Garden Tourism's Next Chapter: An Invitation for Your Case Studies
Garden tourism is a captivating and dynamic global phenomenon. In 2013, Professor Richard Benfield wrote the first definitive book on garden tourism, offering a comprehensive overview of the sector. Fast forward several years, and garden tourism's roots have only deepened and spread across the world, from the phenomenal public gardens of the USA to the historic parks and gardens of the UK.
The garden visitor and experience market is big. Much bigger than many would expect. As part of the ‘experiences economy’, which is expected to grow to $300 billion globally by 2025, gardens open to the public in what we’re calling the North Atlantic region (UK, Ireland, Canada & the US) get over 220 million visitors a year across more than 1600 gardens!
In the US alone, more individuals visit gardens than they do Disneyland and Disney World combined! That’s 120 million and about twice the UK population. Visit Britain study uncovered
Out of the 31 million people visiting Britain annually, about a third (11.1 million) enjoy visiting parks or gardens, with a notable interest among younger visitors aged 25-34 compared to those aged 55-64.
Visiting parks and gardens ranks as one of the top activities for overseas guests, accounting for 36% of all visitors and is more popular than visiting museums, castles, historic houses, or art galleries.
French, Americans, and Germans are the top visitors to Britain's parks and gardens, with the French leading in numbers (1.25 million visits) but Americans spending the most (around £1.1 billion) during their visits.
These numbers are not just about leisurely strolls among flowers; they underscore a profound multi-billion-pound economic impact, drawing in millions of visitors (both locals and tourists) to garden visitor attractions around the world.
However, as gardens have flourished and diversified, so have the ways we engage with them. Technologies have evolved, marketing strategies have become more innovative, and the very nature of gardens as spaces of both leisure and learning has transformed. This shift has called for an updated exploration, leading to Professor Benfield’s newest work. In 2021, New Directions in Garden Tourism book was published and captures the new and innovative strategies, plus the broader societal changes and impacts that influenced gardens and their visitors including COVID-19.
In 2024, my focus will be on exploring garden tourism more thoroughly through writing and research. If you have a story or insight related to this subject, I warmly invite you to reach out or submit your contributions here
Dive deeper into the world of garden tourism by purchasing Professor Benfield's first two books. Find them on the CABI Digital Online Library available in hardback, paperback, and electronic formats. They're also accessible on Amazon
