Canada Parks $150K survey concludes what we already knew
Digital Reporter
Monday, April 16, 2018, 2:06 PM - A $150,000 survey commissioned by Parks Canada has concluded that Canadians like to be in parks.
The study was intended to determine ways the government agency could improve, but failed to come to a coherent conclusion due to the near-universal approval rating.
SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS
- 1 in 4 visitors to a national park were experiencing it for the first time
- Banff was a popular 2017 destination, as was Ottawa's Rideau Canal
- Twenty per cent of visitors went to spend time with friends and family
- 8 in 10 visitors said they learned something during their visit
The research was prepared by EKOS Research Associates and compiled in November. It was made available to the public by Library and Archives Canada this month.
The survey was based on three-thousand telephone interviews with people who visited a Canada Parks site during the summer of 2017.
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Researchers found that ninety-four per cent of the respondents reported they "enjoyed" their visit. Five per cent said they had an "average" time, while one per cent did not enjoy their time.
Scenery and natural surroundings were the number one reason people flock to Canada's parks, followed by physical activity.
As part of Canada’s 150th celebrations in 2017, free admission was offered to all national parks and national historic sites. The survey was commissioned in anticipation of the traffic increase that would bring.
Source: Canada Parks
