Share your views on the New Forest National Park and be in with the chance of winning a log cabin break

PUBLISHED ON: 18 JULY 2023

The New Forest National Park Authority is asking for views on how to make the National Park a better place to visit.

The ‘Enjoying the New Forest’ survey 2023 has been designed in partnership with Forestry England and Go New Forest. The responses will help to make the New Forest an even better place to visit and help look after this special landscape.

Anyone can share their views, whether they live within or outside the New Forest. In doing so, you could win one of a number of prizes including a two-night stay in a Norwegian log cabin with a hot tub, at Lake Farm in Fordingbridge.

More than 700 hundred people took part in last year’s survey; the key findings were:

65% visited in groups of two to six.
40% were aged under 55.
15% said they had a disability or long-term illness.
Most visits were from SO40, SO41 and SO45 postcodes.
40% of visits included at least one dog.
Most visited for walking or relaxing – or for exercising their dog/s.
15% arrived via sustainable transport, such as foot, bike, train, bus or ferry.
92% were aware of the New Forest code, mostly through signage, social media and e-newsletters.

Aynsley Clinton, Sustainable Visitor Experience Officer at the New Forest National Park Authority, said: ‘Over half the National Park is internationally important for nature conservation. Our role is to ensure tourism is sustainable, giving back to the landscape and local communities and ensuring people respect the National Park.

‘The survey enables us to find out a bit more about how people – both locally and from further afield – are accessing the New Forest, and their awareness of how they can responsibly enjoy this precious landscape.’

Carol Seymour, Business Manager at Go New Forest CIC, the destination management organisation, said: ‘The New Forest is a wonderful place to visit, for residents and visitors, and we work hard to promote the New Forest code to everyone, as do our tourism businesses.

‘The survey not only gives us valuable information on how much of the code they are aware of, but also the types of activities they are engaging in during their stay.’

The prizes to be won by taking part in the survey are:

Norwegian log cabin ‘The Birches’ with hot tub for two people for two nights, courtesy of Lake Farm.
Afternoon tea for four people at New Park Manor.
Half-day tour in the New Forest for two adults from New Forest Cycling Tours (Does not include bike hire).
Cyclexperience Cycling helmet from the retail floor (with a value of £35) at Cyclexperience.
New Forest Activities £100 activities voucher.
New Forest Shortbread jute bag filled with New Forest Shortbread flavours.
Family ticket for one day at Beaulieu Motor Museum.
Longdown Activity Farm Family ticket. Free-of-charge entrance to one adult and three children OR two adults and two children. Valid for the 2023 season.
Furzey Gardens cream tea for two people. Monday-Thursday outside of public holidays.
Two vouchers for one day access to the Friends of the New Forest Airfields Museum.
Family ticket for one day at Paultons Park.
Two free hot drinks for one year (to be used on a weekly basis) at Minstead Community Centre.

You can tell us about your visit here. The survey closes 30 September 2023. Full terms and conditions can also be found on our website.