Snowdonia on Top

Following a recent survey to find out people's awareness of and opinions about National Parks in Britain, Snowdonia was at the forefront. Snowdonia National Park was found to be the most famous of all the National Parks in the United Kingdom.

This is the third survey in twelve years to be commissioned by the association representing the family of 13 National Parks in the United Kingdom, the Association of National Park Authorities.

According to the survey by rmgClarity, of all people questioned,

• Snowdonia National Park is the most famous of all of Britain's National Parks (24%), the Lake District is in second place (22%), and the Peak District in third (14%).
• 96% of people in Wales have heard about National Parks compared with 86% in Scotland and 89% in England.
• In terms of importance, 95% respondents in Wales said that National Parks are important, compared to 90% in England and 83% in Scotland.
• 96% of respondents thought that every child should have a first-hand experience of a National Park as part of their education.

The Chief Executive of Snowdonia National Park Authority, Aneurin Phillips, said ‘The results of this survey are very encouraging to us in Snowdonia. It highlights the importance of Snowdonia not only as a destination, but it also confirms how important it is to preserve the qualities that make Snowdonia such a special place. That is why it is our duty as a National Park to protect the landscape and wildlife, provide opportunities for people to enjoy and understand the area, promoting economic prosperity in Snowdonia at the same time. In addition, the survey also gives us guidance on the areas for development. We need to improve people's understanding of the work that the National Parks are doing and develop more contemporary methods of communicating with our audiences. We also need to work with other organizations in order to improve the provision of public transport to and within the Park. The challenge facing us now therefore is to ensure that this work is carried out for the benefit of future generations.’