cover-up, Robin Evans has failed to deliver year on year against targets set for visitor numbers. Last year, as will be seen from the pictures, he achieved just 4.3m against a target of 6.5m. This year he will fail again as visitor numbers have gone down—but the target has gone up!

Massive failures

The Robin Evans vision was BW would double visitor number, eliminate maintenance arrears and be largely independent of government grant all by 2012. All massive failures.

Time to stand down, perhaps?